A newly released surveillance video shows an Alabama corrections officer helping an inmate serving a 75-year sentence in escaping from the prison.
The police have now confirmed that the officer Vicky White and inmate Casey White — who disappeared together almost a week ago — shared a “special relationship”.
The video shows the two leaving the jail on 29 April as the officer holds the door open for Mr White who can be seen in handcuffs and shackles.
Ms White was supposed to transport the inmate from the Lauderdale County Jail, police said.
Investigators have now launched a search for Vicky White, 56, and Casey White, 38.
Rick Singleton, the Lauderdale County sheriff, told the local media that investigators have found evidence that the two shared a "special relationship”. However, he added that it couldn’t be “physical” based on the surveillance video analysed by the police.
"We have discovered some evidence that confirms that there was a relationship outside her work hours," Mr Singleton said. “I’m not talking about a physical relationship. But outside her work hours, there was some contact between the two.”
Mr White, the inmate, is serving a 75-year sentence and Ms White — the two are not related — has been awarded Employee of the Year four times.
Now the Alabama corrections officer has an arrest warrant issued on her name and is charged with permitting and helping Mr White escape.
“Everybody loved her — nobody, nobody had nothing but good things to say about Vicky, ever,” a former Lauderdale County inmate John McCulloch was quoted as saying by NBC News. “Never heard a bad word about her."
It also reported that Ms White sold her house — well below the market value — just days before she and the inmate disappeared.
CNN reported that she had also announced plans to retire as the assistant director of corrections. The police said on Wednesday that her retirement papers were not finalised and she is no longer employed with the county sheriff’s office.
Reports of their romantic relationship emerged after other inmates also told investigators that Casey White “was getting extra food on his trays” and “was getting privileges no one else got. And this was all coming from her”.
Meanwhile, Mr Singleton said that Casey White is “an extremely dangerous person” and also warned people not to approach him if they see him and instead call the police.
Investigators say that Mr White is possibly armed as Vicky White was armed. The US Marshals Service warned on Tuesday that they might have an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun.
