A search is underway in north Alabama after a man charged with capital murder and a deputy transporting him to court went missing Friday morning. Learn more in the video above.
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office employee Vicki White, who is the assistant director of corrections, and inmate Casey Cole White have not been seen since 9:30 a.m. Friday when they allegedly left for the county courthouse. The sheriff’s office said the deputy and suspect are not related.
The marked vehicle that the two left the detention center in was located in the parking lot of a shopping center in Florence around 11 a.m. Friday. Their current direction of travel is unknown and investigators are looking for video footage that may give more information.
In a news conference Friday evening, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said Officer White, who is an employee of 25 years, told the booking officer at the detention center that she was escorting inmate White to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation. After dropping the inmate off with other deputies, Officer White said she was going to seek medical attention for herself because she wasn’t feeling well.
Around 3:30 p.m., the booking officer attempted to contact Officer White, but her phone was going straight to voicemail. It was also discovered that inmate White never returned to the jail. The sheriff said they began investigating “aggressively.”
Officials said the officer and the inmate never showed up to the courthouse and it has since been determined that the inmate did not have any evaluations scheduled. Local urgent care offices also have no record of Officer White visiting on Friday.
The sheriff added that it is a “strict violation of policy” for inmates with those types of charges to be escorted anywhere by one deputy, but they believe Officer White wasn’t questioned because she is the head of operations and coordinates all transports.
“Knowing the inmate, I think [Officer White] is in danger whatever the circumstances,” Singleton said. “He was in jail for capital murder. He has nothing to lose.”
According to court documents, Casey White’s capital murder charge stems from the “brutal death” death of Connie Ridgeway at her Rogersville home in 2015. The capital murder charge also includes first-degree burglary.
If anyone sees the suspect or Officer White, do not approach them and contact 911 immediately.
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