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, mentioned Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. The inmate and the corrections officer are not associated.

Authorities mentioned Casey White was being held on capital murder prices and two sworn deputies ought to have been with him at all times, together with during transportation to court.

Vicki White coordinates all transports from the detention heart to court docket and therefore knew the protocol, the sheriff added.

Singleton mentioned that although Casey White was supposedly being transported for a psychological well being evaluation at the courthouse, they've since realized that no such analysis or other court docket hearing for him was scheduled for Friday.

"Knowing the inmate, I believe she's in danger regardless of the circumstances... He was in jail for capital homicide, and he had nothing to lose," Singleton said.

Authorities at the moment are looking at all possibilities of what happened, including if the corrections officer helped Casey White escape.

"Whether she assisted him or not, we do not know, and we cannot tackle that till we now have absolute proof that that is what occurred. We are assuming at this point that she was taken in opposition to her will, unless we can absolutely prove otherwise," Singleton added.

Authorities mentioned they are nonetheless looking out and investigating any interplay between the corrections officer and Casey White, in addition to any cellphone calls he had acquired.

When Vicki White escorted Casey White out of the jail, she told the guard she was going to drop him off at the court after which go seek medical consideration because she wasn't feeling properly.

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

Authorities didn't notice they had been missing till several hours later.

Her automobile, a 2013 Ford Taurus patrol automobile, was first spotted in a shopping mall parking zone around 11 a.m. by somebody who was on a lunch break, Singleton mentioned.

Around 3:30 p.m., officers on the jail have been involved and tried to reach her, but 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 previous few months, Singleton added.

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

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