Jailbreak mystery as manhunt ends with death of official who fled with inmate

FILE – This combination of photos provided by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office shows inmate Casey White. Vicky White, the former Alabama jail official on the run with the murder suspect she was accused of helping escape shot and killed herself Monday, May 9, 2022 as authorities caught up with the pair after more than a week of searching, officials said. The man she fled with surrendered. (Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

The death of an Alabama jail official who shot herself rather than surrender to US Marshals has only deepened the mystery of why a trusted manager would help free a hulking murder suspect with a violent and frightening history.

Vicky White, 56, was pronounced dead in hospital after Casey White, 38, gave up without a fight in Evansville, Indiana. They had spent more than a week on the run through three states.