- Corrections officer watching surveillance video sounded the alarm as a Pennsylvania inmate escaped in seconds, official says CNN
- Escaped ‘survivalist’ murder suspect draws parallels to 48-day manhunt for Pennsylvania cop killer Eric Frein Fox News
- Ex-girlfriend of Pennsylvania jail escapee speaks out as search intensifies FOX 32 Chicago
- Investigators Find Items Believed to be Associated with Michael Burham; Possible Sightings, Break-ins Reported erienewsnow.com
- ‘I could not fathom it’: Michael Burham’s ex-girlfriend speaks out WIVB.com – News 4
Tag Archives: corrections
Steep Corrections Imminent for Bitcoin and Ethereum After Massive Fakeout in Stock Market: Top Crypto Analyst
A closely followed crypto strategist is issuing a dire warning to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) holders.
Crypto analyst Justin Bennett tells his 106,800 Twitter followers that the recent sell-off in the stock market suggests an imminent move to the downside for Bitcoin.
“Today’s sell-off from stocks is more than just a single red day. It confirms a massive fakeout, likely triggering an extended move lower. The 3,400 pre-COVID high is a prime target. I’ve said this since May. That’d be -16% for the S&P 500 or about -30%-40% for BTC if it happens.”
At time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $20,049. A 40% devaluation could see BTC trading at the $12,000 price level.
Looking closer at Bitcoin, Bennett says that BTC is in danger of breaking below a diagonal support that has buoyed the top crypto since 2015.
“BTC is once again testing the 2015 trend line. Anyone telling you this looks healthy is either clueless or lying. Notice the two long lower wicks from 2015 and 2020. That indicates strong demand. We’re seeing the complete opposite of that this time.”
As for Ethereum, Bennett highlights that ETH is forming a head and shoulders top on the four-hour chart with a downside target of $1,000.
“The right shoulder of this potential ETH head and shoulders is starting to form. Confirmation below $1,500.”
At time of writing, Ethereum is swapping hands for $1,498, below the neckline of the pattern and Bennett’s confirmation level.
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Casey White: What we know about the Alabama prisoner who escaped with a corrections officer
Casey White, 38, was seen on surveillance camera in an orange jumpsuit and shackles being led into a patrol car by Vicky White, 56, a corrections official. She had told her bosses and co-workers she was taking him to court for a mental health evaluation, but authorities soon discovered there was no evaluation or hearing scheduled that day.
Casey White was returned to Alabama on Tuesday night to attend an arraignment, where he was charged with escape in the first degree, in addition to capital murder charges he already faces. He was then transferred to the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer, Alabama, a little more 100 miles south of Lauderdale County.
In the days after the escape, officials learned Casey White and Vicky White, who are not related, had formed a “special relationship.” Here’s what we know about Casey White’s history of violence, his past escape attempt and his physical size.
A murder defendant already serving a 75-year sentence
White’s criminal history dates back a decade. Court documents alleged he beat his brother in the face and head with an axe-sledgehammer handle, landing him in prison in 2012 for more than three years.
Then in 2015, he carried out a crime spree including a home invasion, carjacking and a police chase, according to the Marshals Service. In March 2016, he was indicted on 15 counts and was ultimately convicted on seven of those counts, including attempted murder and robbery, according to Alabama records. He had been serving a 75-year prison sentence on those charges.
According to the Marshals Service, White allegedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister in 2015 if he got out of prison and said he wanted the police to kill him. The agency said it advised his “potential targets” of the threat after his escape and had taken protective actions.
Josh Goan was one of the victims in the 2015 case. He said White broke into his truck, stole his firearm and then used the firearm to carjack his neighbor and the neighbor’s infant baby. Goan was a witness in the trial and told CNN it was a surreal experience to see how little remorse White had.
“I was very satisfied that they gave him enough time that by the time — if he ever — gets out, he would not be able to do anything. I took security in that and definitely have lost a little bit of peace (since the escape),” he said before the pair’s capture.
White’s escape, Goan said, was “a terrible thing for society.”
White was serving out his 75-year sentence at the William E. Donaldson Correction Facility in Jefferson County.
But in 2020, he allegedly confessed to the 2015 stabbing death of 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway and was charged with two counts of capital murder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was brought to the Lauderdale County’s detention center to attend court hearings in the case, authorities said.
There, he came into contact with Vicky White, who was working as the assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County.
He was brought back to the Lauderdale detention center February 25, Sheriff Rick Singleton said.
A trusted inmate who had tried to escape before
This wasn’t White’s first attempt to escape, nor was it the first time he had gained the trust of correctional officials.
In 2020, while White was being held in Lauderdale County’s detention center, authorities learned he planned to escape the jail and take a hostage, Singleton said.
