A female corrections officer has died after she went on the run with a murder suspect from an Alabama jail, authorities say.
Per BBC News, 58-year-old corrections officer Vicky White passed away in hospital after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound as police arrested her and inmate Casey White (no relation).
The two are believed to have become romantically involved while he was imprisoned in an Alabama jail.
When the two vanished from the prison in Lauderdale County on April 29, it was suspected that she had helped the murder suspect escape.
According to officials, the fugitive lovers were last seen when she claimed to be transporting him as part of a phony mental health evaluation, after which they fled the area. Ms. White had been due to retire the following day, and had recently sold her home and told colleagues that she hoped to spend time by the sea.
A manhunt for the missing couple ensued. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told law enforcement that the 6ft9" Casey White was an "extremely dangerous" man, and they kept the two under surveillance before going after them in a car chase in Evansville, Indiana.
According to CNN, the pursuit ended when a US Marshal task force member drove a vehicle into the fugitive's Cadillac. The car rolled over, at which point Casey White surrendered and begged officers to help his partner, who he claimed had shot herself in the head.
Late on Monday (May 9), it was confirmed by the Vanderburgh County Coroners' Office that Vicky White had died from her injuries in a local hospital.
Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly told reporters that the officer had a spotless record which made her actions all the more surprising.
"I would have trusted Vicky with my life. I really mean it. If we needed something from the jail, she was our go-to person, solid employee. That's why it's so shocking," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, he described Casey White as a "dangerous man", adding: "He is never going to see the light of day again."
The inmate was charged with the murder of Connie Ridgeway in September 2020. He was already serving a 75-year sentence for violent crimes when he allegedly confessed to the murder. However, he later pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was due to face trial when he escaped from Lauderdale County Jail last month.
If convicted, he faces the death penalty.