Sep 23, 2024

Manhunt for Escaped Alabama Inmate Ends, Correctional Officer Accomplice Dead

by Nadia El-Yaouti | May 12, 2022
Casey White & Vicky White Photo Source: Casey White and Vicky White. (ABC11)

The Manhunt for the accused killer, Casey White, 38, and former correction officer, Vicky White, 56, came to an end earlier this week in Evansville, Indiana. The pair who share the same last name but are unrelated had been on the run from an Alabama jail since April 29.

The manhunt came to an end after an eagle-eyed citizen alerted officials about a Ford pickup truck seen on surveillance footage in the bay of a car wash business. On Monday, just before their arrest, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Department received another tip that the two fugitives were in the area. Officials descended upon a hotel that the fugitives were believed to be hiding out in and kept watch. According to the hotel manager, the pair was able to rent out the room after paying a homeless person to book the room under the person's name. After officers spotted the couple drive off in a Cadillac, officials quickly followed in pursuit.

During the chase, which lasted only a couple of minutes, the Cadillac the two fugitives were in ultimately flipped after police initiated a tactical maneuver. Authorities were able to quickly apprehend Casey White. Vicky White was also in the vehicle but was found deceased after she allegedly shot herself with a gun shortly before the police chase ended.

The manhunt for the escaped inmate and correctional officer began on April 29th after Vicky reportedly took White out of the jail for a non-existent mental health evaluation at the local courthouse. White can be seen on jailhouse surveillance footage breaking protocol as she escorted White out of the jail into her police cruiser without the assistance of another officer.

Vicky White told jailhouse officials that she was taking White to the courthouse and that she would not be returning because she herself had a doctor's appointment. Officials back at the jail soon realized that the duo had escaped after Vicky stopped answering phone calls, and It was revealed that there was never a mental health evaluation for White.

The manhunt quickly drew national attention and days into the hunt, an orange Ford Edge which was said to be the getaway vehicle was found in a rural town in Tennessee. Days later, tips began to come in from the Evansville area where the fugitives were ultimately found.

Early Wednesday, White was extradited back to Alabama state prison. In a court arraignment, White was told by Judge Ben Graves that he would be charged with escape in the first degree along with the capital murder charges he was already facing for the 2015 stabbing murder of Connie Ridgeway. White was already serving a 75-year prison sentence over the kidnapping and attempted murder charges of an ex-girlfriend.

The pair was found with a collection of gear which gave authorities insight into the plans the duo had in place. $29,000 in cash along with wigs and camping gear was found in the vehicle. There was also a collection of firearms including an AR-15 rifle, a handgun, and a taser. Officials report that White had planned to have a shootout with police.

The capture of the fugitives has left many with more questions than answers. Correctional officer White had been observed to be an upstanding member of the correctional community, and many have been left wondering how she was able to get tangled into the “special relationship” with White that ultimately ruined her reputation, career, and life. Alabama’s Lauderdale County Sheriff, Rick Singleton, shared, "I'm certainly not defending her actions. She was wrong. She went to her grave knowing she was wrong." He added, "But at the same time, we had been co-workers for seven years — it really makes it hard."

As authorities continue to look into what sparked the pair to plan and execute their getaway, many have begun to scrutinize the jail for having lax jailhouse protocols. Many have also questioned how Vicky White was able to stay under the radar as she built up her “special relationship” with White.

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Nadia El-Yaouti
Nadia El-Yaouti
Nadia El-Yaouti is a postgraduate from James Madison University, where she studied English and Education. Residing in Central Virginia with her husband and two young daughters, she balances her workaholic tendencies with a passion for travel, exploring the world with her family.