“We shook him down, and we did find a shank in his possession — a shank is a prison knife — and we retrieved that. We immediately had him shipped back to the Department of Corrections,” Singleton said.
An attorney who represented White through 2020 told CNN affiliate WAFF the latest escape attempt was in itself not a surprise.
“I was not shocked Casey escaped,” attorney Dale Bryant said. “I was shocked of who he escaped with. I had never heard of her before. But this was not the first escape attempt Casey had attempted while at Lauderdale County facing those charges.”
Prior to the current escape, Casey White and Vicky White had developed a “special relationship,” which included extra food, Singleton said.
“We were told Casey White got special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than the other inmates,” he said.
Likewise, Casey White had previously gained the trust of officials of the Limestone County Sheriff’s office.
“When he was in Limestone County after a little while he had earned the trust of the Sheriff’s department at that time, and they allowed him to be a trustee inside the jail,” Bryant told WAFF. CNN has reached out to the Limestone County Sheriff’s office for more information about its trustee program.
An imposing man with White supremacist tattoos
White stands at an imposing 6-foot-9 and weighs about 330 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, the US Marshals Service said.
The agency released images of his tattoos, some of which it said are affiliated with the Alabama-based White supremacist prison gang Southern Brotherhood. A tattoo on his back depicts a Confederate flag with the words “Southern Pride,” and a tattoo on his chest depicts a shield emblazoned with the letters “SB,” a Nazi swastika and the letters “SS” in the lightning-bolt style of the infamous Nazi paramilitary group.
Bryant, the attorney, told WAFF White’s size made him stand out.
“I’m 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and he makes me feel small,” he said.
He also noted White has a mental illness and has abused drugs. Still, he said, White was a “decent person” when on medication in a supervised environment and said he can even be friendly at times.
“(He’s) one of the few clients I had that never held back and tried to lie to me about something,” he said. “He just laid it out on the table.”
Sheriff Singleton said before White’s capture that he could be particularly dangerous if not taking his medications.
“Casey White is a dangerous man. He’s supposed to be on medication. Whether he’s taking those or not, we don’t know. He didn’t leave the jail with any,” he said. “When he gets off his meds, he can be extremely dangerous.”
CNN’s Nadia Romero, Jaide Timm-Garcia and Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
Missing Alabama inmate, corrections officer in custody in Indiana after chase
The pair were taken into custody after their vehicle crashed in Evansville, ending a week and a half on the run, officials said.
She is in “pretty serious shape,” he told reporters.
No law enforcement officers fired any shots, according to Sheriff Rick Singleton of Lauderdale County, Alabama, where the pair fled on April 29.
A tip from the public led to the capture and arrest, he said. The tip came Sunday night, Singleton said.
The pair was located at a hotel and then a vehicle chase followed, he said.
Wedding said the duo were believed to have been in Evansville since May 3. “It’s hard to believe they’ve been here that many days, but we’re lucky that we stumbled upon them today,” he said.
Singleton said the Whites, who are not related but believed to be in a romantic relationship, will be brought back to Alabama. Casey White faces murder charges.
“He will be in a cell by himself,” Singleton said. “He will stay in handcuffs and shackles while he’s in that cell and if he wants to sue me for violating his civil rights, so be it. He’s not getting out of this jail again. I’ll assure you that.”
Singleton said, “I’ve always expected this outcome. I knew we would catch them. It was just a matter of time.”
Most escapes from a county jail are spontaneous, he said. “This escape was obviously well planned and calculated,” Singleton said. “A lot of preparation went into this. They had plenty of resources, had cash, had vehicles, had everything they needed to pull this off, and that’s what made this last week and a half so challenging. We were starting from ground zero, and not only that, we started — they got a six-hour head start on us.”
Photos from Indiana car wash released
Earlier Monday, US Marshals released photos of who they believe was Casey White caught on a surveillance camera at an Evansville car wash.
It was the first time since he escaped a Lauderdale County detention center with Vicky White that he was reported seen.
Vicky White was not seen in the photos.
Investigators were notified Sunday night that a 2006 Ford F-150 had been discovered at a car wash in Evansville, about 175 miles north of Williamson County, Tennessee, where the 2007 Ford Edge the pair had been traveling in was found abandoned.
The owner provided the images from a security camera, US Marshals said in a release.
Marshals went to Indiana following up on the tip, the agency said.
Casey White is facing previous murder charges. A reward of up to $15,000 was offered for information leading to his capture, and $10,000 for information leading to Vicky White’s capture.
New charges against Vicky White
In Alabama, new charges were filed against Vicky White in relation to Casey White’s escape, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department said.
