US police are searching for a prisoner accused of murder who disappeared with a guard.
Casey White and correctional officer Vicki White were last seen Friday morning (4/29) at the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama, USA. Although the two share the same surname, they are not related.
Vicki said she took him for a mental evaluation, but authorities later realized there was no scheduled appointment.
Authorities are investigating whether the woman helped the prisoner escape or if she was taken hostage by the prisoner.
Officials say Casey White should be viewed as “armed and extremely dangerous”, in part because she now has access to Vicki’s gun.
In an interview with reporters on Friday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said that Vicki and Casey left prison at 9:30am local time (11:30pm ET) after telling colleagues that she would be taking her to court for a mental health assessment.
She later said she was going to the doctor because she wasn’t feeling well, Sheriff Singleton added.
But shortly after 11 p.m. someone found his vehicle in a shopping mall parking lot.
Around 3:30 pm, authorities realized that Casey had not returned to prison and that no one had been able to contact Vicky.
The U.S. Police Department is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Casey White’s recall and Vicki White’s location.
“Casey White is believed to be a serious threat to the guard and the public,” Officer Marty Keely said in a statement. Said.
‘Exemplary employee’
Singleton said Vicki has worked as a correctional officer for nearly 25 years. He is the deputy director of his division and part of his duties is to arrange the transport of prisoners to court.
The sheriff added that the decision to take Casey to court alone violated company policy because two officers would normally accompany someone accused of such a serious crime.
“I can tell you that every employee in this department was shocked by his disappearance and what happened.”
Sheriff Singleton said Vicki was named Employee of the Year several times and set an “exemplary”.
He said he wanted “hard evidence” before accusing White of any wrongdoing.
“He helped her escape. This is clearly a possibility. That’s why we’re investigating it. She was abducted on her way to court. In other words, she was taken against her will. We’re investigating that too.”
“Since I know the prisoner, I think he is in danger no matter the circumstances,” the sheriff said.
murder charge
Casey, 38, was charged with first degree murder for stabbing 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway in September 2020, according to the US Marshals Service.
He was sentenced to prison for a number of crimes in 2015, including robbery, vehicle theft, and police stalking, the federal agency said.
Authorities added that he confessed to the murder and was awaiting trial at Lauderdale County Penitentiary when he disappeared.
Speaking to ABC News, Sheriff Singleton said Casey had planned to break out of jail earlier. But authorities discovered the plan, which involved taking the hostage, before it was implemented in 2020.
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source: Noticias
