The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday shared photos of inmate Casey White, 38, as he walked through the halls of Lauderdale County Jail.
In the photos, White was apparently tucked under his right sleeve and looked around as a jailer followed him.
He was facing the death penalty for a murder in 2015 and allegedly always had two guards on him when Assistant Correctional Director Vicky White, 56, picked up Casey White, 38, from Lauderdale County Prison at 9:44 p.m. . the manufacture. .
He told a detention officer that he was being taken to county court for a mental health assessment, but no such assessment was scheduled that day. She also said that she was going to a medical appointment for herself, something that was confirmed by the doctor, but for which she never showed up.
An hour and a half later, they were both missing and her car was found abandoned in a nearby mall.
Now law enforcement officials suspect the jail’s helper White escaped, with Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton telling the WBRC: “All indications are that Director White was involved.”
But Vicky’s family continues to insist that he is a “sweet man” who would never help a convicted murderer escape.
The manhunt for the two – who are not related – is ongoing and the US Army Service is offering up to $ 10,000 for information about the couple.
A press conference with more information is scheduled for Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office released the latest surveillance photos of convicted murderer Casey Cole White, 38, who escaped from an Alabama jail on Friday.
The photos show him tucked under his right sleeve and looking around suspiciously as he is surrounded by a guard.
Singleton has previously said that Sheriff’s Department officials first suspected him around 3.30pm on Friday when jail police realized Vicky had never returned.
They repeatedly tried to call her, she said, but her phone kept ringing.
Then they realized that Casey had never returned to prison.
On Friday, Sheriff Singleton said that while evidence suggests Vicky is helping Casey escape, her motives are unclear.
“Are we trying to determine if this was done deliberately, or was it somehow forced or threatened to participate?” said Singleton, pointing to the various excuses she used to justify violating the protocol by getting Casey out of jail without the presence of other officers.
The prison officer was armed with a 9mm pistol when she claimed she was taking Casey for an evaluation that was never scheduled. She said she would then go to a medical appointment for herself, which also turned out not to happen.
“It was all fake,” Singleton said. “It makes us believe he was involved.”
Casey should always have two deputies with him, he added.
The sheriff said it would be almost impossible for Casey to get out of handcuffs and free himself without any help, but added that Casey’s help would be out of character for Vicky.
“I do not think there is any question that helped, but to be willing to do so would be so misplaced for Vicki White that we all know,” she said.
On Saturday, Singleton said investigators were still treating the case as if she had been arrested against her will.
“Knowing the detainee, I think she is in danger, whatever the circumstances,” the sheriff said. “He was in prison for murder and had nothing to lose.
“Whether she helped him or not, we do not know and we will not deal with it until we have full proof that it happened,” she said, adding: “At this point we assume she was arrested against her will. unless we can prove otherwise. ”
Vicky White, assistant director of corrections for the sheriff’s department, went missing Friday night after collecting Casey Cole White (unrelated) from the county jail.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton announced Saturday that Vicky’s patrol car was found abandoned in a parking lot about an hour and a half after it “broke protocol” to transport Casey.
Vicky’s family members have since said she was a “sweet person” who would not help a “killer” escape.
Vicky’s former mother-in-law, Francis White, told DailyMail.com on Sunday that the allegations against Vicky did not match the “incredibly good man” she knew.
“I can not understand that she left with a man who knew he was a murderer,” said Francis, 88, who said he last spoke to her about a month ago. “If he killed one person, he would kill another.”
He said he found it hard to believe Vicky would have worked with Casey, who confessed to killing a 58-year-old woman while serving a 75-year sentence for a range of crimes, including animal cruelty for shooting a dog.
The jailer divorced White’s son 16 years ago after he had been married for just four years, but the mother-in-law said the two remained friends until his death in January.
Francis, 88, says Vicky was married to her son Tommy White more than 16 years ago for about two to three years and eventually left him when his drug problems got worse.
“I read it in the newspaper this morning,” he told DailyMail.com on Sunday afternoon. She left with this man. I said, “I can not see her doing that. She was not that person.”
Vicky and Tommy have been married for about three years, Frances said, raising cattle on a farm right across from her house.
“She raised baby cows and more, and she worked hard,” said Frances.
He added that Vicky remained attached to her and her son even after the divorce. Tommy died in January after battling Parkinson’s disease.
“Before my son got to where he could not drive, Vicky would get out of the car and help him get in.
“We were still very good friends. “He was a very sweet man,” said Frances.
Vicky had been in the Sheriff’s Department for 25 years and had recently spoken out about her resignation, with Law and Crime stating that she had submitted her retirement papers on Thursday.
The U.S. military said Sunday it was offering up to $ 10,000 for information about an escaped inmate and a “missing and threatened” prison officer who went missing Friday after the two were released from a prison in northern Alabama.
Connie Ridgeway (center) is pictured with her sons Austin and Cameron. Casey killed her in October 2015 in what he said was a contract blow. He has never been motivated
White appears during the hearing on the case of the murder of Ridgeway in 2020
Casey was first arrested in December 2015 for the murder of Connie Ridgeway, who was found stabbed to death in a murder that shook the small town of Rogersville – about 50 miles west of Huntsville.
People who knew Ridgeway said she was known for her friendliness and willingness to help others, and the community for many years held a vigil every October in her memory.
Casey, 32, was finally arrested after taking part in a crime spree in Tennessee and Alabama.
In one night, he organized a raid on the house, two car robberies and multiple shootings that left a dog dead and a woman injured.
The crimes were followed by a chase, where speeds reached 100 miles per hour, WHNT reported.
He ended up with a stolen car stuck in a field south of Huntsville, and the officers – who were apparently well known to him – begged him to drop his weapon and surrender.
Police are depicted in December 2015 holding Casey White in custody after a wild rage in Tennessee and Alabama that resulted in a car chase 100 miles / hour and his stolen car got stuck in a field
White got out of the vehicle at gunpoint and threatened to shoot officers and himself if he could not speak to Limestone’s sheriff Mike Blakely.
The video with the camera shows the deputies trying to make White surrender by offering him smokeless tobacco and Sun Drop citrus soda while they waited for Blakely to arrive.
Casey White was found guilty of a total of nine counts, including attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend and abducting her two roommates. Other charges included first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, burglary and vehicle entry, animal abuse for shooting a dog, and attempted escape.
He was sentenced in April 2019 to 75 years in prison.
In June 2020, he wrote to Lauderdale County requesting a meeting with the sheriff’s office and confessed to killing Ridgeway – providing a detailed description of the crime scene.
He said he was paid to kill her, although no motive has been revealed for hiring a killer.
In October 2020, 37-year-old Casey White appeared in court for a hearing and asked to remain in Lauderdale County Jail instead of returning to jail, the WAFF reported.
His request was denied after authorities said they believed he was planning to escape from Lauderdale County Jail.
They had found an improvised knife, hidden it in the shower, and suspected that White intended to use it to force someone to let him out.
“We received information yesterday that he had made a knuckle and was planning to escape today and take a hostage,” said Connolly, Lauderdale County Attorney, during the hearing.
“Our MPs did an excellent job.
“We found the knot and eliminated this threat this morning, so obviously we are not equipped to house one for such a long time in our prison, so we are happy that the judge ordered him to return to the correctional unit.”
White, after confessing, then pleaded not guilty to insanity.