The allegations stem from her using an alias to purchase the vehicle used in the escape, a 2007 Ford Edge, officials said. The warrant shows Vicky White was wanted on charges of forgery and identity theft.
Vicky White, who was an assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County, took Casey White from the county jail on April 29, saying she was taking him for a mental health evaluation, which authorities learned later had never been scheduled. She then said she was going to get medical care after dropping the inmate off because she wasn’t feeling well.
Vicky White’s use of aliases may have complicated the search, Singleton said Monday.
“If she was using her own identity, that would make it fairly easy for us to maybe find her,” Singleton told CNN’s Bianna Golodryga. “We do know she used a false identification to purchase a car here locally.”.
After the capture, Singleton said he hopes Vicky White survives.
“We don’t wish any ill will on Vicky, but she has some answers to give us,” he said. “I have every bit of trust in (her). She had been an exemplary employee. I don’t know if we’ll ever know” what happened to change that.
Video footage shows the escape was well-prepared, sheriff says
Surveillance video footage of Vicky White taken before the getaway showed the level of preparation that went into the escape, Singleton said.
Investigators found footage of White shopping for men’s clothes at a department store and at an “adult store,” Singleton said, adding she “obviously had a change of clothes” for the inmate.
“It just tells us that it was very well planned and calculated,” Singleton said. “Obviously she well-planned this escape down to a T.”
Investigators earlier released video footage showing Vicky White at a Quality Inn in Florence, where she stayed the night before the escape more than a week ago.
The patrol car the officer and inmate took from the jail was found abandoned in a shopping center parking lot. Vicky White’s jail keys, radio and handcuffs were found inside. Authorities believe the pair left the lot in a different vehicle: Vicky White’s 2007 Ford SUV she parked in the lot the night before.
The vehicle was spotted on May 6 at a Tennessee tow lot. The car had been abandoned in the woods without any identifying information on the same day the duo escaped, indicating they drove about two hours north from the jail in Florence to Williamson County, Tennessee.
Authorities believe the vehicle may have had mechanical problems that prompted the abrupt stop in the area.
Vicky White, 56, and Casey White, 38, are not related. They have known each other since at least 2020 and had developed a romantic relationship, the sheriff told CNN earlier this week.
Prior to their disappearance, Vicky White had announced plans to retire and sold her home for a price well below market value.
She is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office, the office said, adding while April 29 was her last day of work, her retirement papers were never finalized.
Officials share photos and up rewards
The pair might have been armed with weapons including an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun while missing, the US Marshals Service said.
The agency said Casey White threatened his ex-girlfriend and her sister in 2015 if he ever got out, “he would kill them and he wanted police to kill him.” Authorities have warned the inmate’s “potential targets” and taken measures to protect them, the Marshals Service said.
“He has some issues that he’s on medication for, and when he’s off his meds, I’m told he can be extremely violent,” Singleton said.
The service also released several photos of Casey White and his tattoos as well as photo renderings of what Vicky White, who was blonde when she vanished, would look like with darker and shorter hair.
Vicky White and Casey White search: Authorities still in the dark on whereabouts of missing Alabama inmate and former corrections officer after reaching another dead-end in search
The 2007 Ford SUV officials believe Vicky White, 56, and inmate Casey White, 38, were traveling in during their escape from the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Alabama more than a week ago was located in a Tennessee tow lot, Sheriff Rick Singleton said Friday during a news conference.
“The car was cleaned out,” the sheriff told CNN Saturday. “There wasn’t anything left in the vehicle. They apparently took everything they had with them.”
The corrections officer, who is now no longer employed by the sheriff’s office, left with the inmate from the jail on the morning of April 29, saying she would take him to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation. She also said she would seek medical care for herself after dropping him off because she wasn’t feeling well.
The pair never arrived at the courthouse or medical facility, setting off a manhunt involving local and federal authorities.
The two are not related but may have had a romantic relationship, Singleton has said.
“It’s been a difficult week, a challenging week, a discouraging week,” Singleton told CNN Saturday. “Ultimately as a sheriff, I am responsible for the jail, and this is on my shoulders.
“I want to see that we get Casey White back behind bars, and I want to see Vicky White brought in so we can understand exactly what she was thinking,” Singleton added.
Although locating the SUV gave authorities a sense of the direction the pair was headed, investigators are still trying to piece together their movements days after they left the jail in a patrol car.
‘Back to square one’
Surveillance video from the detention center showed the pair getting into a patrol car at the facility the morning of their disappearance, with Casey White handcuffed and shackled, officials have said.
The patrol car was later abandoned in a shopping center parking lot near the jail with Vicky White’s jail keys, radio and handcuffs inside. The pair then drove off in an orange Ford SUV that Vicky White had purchased and left in the same parking lot the night before, Singleton has said.
