The couple disappeared on Friday after Vicki White, assistant director of corrections at the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Corrections, said she was leading inmate Casey White to the county’s mental health assessment. But the police officer and the prisoner, who officials say are not related, never arrived at the courthouse, and authorities later found no assessment or hearing scheduled for Casey White that day.
When Vicki White took Casey White out of the detention center around 9:30 a.m., she said she would leave him in court and then receive medical treatment because she was not feeling well, but she was unable to get to where she was supposed to be. received medical attention, said Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton.
Concerned prison officials tried to call Vicki White on Friday afternoon, but her phone went straight to voicemail. They later discovered that Casey White had never been returned to prison.
Authorities considered a number of scenarios over the weekend, including whether Vicki White was beaten and abducted by the 6-foot and 9-foot inmate, or helped her escape by force or will, Singleton told CNN.
Casey White has been jailed on a murder charge.
Around 11 a.m. Friday, Vicki White’s patrol car was spotted in a mall parking lot by someone who was on their lunch break, Singleton said.
On Saturday, the sheriff said authorities had searched security videos in the area where the patrol car was found, but found no evidence showing the two were boarding another vehicle. The sheriff’s office is working on clues that could help investigators identify the vehicle the couple left in, Singleton said Sunday, adding that “nothing has been confirmed so far.”
“We are still watching videos for possible clues, but we have not found anything that has significantly affected the investigation,” Singleton said, adding that authorities did not know if they were still in Alabama.
The prisoner had previously planned to escape
In 2020, Casey White planned to escape from prison and take a hostage, but the detention center staff caught him, Singleton said. After his plan was revealed, the prison established a policy requiring two sworn deputies to accompany him at all times, including during transportation to the courthouse, the sheriff told CNN.
Casey White served 75 years for a series of crimes in 2015, including home burglary, car theft and police harassment, according to the U.S. Marshals Office. He also faces two counts of murder for the stabbing death of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway in 2015, the marshals’ office said.
He pleaded guilty to murder in 2020 and then pleaded not guilty, according to Lauderdale County Attorney Chris Connelly. He was detained pending trial.
As Vicki White was armed with a 9mm pistol when the couple disappeared, authorities speculate that Casey White may have been armed, Singleton said, adding that it was not known if there were other weapons in her patrol vehicle.
Singleton said the officer was probably in danger, regardless of the circumstances of their disappearance.
“He was in prison for murder and had nothing to lose,” the sheriff said. “Whether she helped him or not, we don’t know and we won’t deal with it until we have absolute proof that it happened. At this point, we assume that she was taken against her will, unless we can prove the exact opposite. But regardless, even if she helped him, we think she is in danger. “
The Marshall Service has joined the search for the prisoner and officer and is offering a reward of up to $ 10,000 for information leading to the capture of Casey White and the whereabouts of Vicki White.
A veteran officer violated prison policy
As assistant director of correction, Vicki White was aware of the prison policy, which required Casey White to be escorted by two sworn deputies at all times, according to Singleton. By bringing him out of custody on her own, Vicki White broke the protocol.
“All precautions have been taken,” Singleton said. “The questions we have about Director White are why she has violated policy.
Singleton said the officer had frequent access to people held in the detention center, including Casey White.
Vicki White sent her retirement papers to the department last week, according to Singleton, who described her as an “exemplary employee” with a “spotless file.”
“All of her colleagues, all of the sheriff’s office staff, the judges, all of them have the utmost respect for her,” Singleton said.
Vicki White has been in the department for about two decades, Singleton said. She is a widow without children, and her mother and two brothers live in Lauderdale County.
CNN’s Fredrika Whitfield, Rebecca Reiss, Keith Allen and Jamil Lynch contributed to this report.
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