Arrest warrant issued in Alabama for missing jail official

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — An arrest warrant has been issued for a jail official who disappeared while escorting a prisoner last week in Alabama.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said a warrant was issued for the official’s arrest for permitting or assisting in an escape. Singleton said neither the inmate nor the official have been found.

The inmate, Casey Cole White, 38, was scheduled for a trial next month on a capital murder charge.

Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections at the facility, told co-workers she was taking the inmate to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation on Friday. The two then disappeared.

“We consider both of them dangerous and in all probability both of them are armed,” U.S. Marshal Marty Keely said at a Monday press conference.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — The search continued Monday for a missing Alabama inmate and a corrections officer who vanished after leaving a county jail, and authorities said they’ve issue a warrant for the officer for permitting or helping in the inmate’s escape.

The pair departed the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama, on Friday morning and have not been seen since. The inmate, Casey Cole White, 38, was scheduled for a trial next month on a capital murder charge. Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections at the facility, told co-workers she was taking the inmate to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation.

“Casey White is believed to be a serious threat to the corrections officer and the public,” U.S. Marshal Marty Keely said in a statement on Sunday. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $10,000 for information.

The pair are not related, the sheriff said.

The vehicle the officer and the inmate were in when they left the detention center was found at a nearby shopping center parking lot, according to the sheriff’s office. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said they’ve obtained video that indicated the two went straight from the jail to a parking lot where Vicky White’s patrol car was found.

Casey White was already serving a prison sentence for attempted murder and burglary and is accused of stabbing a 58-year-old woman to death. He stands 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06 meters) tall and weighs about 260 pounds, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Authorities said Vicki White cited a courthouse appointment that did not exist when she left the jail with the inmate, and broke department rules by escorting the murder suspect alone.

Vicky White’s mother told WAAY that she is in shock and scared for her daughter.

“We don’t know if she was took by force or if she was voluntarily in this. But we just want her back, that’s all we want,” Pat Davis said.

The Marshals Service said people with information about Casey White’s location or Vicky White’s disappearance can call the service at 1-800-336-0102. Anonymous tips may also be submitted through the U.S. Marshals Tip App.