Vicky and Casey White: who are Alabama fugitives, latest update and news - who was the prison officer?

Vicky White's death adds to the mystery of why a respected jail employee would risk her life for a violent convict
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A murder suspect and the prison officer who helped him escape from an Alabama jail were prepared for a shoot-out when they were captured, an Indiana sheriff has aid.

After more than a week on the run, the former Alabama jail official died and the murder suspect she is accused of assisting escape from detention was been arrested.

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Following a manhunt that spanned three states, authorities apprehended the fugitives 300 miles awar on Monday 9 May, crashing their car into a ditch after a brief chase.

Jail official Vicky White shot herself and was taken to hospital after the escapee surrendered; she later died from her injuries.

Vicky White's death only adds to the riddle of why a respected jail employee would risk her life to assist in the release of a convict with a violent and terrifying past.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What happened?

Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections for the Lauderdale County jail, allegedly assisted Casey White, who was awaiting trial in a capital murder case, in his escape on 29 April.

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White had told coworkers she was transporting the inmate from the jail to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation, but the two, who are not related, instead fled the area.

The car they fled in was later discovered abandoned in Tennessee, but no trace of the two remained until US Marshals received a tip on 8 May that surveillance photos from a car wash showed a man who resembled like Casey White exiting a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck.

(Photo: Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office)(Photo: Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office)
(Photo: Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office)

A day later, the pair were seen outside the sheriff's office, but when officers arrived, they escaped in a vehicle, leading police on a chase.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding in Indiana said Casey White was injured, not too seriously, in the crash and Vicky White then shot herself, causing “very serious” injuries.

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“We’re lucky that no law enforcement was injured, no innocent civilians were injured, the pursuit was short in nature and we have both people in custody,” he said.

They were alleged to be in possession of $29,000 (£23,519) in cash, four handguns and an AR-15 rifle.

Investigators suspect the couple stayed at a motel in Evansville for roughly six days, and authorities also found wigs intended to conceal their identities.

Who are Casey and Vicky White?

At the time of his breakout, Casey White was serving a 75-year jail term for attempted murder and other charges, and was awaiting trial for the 2015 stabbing of a 58-year-old lady during a burglary.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

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Casey White also threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and sister in 2015, and indicated "that he wanted police to kill him," according to the Marshals Service.

A warrant for Vicky Sue White was issued on 2 May, charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree.

Before her death, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton of Alabama said he hoped to acquire answers about her behaviour from his once-trusted jail employee, but that those answers might not come.

“I had every bit of trust in Vicky White. She has been an exemplary employee,” said Singleton.

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“What in the world provoked her, prompted her to pull a stunt like this? I don’t know. I don’t know if we’ll ever know.”

A woman who worked with her for 16 years could barely speak through tears on Tuesday.

“I know she did wrong and made a terrible mistake, but she’s still your friend,” long-time jail employee Sherry Sylvester said.

She said White often tried to help prisoners, particularly ones without family.

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But Ms Sylvester said she never saw White do anything that crossed the line, adding: “She did everything by the book.”

Connie Moore, Casey White’s mother, said she last spoke with him by phone the day before the escape.

She said her son may not have known what was about to happen.

“Everything was just as normal as it could be. I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him,” Ms Moore said.

Were they lovers?

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According to Singleton, Vicky White’s scheme had been in the works for some time, with fellow convicts alleging the two had a special bond, and that she treated Casey White differently than other inmates.

Authorities in Alabama said the two looked to have had a "jailhouse romance." Despite their shared surname, they were not related.

She had bought a rifle and a shotgun in the last few months and was also known to have a handgun, according to US Marshal Marty Keely.

She sold her house for around half its market worth and acquired a 2007 orange Ford Edge, which she parked without licence plates in a shopping centre.

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Video of the escape showed the pair went from the jail to the shopping centre, where they picked up the Ford and left.

The break-out occurred on Vicky White said would be her last day at work.

She told co-workers that Casey White was supposed to have a mental health evaluation, but none was planned. The pair were not accompanied by a second officer, which was against jail regulations.

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