Alabama authorities are searching for a corrections officer and inmate who never made it to court

Missing Assistant Director of Corrections Vicki White broke protocol when she escorted inmate Casey White from jail this morning to apparently take him to the courthouse in Lauderdale County, stated Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. The inmate and the corrections officer usually are not related.

Authorities stated Casey White was being held on capital murder expenses and two sworn deputies ought to have been with him at all times, including during transportation to court docket.

Vicki White coordinates all transports from the detention center to court and due to this fact knew the protocol, the sheriff added.

Singleton said that although Casey White was supposedly being transported for a mental well being analysis on the courthouse, they've since realized that no such analysis or different court listening to for him was scheduled for Friday.

"Understanding the inmate, I feel she's at risk whatever the circumstances... He was in jail for capital homicide, and he had nothing to lose," Singleton mentioned.

Authorities are now looking at all potentialities of what occurred, together with if the corrections officer helped Casey White escape.

"Whether or not she assisted him or not, we don't know, and we won't address that until we now have absolute proof that that is what happened. We are assuming at this level that she was taken towards her will, except we are able to absolutely prove otherwise," Singleton added.

Authorities mentioned they are nonetheless searching and investigating any interaction between the corrections officer and Casey White, as well as any cellphone calls he had acquired.

When Vicki White escorted Casey White out of the jail, she informed the guard she was going to drop him off on the courtroom after which go seek medical attention as a result of she wasn't feeling well.

The sheriff stated Casey White was never dropped off at court docket and Vicki White didn't make it to the place the place she said she was going to hunt medical attention.

Authorities didn't notice they were lacking until several hours later.

Her automobile, a 2013 Ford Taurus patrol automobile, was first noticed in a shopping mall car parking zone round 11 a.m. by someone who was on a lunch break, Singleton stated.

Round 3:30 p.m., officers on the jail had been concerned and tried to reach her, however her phone stored going straight to voicemail. They then realized Casey White had not been returned to the jail.

Vicki White has been with the division for 25 years and is eligible for retirement -- which she has talked about doing in the last few months, Singleton added.

"All precautions have been in place. The question we've got for Director White is why she violated policy," Singleton mentioned.

Casey White is 6'9" tall is being thought of armed and dangerous. Vicki White "was armed with a 9 mm handgun, which suggests we are assuming he is armed," Singleton added.