Alabama corrections officer and inmate remain missing as authorities allege the officer assisted in the inmate’s escape

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As authorities entered the sixth day of the search on Wednesday for Lauderdale County Assistant Director of Corrections Vicki White, 56, and inmate Casey White, 38, the local sheriff in charge of the investigation in Alabama said it is believed that the corrections officer “willingly” participated in the escape of the capital murder suspect, who remain on the run as of press time.

The pair — who authorities said are not related — went missing from Florence, Alabama, last Friday. That morning at the Lauderdale County Detention Center, Vicki White allegedly told her colleagues she was taking Casey White to the local courthouse for a “mental health evaluation,” though he didn’t have a court appearance scheduled. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said in an interview: “The pieces of the puzzle just came together. I think all of our employees and myself included were really hoping that she did not participate in this willingly. But all indications are that she absolutely did. We’re very disappointed in that because we had the utmost trust in her as an employee and as an assistant director of corrections.”

Casey White was charged with two counts of capital murder in September 2020 for the stabbing of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway. He could face the death penalty if convicted, according to the sheriff.  He was already serving a 75-year sentence for a 2015 crime spree that involved home invasion, carjacking and a police chase. Casey White previously planned an escape from the Lauderdale County Detention Center in the fall of 2020, but authorities thwarted the plot before he could attempt it. He was subsequently transferred to a state prison, where he remained until February 2022, when he returned to the Lauderdale County facility for court appearances related to the murder charge.  Investigators have since learned that Casey White and Vicki White had a “special relationship” and were communicating after he was transferred from the county jail to state custody.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the pair “should be considered dangerous and may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun,” and may be driving a 2007 orange or copper Ford Edge with minor damage to the left back bumper. Casey White is 6 feet, 9 inches tall. The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $10,000 reward for information leading to Casey White’s capture and a $5,000 reward for information leading to Vicky White.

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