On Friday, authorities said they located the SUV, which had been in a Tennessee tow lot for about a week. The SUV was taken there after it was found abandoned in the woods and without any identifying information last Friday.
Authorities believe the SUV may have experienced mechanical problems, which prompted the sudden stop in that area.
The discovery means the pair drove roughly two hours north to Williamson County, Tennessee, after disappearing from the jail in Florence, Alabama, Singleton explained during the Friday news conference.
“We know now where the car is, we know what direction they went,” the sheriff said. “We’re trying to canvass the area for any witnesses, also trying to research, see if any stolen vehicles were reported in that area during that time.”
Investigators don’t yet know if the pair stole another vehicle or caught a ride with someone else, the sheriff said.
“We’re sort of back to square one,” he said. “After Friday afternoon, when they abandoned that car, which direction they went from there, we don’t know.”
Former officer’s experience could hinder search
Vicky White’s experience in law enforcement has helped the pair escape capture, officials believe.
“Her knowledge of corrections and her knowledge of the procedures that we use here at the sheriff’s office most definitely played to her advantage. I think this was a very well-thought-out plan,” Singleton said Friday during the news conference.
Vicky White had submitted her retirement papers before disappearing and the day of the escape was to be her last day at work.
She now has an active arrest warrant for allegedly permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. She is no longer employed by the sheriff’s office, the office said.
Investigators believe she had a large amount of money when she and the inmate vanished and she has used aliases, including for the purchase of the vehicle, Singleton said. “I’m assuming she’s probably ditched those aliases and probably got some new identities now,” he explained.
Further, the pair should be considered armed and dangerous and may have an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun, the US Marshals Service warned.
Before escaping, Casey White was serving 75 years for a series of crimes in 2015, including a home invasion, carjacking and a police chase, according to the US Marshals Service. He also faces two counts of capital murder for the stabbing death of 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway in 2015, the service said.
The US Marshals Service has offered up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the inmate and up to $5,000 for the former officer. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also said an additional rewards of $5,000 each for information leading to the arrest of the pair.
CNN’s Ryan Young, Jaide Timm-Garcia, Paradise Afshar, Nadia Romero and Christina Maxouris contributed to this report.
Officials Release New Footage of Corrections Officer Vicky White Who Fled With an Inmate, Casey White
Vicky White, the Alabama corrections officer who’s become the target of a massive manhunt after disappearing last week with an inmate charged with capital murder, has been spotted in new surveillance footage.
On Saturday, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office released video showing White at the front desk of a Quality Inn in Florence, Alabama. Officials said the video shows White on the morning she allegedly assisted the inmate, Casey White, in escaping from the Lauderdale County Jail.
Vicky and Casey White (no relation) left the Lauderdale County Detention Center at 9:30 a.m. for the courthouse, but never arrived. They drove straight to the Florence Square shopping center, where they ditched the patrol car and left in the Ford. Vicky White’s patrol cruiser keys, police radio and handcuffs were left behind in her sheriff’s vehicle. The Florence Quality Inn is also close to the site where White dumped her getaway car, officials added.
Sheriff Rick Singleton said Vicky and Casey White had a “jailhouse romance” that included her making sure he had extra food on his trays and communicating with him while he was incarcerated in state prison.
On May 5, U.S. Marshals released new photos of Casey White and Vicky White. The photos show Casey White with tattoos on his chest, arms and upper back, including some affiliated with the Alabama-based white supremacist prison gang Southern Brotherhood. Photos of Vicky showed what the blonde would look like with dyed or longer/shorter hair.
This week, White’s mother-in-law Frances White told The Daily Beast the corrections officer “may have been brainwashed.”
“I can’t imagine her running off with that guy, but you never know,” White added. “He walked into a woman’s house and stabbed her.”
The U.S. Marshal Service announced via Twitter that it will be offering up to $10,000 for information regarding Casey White and up to $5,000 for information regarding Vicky White.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has also issued two rewards of $5,000 each for information leading to the apprehension and arrest of Vicky and Casey White.
“Both Casey White and Vicky White pose a major threat to the public, and they must be apprehended. I am pleased to offer this support as law enforcement works diligently to get these dangerous criminals behind bars,” Ivey said.
Missing Alabama inmate and corrections officer abandoned their vehicle last week. Officials are investigating whether they have another car
The orange 2007 Ford Edge SUV was in a tow lot in Williamson County, Tennessee, about two hours north of Florence, Alabama, where the fugitive investigation began, the US Marshals Service said Friday.
