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The authorities in Alabama mentioned on Monday that that they had issued an arrest warrant for a corrections officer who disappeared with a homicide suspect after they left a jail collectively final week for an appointment that turned out to not exist.
The officer, Vicki White, the assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County, Ala., left the county jail at 9:41 a.m. on Saturday to take the inmate, Casey White, to a psychological well being analysis on the county courthouse in Florence, simply exterior Muscle Shoals. Although Officer White and Mr. White have the identical surname, they don’t seem to be associated, officers mentioned.
The Lauderdale County sheriff, Rick Singleton, mentioned at a information convention on Monday that an arrest warrant had been issued for Officer White on a cost of allowing or facilitating an escape within the first diploma.
However, Sheriff Singleton mentioned, it was not but clear if Officer White, who disappeared the day she was to retire from the sheriff’s workplace, had been coerced or threatened. “We all know for positive she did take part,” he mentioned.
Mr. White, who was charged with two counts of capital homicide in 2020 in reference to a homicide for rent, ought to have had two deputies with him always, the sheriff mentioned. That features throughout transportation to the courthouse, which was a three-minute drive away. The sheriff mentioned that Officer White violated coverage by transporting him alone.
Sheriff Singleton mentioned she had advised the reserving officer that she would drop Mr. White off on the courthouse herself to meet up with two vans carrying inmates that had simply left.
She additionally advised the reserving officer that she would “search medical help” for herself after dropping off Mr. White for his appointment as a result of she was feeling ailing. However Officer White didn’t go to a medical appointment, both, Sheriff Singleton mentioned.
“We predict that was an excuse,” he mentioned.
As an alternative, they disappeared, prompting a search.
The authorities mentioned they started to research whether or not there had ever been a relationship between the 2 and whether or not Officer White had helped Mr. White escape, a risk that appeared out of character for one of the vital revered and senior figures on the jail.
“This isn’t the Vicki White we all know,” Sheriff Singleton mentioned.
The sheriff mentioned that Officer White had spoken about her retirement earlier than she all of the sudden disappeared with Mr. White. She had talked about going to the seaside and had just lately offered her home, he mentioned.
“All people thought she was going to retire,” Sheriff Singleton mentioned. “No person noticed this coming.”
The authorities continued their search on Monday. Officer White’s deserted patrol automotive was discovered on Friday morning, parked amongst vehicles on the market at Florence Sq., a shopping center two miles from the jail. Investigators decided that that they had not gone to the courthouse in any respect, the sheriff mentioned.
He mentioned investigators have been scrutinizing surveillance video footage and name data to find out whether or not the 2 had “any type of relationship.”
Officer White’s duties included scheduling transportation for inmates to look in court docket and arranging for them to be escorted by armed deputies. The chance that she had facilitated an inmate’s escape shocked her fellow workers, the sheriff mentioned. In Sheriff Singleton’s seven years within the place, Officer White had been voted the division’s worker of the yr 4 occasions, he mentioned final week. She had been chosen from greater than 50 folks working on the jail, he mentioned.
Mr. White is 6-foot-9 and weighs between 250 and 275 kilos. He was handcuffed and shackled when he left the jail, Sheriff Singleton mentioned. The U.S. Marshals Service mentioned on Sunday that it was providing a $10,000 reward for data resulting in the seize of Mr. White and the placement of Officer White.
The Alabama Regulation Enforcement Company issued a “blue alert” on Friday evening for the lacking officer. “Casey White is believed to be a critical risk to the corrections officer and the general public,” the alert mentioned.
Sheriff Singleton mentioned Officer White was armed with a 9-millimeter handgun earlier than she disappeared, main investigators to consider that Mr. White was now armed.
Isabella Grullón Paz and Alex Traub contributed reporting.
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