Alabama authorities are searching for a corrections officer and inmate who never made it to courtroom

Lacking 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 aren't related.

Authorities stated Casey White was being held on capital homicide prices and two sworn deputies ought to have been with him always, including throughout transportation to courtroom.

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

Singleton mentioned that although Casey White was supposedly being transported for a mental health analysis on the courthouse, they've since discovered that no such evaluation or other court hearing for him was scheduled for Friday.

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

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

"Whether or not she assisted him or not, we don't know, and we won't handle that till we've got absolute proof that that is what occurred. We're assuming at this point that she was taken against her will, unless we are able to absolutely show otherwise," Singleton added.

Authorities mentioned they are still searching and investigating any interplay between the corrections officer and Casey White, as well as any cellphone calls he had obtained.

When Vicki White escorted Casey White out of the jail, she instructed the guard she was going to drop him off on the courtroom and then go search medical consideration because she wasn't feeling properly.

The sheriff said Casey White was by no means dropped off at courtroom and Vicki White didn't make it to the place where she said she was going to seek medical attention.

Authorities did not realize they have been missing until several hours later.

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

Around 3:30 p.m., officers at the jail have been involved and tried to reach her, but her phone kept 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 couple of months, Singleton added.

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

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