It was taken there last Friday, when Williamson County Sheriff’s Office authorities responded to an abandoned vehicle and found the car locked, with no tags and no identifying information, sheriff’s office spokesperson Sharon Puckett told CNN.
The tow truck driver who picked up the Ford vehicle remembered it when he saw a local TV story this week about the missing officer and inmate and alerted his boss, who contacted authorities.
The new information means the couple likely abandoned their vehicle less than four hours after they left Florence on April 29, perhaps due to mechanical problems, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said during a news conference Friday.
But now authorities are back to “square one” when it comes to what the pair may have done next, and are working to determine whether the pair stole another vehicle or got a ride with someone else, the sheriff said.
“It really doesn’t leave us a lot, we just know what direction they were headed, they headed north from here,” the sheriff said. “After Friday afternoon, when they abandoned that car, which direction they went from there, we don’t know.”
Investigators also know Vicky White had money with her when they disappeared, and are working to find out more details, Singleton added. She may also be using different aliases and identities, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said Vicky White’s handcuffs, jail keys and radio were found in the car. There had also appeared to be an attempt to spray paint the vehicle, the sheriff said.
The officer and the inmate, who may have had a romantic relationship, have been on the run since they left the Lauderdale County Detention Center on April 29.
There is an active warrant out for the officer’s arrest on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. She is also no longer employed as assistant director of corrections by the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, the office said in a statement Wednesday. While she was set to retire April 29, her papers were never finalized, he said.
Authorities release photos and rendering
A day earlier, authorities released more information that could help the public identify the pair. Image renderings by the Marshals Service showed Vicky White, 56, who was blonde when she disappeared, would look like if she altered her appearance to have darker and shorter hair.
Other photos show inmate Casey White’s distinctive tattoos; he is 38. The two are not related.
To help the public identify the pair, the Marshals Service also released an image showing the height difference between the two, as well as their height compared to the Ford Edge SUV.
The “subjects should be considered dangerous and may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun,” the agency said Thursday, adding there is a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the location of the officer and $10,000 for information leading to the capture of the inmate. On Friday, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also announced rewards of $5,000 each for information leading up to the capture and arrest of the inmate and the officer, saying they pose a “major threat” to the public.
Casey White in 2015 threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister and said he wanted police to kill him, the Marshals Service said. Authorities have advised his “potential targets” about his escape and the threats against them and have taken “appropriate protective actions,” the agency said.
Casey White should be considered extremely dangerous, authorities have said. He was in the Lauderdale County jail awaiting trial for the capital murder charges against him and was also serving a 75-year sentence for a series of crimes committed in 2015.
More than 200 tips have come into the Marshals Service since Tuesday from across the country, said Chad Hunt, commander of its Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.
“We’re seeing stuff coming in from the Northwest down to the Southwest to the Northeast and everything in between … and we have to look at every single one,” Hunt told CNN Thursday.
Investigators are “following up on (tips) as aggressively as we can,” Singleton told CNN on Thursday. “Some of them do look promising, but it takes a time to follow through on those things. We’re hoping that one of them will pan out for us, and we’ll be able to locate them.”
Not ‘the Vicky White we know,’ sheriff says
Singleton has described the officer as an “exemplary employee” who had the respect of her colleagues and “an unblemished record.” The sheriff could not provide a reason why the officer allegedly aided the escape, saying the behavior isn’t “the Vicky White we know.”
The officer had made some significant financial decisions leading up to April 29, including selling her home for well under market value. The house sold for $95,550, documents show, but county records list the current total parcel value of the property at $235,600.
Vicky White and Casey White’s relationship can be traced to 2020, when the inmate was taken to Lauderdale County for arraignment on murder charges, according to the sheriff.
The pair had a “special relationship” that was confirmed, in part, by other inmates who told authorities Casey White “was getting extra food on his trays” and “was getting privileges no one else got. And this was all coming from her,” Singleton said.
The pair kept communicating after Casey White was transferred back to the state prison, the sheriff said. Casey White returned to the Lauderdale County Detention Facility in February to attend court hearings in his capital murder case.
Then, on the morning of April 29, authorities say Vicky White asked that Casey White be prepared for transport. She said she would take him to the courthouse by herself, which was a violation of the department’s policy requiring inmates be accompanied by two sworn deputies at all times, Singleton said.
Investigators have determined the two then drove to a shopping center parking lot, ditched the officer’s patrol car and drove off in an orange or copper-colored 2007 Ford Edge SUV with minor damage to the rear left bumper, the Marshals Service said, noting it is not known whether the car has a license plate and what its number could be.
Investigators believe Vicky White purchased the escape vehicle in Rogersville, in Lauderdale County, and staged it in the parking lot the night before the pair fled, according to Singleton. It is likely they have since ditched the escape car because the description has been widely shared, he said.
