Authorities in Tennessee say they have located an abandoned vehicle used by a man wanted in Alabama for murder and the jail official who disappeared with him.
Williamson County Sheriff said via Twitter that a vehicle used by escaped inmate Casey White and former correctional officer Vicky White had been found in Bethesda, Maryland.
“There is no sign the two are still in our area. The SUV was reported abandoned a week ago. It was identified last night,” the sheriff said.
A nationwide manhunt continues for White, who was serving a 75-year prison sentence and awaiting trial in a capital murder case, and Ms White, the assistant director of corrections for the jail in Lauderdale County, Alabama.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Thursday that the two, who despite their surnames are not related, are “regarded as extremely dangerous”, and the US Marshals Service has taken over leading the search.
US Marshal Marty Keely said that White “will stand out” because of his size - he is more than two metres tall - even if he has changed his appearance.
Lauderdale County authorities said that they had issued an arrest warrant for Ms White on charges of permitting or allowing an escape.
Ms White told coworkers she was taking White to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation. But Mr Singleton later said no such evaluation was scheduled.
She also breached a policy that required more than one official to be involved in moving inmates, a rule that officials emphasised for White because he had previously tried to escape, Mr Singleton said.
The sheriff said video footage showed the pair leaving the jail and going straight to the car park.
