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

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 usually are not associated.

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

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

Singleton stated that although Casey White was supposedly being transported for a mental well being evaluation at 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 in danger whatever the circumstances... He was in jail for capital homicide, and he had nothing to lose," Singleton mentioned.

Authorities are actually taking a look at all potentialities of what occurred, together with if the corrections officer helped Casey White escape.

"Whether she assisted him or not, we do not know, and we can't handle that until now we have absolute proof that that's what occurred. We are assuming at this level that she was taken against her will, except we will completely prove in any other case," Singleton added.

Authorities stated they are nonetheless searching and investigating any interplay between the corrections officer and Casey White, as well as any phone calls he had received.

When Vicki White escorted Casey White out of the jail, she instructed the guard she was going to drop him off at the court docket and then go search medical attention as a result of she wasn't feeling nicely.

The sheriff said Casey White was never dropped off at courtroom and Vicki White did not make it to the place the place she stated she was going to seek medical consideration.

Authorities did not realize they were lacking until several hours later.

Her vehicle, 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 said.

Around 3:30 p.m., officers at the jail had been concerned and tried to achieve her, however her cellphone stored going straight to voicemail. They then realized Casey White had not been returned to the jail.

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

"All precautions had been in place. The query we now have for Director White is why she violated policy," Singleton said.

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