CNN’s Erin Burnett, Jamiel Lynch, Chuck Johnston, Amara Walker, Jade Gordon, and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
Vicky White was once a trusted corrections officer, but officials say there was a side she hid
Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton could not provide a reason why the officer aided the escape, saying that the action isn’t “the Vicky White we know.”
“Obviously there was a side to Vicky White that we weren’t aware of,” he told CNN. “She has coordinated this and taken advantage of her knowledge of the system and played it to her advantage and, you know, it’s made it very difficult.”
A warrant was issued Monday for Vicky White on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. The US Marshals Service released photos of Vicky White on Thursday showing what she looks like with her blond hair, and what she could look like with brown hair if she changed her appearance.
Both Vicky White and Casey White should be considered armed and dangerous, the US Marshals Service said.
As the hunt for Vicky White and Casey White enters its seventh day, questions about the former corrections official continue to arise. Here is what we know about her:
She was not kidnapped or forced into assisting the inmate’s escape
Singleton told CNN that it appears Vicky White is willfully assisting Casey White.
Casey White was serving 75 years for a series of crimes in 2015, including a home invasion, carjacking and a police chase, according to the US Marshals Service. He also faces two counts of capital murder for the stabbing death of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway in 2015, the US Marshals said.
“She’s absolutely assisting him. We still don’t know 100% it was willful, but it’s looking that way,” Singleton said.
Vicky White said she was taking Casey White to a courthouse for a mental health evaluation and would then go get medical care because she wasn’t feeling well. Authorities later discovered no hearing or evaluation was scheduled for Casey White that day, and Vicky White never arrived at the medical facility. Her patrol car was found abandoned Friday morning in a shopping center parking lot, less than a mile from the detention center.
Officials have obtained video showing the patrol car the pair took from the jail.
The video shows the car stopped at an intersection eight minutes after it left the jail. The intersection is about two blocks from the shopping center parking lot where the car was later found abandoned, Singleton said.
“It’s obvious from the evidence we have gathered that this was not — that he didn’t kidnap her or force her or anything as far as in the car once they left the facility,” Singleton said.
Despite “promising” leads and reported sightings from Florida to Kentucky, officials currently “do not have any clue where they’re at,” he said.
People who knew Vicky White admired her
Vicky White was an “exemplary employee” with “an unblemished record,” Singleton said. “All of her co-workers, all the employees in the sheriff’s office, the judges, all have the most utmost respect for her,” he said.
Despite her stellar professional reputation, Vicky White violated protocol Friday when she removed Casey White from the detention center by herself, the sheriff said. The policy required Casey White to be escorted by two sworn deputies.
It now looks likely Vicky White acted of her own free will, the sheriff said.
“I guess we’re trying to hold on to that last straw of hope that maybe for some reason she was threatened and did this under coercion…but absolutely you’d feel betrayed,” Singleton said. “All of her co-workers are devastated. We’ve never had any situation like this with Vicky White. She was a model employee.”
Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly last spoke with Vicky White the day before she disappeared and said he was “absolutely stunned” to learn of the situation. Connolly described the officer as “the most solid person at the jail.”
“I would have trusted her with my life,” he said. “I am so disappointed in her. She was trusted and she exploited that trust.”
Pat Davis, Vicky White’s mother, who lived next door to her and saw her daughter daily, told CNN they last spoke on Friday.
“The whole thing has been a nightmare. I just want my daughter to come home. And to come home alive,” Davis said.
Davis said she had no idea about her daughter’s plans. “She would come home after work, eat supper at my house, and pick up her dog. She’d walk her dog and that was her routine every day,” Davis told CNN.
Vicky White had a ‘special relationship’ with the inmate
Vicky White and Casey White had a “special relationship,” Singleton said.
“We have confirmed through independent sources and other means that there was in fact a relationship between Casey White and Vicky White outside of her normal work hours — not physical contact — but a relationship of a different nature,” Singleton told CNN.
Singleton said inmates tipped officials to the special relationship between the two.
“We were told Casey White got special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than the other inmates,” Singleton said.
Over the course of this week’s investigation, inmates said Casey White “was getting extra food on his trays” and “was getting privileges no one else got. And this was all coming from her,” Singleton said.
Confirmation of the relationship came from “other sources outside the detention center,” according to Singleton.
Investigators have traced the relationship to early 2020, when Casey White was brought to Lauderdale County for an arraignment on murder charges he is facing for the 2015 death of Ridgeway, according to the sheriff.
“As far as we know, that was the earliest physical contact they had,” Singleton said.
