Alabama authorities are searching for a corrections officer and inmate who by no means made it to courtroom

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, said Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton. The inmate and the corrections officer are usually not related.

Authorities said Casey White was being held on capital homicide charges and two sworn deputies should have been with him at all times, including throughout transportation to court docket.

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

Singleton stated that though Casey White was supposedly being transported for a mental health evaluation at the courthouse, they've since learned that no such analysis or other court docket hearing for him was scheduled for Friday.

"Realizing the inmate, I believe she's in peril whatever the circumstances... He was in jail for capital homicide, and he had nothing to lose," Singleton mentioned.

Authorities are actually looking at all possibilities of what occurred, together with if the corrections officer helped Casey White escape.

"Whether she assisted him or not, we don't know, and we cannot address that till we've absolute proof that that is what occurred. We are assuming at this point that she was taken against her will, unless we will 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 obtained.

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

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

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

Her car, a 2013 Ford Taurus patrol automotive, was first spotted in a shopping mall parking zone round 11 a.m. by someone who was on a lunch break, Singleton said.

Round 3:30 p.m., officers at the jail have been involved and tried to succeed in 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 last few months, Singleton added.

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

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