A former Alabama jail official and the murder suspect she is accused of helping escape from custody were apprehended Monday in Indiana after more than a week on the run, law enforcement officials said.
The two fugitives were caught in Evansville, Ind., after U.S. marshals pursued their vehicle and then crashed into it, authorities said. Casey White, 38, surrendered and Vicky White, 56, shot herself and was taken to a hospital, authorities said.
"It ended the way that we knew it would. They are in custody," Lauderdale County, Ala., Sheriff Rick Singleton said.
There was no trace of the pair until marshals received a tip Sunday that surveillance photos from an Evansville car wash showed a man who closely resembled Casey White exiting a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup, the Marshals Service said.
Investigators believe the pickup was stolen by Casey White in Tennessee and then driven about 175 miles to Evansville, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, officials learned that the pair was spotted near the sheriff's office, said Dave Wedding, sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Ind.
As officers arrived, the pair fled in a vehicle and led police on a pursuit, Wedding said. Marshals collided with them "to try to end the pursuit," he said. Casey White was injured, not too seriously, in the ensuing crash and Vicky White then shot herself, causing "very serious" injuries, he said.
A warrant was issued on May 2 for Vicky Sue White charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. In hindsight, Singleton said it appeared the plan had been in the works for some time.
"This escape was obviously well-planned and calculated. A lot of preparation went into this. They had plenty of resources, had cash, had vehicles," Singleton said.
Jail inmates said the two had a special relationship and she gave Casey White better treatment than other inmates. She had recently sold her home and purchased the getaway car that authorities later found abandoned in Tennessee.
Information for this article was contributed by Mike Balsamo of The Associated Press.