Casey White was returned to state prison after the arraignment to continue carrying out a 75-year sentence for a series of crimes he committed in 2015. The sheriff said the officer and inmate maintained communication by telephone.
Casey White was brought back to the Lauderdale County jail in February to attend court hearings related to his murder charges.
Connolly expressed disbelief at the idea Vicky White would be romantically involved with the inmate.
“I never would have thought that in a million years,” he told CNN, adding it’s “such a shock that she’s involved in this, and it is just stunning.”
She is no longer an employee of the sheriff’s office
The day Vicky White disappeared was to be her last day at work after nearly two decades with the department, Singleton said. She submitted her retirement paperwork last week.
Vicky White didn’t mention her retirement to her mother, Davis told CNN affiliate WAAY.
She is no longer employed with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s office, the department said in an email statement.
“Per Sheriff Rick Singleton, Vicky White’s employment status is currently ‘No longer employed by the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office,'” the email said. “Friday was her last day to work, however, her retirement papers were not finalized. This is a personnel issue that will be discussed on a later date.”
Singleton said Vicky White had spoken about retiring for three or four months prior to the disappearance, adding that she talked about moving to the beach.
While the retirement fund paperwork had not been processed, she recently sold her home and had access to a large sum of money, according to Singleton.
Shortly before her disappearance, Vicky White sold her home for $95,550, well below the current market value. Online records with Lauderdale County list the home’s total parcel value at $204,700.
She also purchased a 2007 orange or copper-colored Ford Edge, which the US Marshals Service said the missing inmate and officer could be traveling in.
“Clearly lots of planning went into this,” Connolly told CNN.
CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Jamiel Lynch, Michelle Watson, Amara Walker, Jade Gordon, Ryan Young and Jaide Timm-Garcia contributed to this report.
Casey White and Vicky White search: New details emerge about Alabama corrections officer’s relationship with fugitive inmate
The investigation has illuminated what authorities believe to be a romantic relationship between Vicky White, assistant director of corrections in Lauderdale County, and Casey White, who was being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Facility on murder charges, Sheriff Rick Singleton told CNN.
A warrant has been issued for Vicky White’s arrest on charges of permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree, the sheriff said Monday, as authorities grow more confident that the officer willingly aided the inmate in his escape, instead of being forced or coerced.
Vicky White, 56, and Casey White, 38, who are not related, went missing Friday morning after she said she was taking the inmate to the courthouse before going to seek medical attention because she wasn’t feeling well. The two never arrived at the courthouse and Vicky White didn’t make it to the medical facility.
Authorities now believe the inmate and officer had a romantic relationship which extended into Vicky White’s non-work hours, according to the sheriff. They traced the relationship back to as early as 2020, when Casey White, who was already serving time in a state prison, was first brought to Lauderdale County for an arraignment, Singleton said.
“As far as we know that was the earliest physical contact they had,” Singleton said, noting the pair continued to communicate after Casey White was transferred back the prison.
Singleton said the two had a “special relationship” that was confirmed, in part, by inmates at the detention facility who told investigators Casey White “was getting extra food on his trays” and “was getting privileges no one else got and this was all coming from her.”
Investigators are now pouring through surveillance images from the detention center to learn more.
How the escape unfolded
Surveillance video released by the detention center Tuesday shows Casey White, shackled and handcuffed in an orange jumpsuit, being escorted into the back of Vicky White’s patrol car Friday morning.
From there, Singleton says, the pair drove to a shopping center less than ten minutes away, abandoned the patrol car and got into a gold/copper-colored 2007 Ford Edge SUV.
Vicky White bought the car in the town of Rogersville, which is about 25 miles east of Lauderdale County, and staged it in the parking lot the night before their disappearance, Singleton said.
“We know that there was never any effort to go to the courthouse. They went straight to Florence Square parking lot, dumped the patrol car, got in the other vehicle and left,” Singleton said.
“We assume they are going to ditch that car at the first opportunity when they get wind that the description is out there, so we’re back to square one,” he added.
Investigators have also offered more details on Casey White’s history at the Lauderdale County facility.
While being held there in 2020 for his arraignment on murder charges related to the 2015 death of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway, authorities discovered he had a plan to escape and take a hostage and had a makeshift knife on him.
Upon the discovery, Casey White was transferred back to the state prison where he was already serving a 75-year sentence for a number of crimes in 2015.
The jail had a policy mandating two sworn deputies accompany inmates at all times, including during transportation to the courthouse — but “we emphasized that policy with him” after the escape plot was uncovered, Singleton said.
Casey White returned to the Lauderdale County Detention Facility in February to attend court hearings in his capital murder case.
Friday morning, Vicky White ordered that Casey White be prepared for transport, telling the booking officer that since other officers had already left for court and she was the only officer available with a certified firearm, she was going to take him to the courthouse alone, the sheriff said.
