Corrections Officer Who Helped Convicted Murderer Escape Because She Fell In Love With Him Shoots Herself In The Head

FLORENCE, Ala. -- Vicky White, the Alabama corrections officer accused of helping a murder suspect escape from jail, has died, the Vanderburgh County Coroners Office said.

She and escaped inmate Casey White were apprehended Monday in Indiana after more than a week on the run, law enforcement officials said.

The two fugitives were caught in Evansville, Indiana, when U.S. Marshals pursued their vehicle and then crashed into it, authorities said. Casey White, 38, surrendered and Vicky White, 56, suffered self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and was taken to a hospital, where she later died, authorities said.

White died at Deaconess Hospital and additional information will be available after the autopsy, which is scheduled for Tuesday, the coroner's office said, adding that the sheriff's office can provide investigative information as it becomes available.

The arrest of the pair, who are not related, ended a nationwide manhunt that began April 29 when Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections for the jail in Lauderdale County, allegedly helped engineer the escape of Casey White, who was awaiting trial in a capital murder case. Vicky White had told co-workers she was taking the inmate from the jail for a mental health evaluation at the courthouse, but the two instead fled the area.

Casey White was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other charges at the time of his escape. He was awaiting trial in the stabbing of a 58-year-old woman during a burglary in 2015. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.