CAR TIED TO ESCAPEE, JAIL WORKER FOUND

The getaway vehicle used by a man wanted for murder in Alabama and the jail official suspected of helping him escape after a “jailhouse romance” was found in an impound lot in Tennessee, where it sat for nearly a week before authorities realized they had it, officials said Friday.

Sheriff Rick Singleton of Lauderdale County, Ala., told a news conference the Ford Edge with distinctive burnt orange paint was found on a roadside and towed the same day that Casey White, charged with murder, and former assistant corrections director Vicky White disappeared. The vehicle was found in a rural area off Interstate 65 about 100 miles from the jail in Florence, Ala.

Authorities in Williamson County, Tenn., realized they had the vehicle Thursday night, which was hours after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the two, who aren’t related, are “regarded as extremely dangerous,” and the U.S. Marshals Service has taken over leading the search.

Officials have said they hoped Casey White’s size — 6-foot-9 and 340 pounds — would help lead to his capture since it’s hard for him to be inconspicuous. He also has identifiable White supremacist tattoos. He and Vicky White appeared to have had a “jailhouse romance” before his escape, Singleton said.

“They found the car before we even knew they were gone,” said Singleton. Some of Vicky White’s belongings were found in the vehicle, which someone had attempted to spray paint, he said.

The tow truck driver who hauled the vehicle to a lot likely saw news coverage about the escape and notified police in Tennessee, Singleton said.

“There’s no fault or blame on anyone,” he said.

The Williamson County Sheriff ’s Office said the vehicle had been found in Bethesda and there was no indication the two remained in the area.

A nationwide manhunt has been ongoing since the pair disappeared April 29. Casey White was awaiting trial in a capital murder case and Vicky White was assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County. She appears to have helped him plan and execute the escape, Singleton said.

Authorities are now trying to determine whether any vehicles had been reported missing in the area, he said.

“We’re sort of back to square one with a vehicle description,” said Singleton, adding at one point: “We’re behind where we’d like to be.”