“Being the boss and over the transport, she just informed the booking officer that she was going to carry him to the courthouse and drop him off, which was a flagrant violation of policy. But I’m sure because it was her boss, the booking officer didn’t question it,” Singleton said.
The sheriff has described Casey White as “an extremely dangerous person” and cautioned people not to approach him if they see him and call police instead.
Authorities are assuming Casey White is armed because Vicky White was armed. The US Marshals Service warned Tuesday they may have an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun.
“I am so disappointed in her,” DA says
Vicky White sold her home about a month ago and was scheduled to retire Friday after nearly two decades with the department, Singleton has said, adding her retirement fund paperwork has not been processed.
The disappearance and emerging details about the woman described as being “a model employee” with “an unblemished record” has left her family and coworkers in a state of disbelief.
Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly last spoke with her the day before she disappeared and said he was “absolutely stunned” to learn of the situation, describing the officer as “the most solid person at the jail.”
“I am so disappointed in her,” he said. “She was trusted, and she exploited that trust.”
Vicky White’s mother, who she had been living with for the past five weeks after selling her home, said she never heard her daughter mention Casey White and was shocked to find out she had gone missing with an accused murderer.
“As a mother, I didn’t know how to act because I thought at first it was a mistake. And then when I found out for sure it was, it was just disbelief,” Pat Davis told CNN affiliate WAAY.
The Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the location of the fugitive inmate and up to $5,000 for the missing officer.
CNN’s Jade Gordon, Jamiel Lynch, Ryan Young, Jaide Timm-Garcia, Kelly McCleary and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.
Escaped murder suspect Casey White and corrections official Vicky White had a “special relationship,” Alabama sheriff says
An Alabama sheriff’s office said Tuesday that escaped murder suspect Casey Cole White and missing corrections official Vicky White, who is suspected of helping him escape, had a “special relationship.” The sheriff’s office did not provide any additional information about the alleged relationship.
“Investigators received information from inmates at the Lauderdale County Detention Center over the weekend that there was a special relationship between Director White and inmate Casey White,” the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “That relationship has now been confirmed through our investigation by independent sources and means.”
The U.S. Marshals Service said Tuesday that the pair were last seen on Friday in Rogersville, Alabama — about 30 minutes east of Lauderdale County — driving a “gold/copper” 2007 Ford Edge with unknown Alabama plates. In a new statement, the Marshals Service called Vicky White a “wanted fugitive,” and offered a $5,000 reward for information about her whereabouts. There’s already a $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Casey Cole White.
The Marshals Service said Casey Cole White, 38, is 6’9″, weighs approximately 330 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes. The Service said Vicky White, 56, is 5’5″, weighs approximately 145 pounds and has blonde hair and brown eyes. She was also described as reportedly having a “waddling gait.”
The U.S. Marshals Service
It’s still not fully clear what led to Casey Cole White’s escape from the detention center on Friday. Authorities previously said that Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections, told other officials on Friday morning that she was dropping Casey Cole White off at the courthouse for a mental health evaluation and then going to a doctor to seek medical treatment for herself. White had spent more than 15 years with the department, officials said, noting that Friday was supposed to be her last day of work before she retired.
Shortly after 11 a.m., someone found her patrol vehicle in a parking lot of a shopping center, officials said Friday. Officials realized at approximately 3:30 p.m. that day that they could not locate Vicky and that Casey had not been returned to custody.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton told reporters Friday night that there had not been a scheduled mental health evaluation. He also said her decision to take Casey alone to the courthouse was in violation of department policy which would have required at least two deputies to transport him.
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office
On Monday, Singleton said surveillance footage showed that the patrol vehicle was seen at a red light about two blocks away from the shopping center parking lot just eight minutes after the pair left the detention center.
“There was not enough time for them even to attempt to come to the courthouse,” he said.
Singleton said Monday that officials have issued a warrant for Vicky’s arrest for “permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree.” When asked whether he believes Vicky helped Casey escape, Singleton said: “We know she participated.”
“Now whether she did that willingly or if she was coerced, threatened somehow to participate in the escape, not really sure — but we know for sure that she did participate,” he added.
Singleton said he and other officials were stunned by what’s transpired. “Those of us who work with Vicky White and have worked with her for years — this is not the Vicky White we know, by any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “She has been an exemplary employee.”
The U.S. Marshals Service
Prior to his disappearance, Casey White had been held at the Lauderdale County Jail awaiting trial on capital murder charges. Authorities said he is considered armed and dangerous, and urged residents to call 911 instead of confronting him if they see him.
Officials said the pair are not related despite having the same last name.