A manhunt is underway in the US state of Alabama for a prisoner and a female deputy sheriff. The two have been missing since Friday. An arrest warrant was issued for the deputy sheriff today.
The guard is wanted because she may have helped the prisoner escape. The authorities assume that both are armed and consider the duo dangerous.
The sheriff’s deputy removed the man from his cell around 9 a.m. Friday to take him to court for a psychological evaluation. When she left, the guard said she would take the man away and then see a doctor because she wasn’t feeling well, the sheriff of Launderdale County, northern Alabama, said.
It was only hours later that the two were found to be missing. The woman’s official car was seen around 11 a.m. at a shopping center two kilometers from the prison and was abandoned. Court inquiries revealed that the man, Casey White, 38, had no appointment and that the woman, Vicky White (no relation), had not taken him there.
The prison tried to call the woman, but could not get in touch. At around 3:30 p.m., they discovered that the man had not returned to prison.
Police have offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the prisoner or deputy sheriff.
Penalty of 75 years
White was serving a 75-year sentence for a 2015 murder and is still a suspect in another murder case.
Two years ago, he planned an escape by holding someone hostage, but that plan came true. Since that time, two guards had to be with him at all times, even on a transport. The woman arranges all transportation from prison to court and knows the rules, the sheriff says.
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