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Criminal History of Casey White

Casey White’s criminal record spans two decades, starting with an arrest for domestic violence against his mother in 2006. He showed violent tendencies early on, which only escalated with time. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to attacking a male relative with an ax handle, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. But this was just the beginning.

In 2015, when he was back on the streets, White embarked on a violent crime spree fueled by a mission to hunt down and kill his ex-girlfriend. On December 1st of that year, he broke into a home, stole two firearms, and went after his ex.

White arrived at her house, armed, and opened fire, narrowly missing her and two other men in the residence. The victims, including two young children in the home, miraculously escaped. In the chaos, however, White killed the family’s dog.

White’s rampage didn’t stop there. He broke into another house, stole a car and another firearm, and continued his spree. During his attempted carjacking in Tennessee, he shot a woman in the arm and held another at gunpoint, spreading fear across the region.

After a dramatic 100 mph police chase that ended at the Alabama border, White refused to surrender. He threatened to delete himself during the standoff. Eventually, he spoke to the sheriff and requested cigarettes and a soda before surrendering. He faced multiple charges, including home invasion, carjacking, and attempted murder. He was convicted of 7 counts in 2016 and sentenced to 75 years in prison. Essentially, it was a death sentence for the 33-year-old.

Murder Confession Leads To A Love Connection

In 2020, while in custody, he confessed to the unsolved murder of Connie Ridgeway, a 59-year-old woman stabbed to death in her Rogersville, Alabama home in 2015. He was charged with two counts of capital murder and transferred to Lauderdale County Jail in Florence, Alabama, to await his trial. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and later made attempts to retract his confession.

While at Lauderdale, he met Vicki White. Vicki was the assistant director of corrections at the facility. She won Employee of the Year 4 times and was scheduled to win it a fifth time in 2022.

She had been married from 2002 to 2006, but the marriage ended because her husband was allegedly abusing drugs and alcohol. She was in her 50s, unmarried and childless, and fell in love with Casey.

By 2022, they had been romantically involved for two years, a relationship that had developed even though he was a white supremacist with a violent past.

While Vicki was a model employee during her career and was supposed to retire soon, she was willing to throw it all away.

Casey White’s Escape

On the morning of April 29th, 2022, Vicky signed Casey out of jail, claiming she needed to take him for a mental health evaluation at the courthouse. She then told colleagues that she would go to a medical appointment afterward.

It was against the rules for officers to transport a prisoner alone. Since she was a well-respected, high-ranking officer, no one questioned her motives.

When Vicky and Casey hadn’t returned by mid-afternoon and calls to her phone went unanswered, authorities realized something was wrong.

Their abandoned vehicle was located near a shopping center eight minutes from the jail. Authorities thought Casey may have kidnapped Vicki.

Investigation

A nationwide manhunt was quickly launched, with law enforcement and the media covering every angle of the case.

As the investigation into the case progressed, authorities learned there were no mental health evaluations or medical appointments scheduled that day.

They started to think Vicki was in on the escape. After viewing footage from inside the prison, investigators determined that Casey and Vicki were having an inappropriate relationship under everyone’s nose. She would bring him extra food and allow him extra privileges.

Investigators later determined that she had recently sold her $235,600 home for under 100,000 dollars, and she bought weapons, men’s clothing, and several other items that indicated she had to get out of town fast. On May 2nd, 2022, she was fired from her job. Four days later, warrants were issued for her arrest for the charges of second-degree forgery, identity theft, and facilitating a prisoner escape.

Casey and Vicki are spotted in Indiana

During the ten days the two were on the run, Casey White was considered highly dangerous, and authorities feared that he could harm anyone who came in his way. Tips from across the country poured in, but it wasn’t until May 9th that they were determined to be in Evansville, Indiana, where a car wash employee called authorities to his job and showed them a video of the couple washing a pickup truck they were driving.

Police also saw another video of them traveling in a Cadillac and alerted local officers to keep an eye out. Later, an officer noticed that the Cadillac was at a motel and called for backup. As officers watched the motel, they saw Casey and Vicki exit their room, hop in the Cadillac, and take off.

A car chase ensued, and law enforcement officers managed to ram the couple’s vehicle off the road. Casey White surrendered immediately.

He told authorities, “Please help my wife. She shot herself in the head and I didn’t do it.”

Officers found Vicky in the vehicle with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

She was rushed to the hospital, but tragically, the 56-year-old succumbed to her injuries. Her death was ruled a suicide, marking a grim end to the saga and leaving friends, family, and colleagues grappling with the unexpected transformation of a once-respected officer.

Casey White Faces Charges

Casey White was transported back to Alabama. He was charged with Vicki’s murder. Even though he didn’t shoot her, Alabama’s felony murder rule allowed them to bring charges against him because she was killed during the commission of a violent crime.

The charge was dropped in May 2023 when he pleaded guilty to first-degree prison escape.

He received a life sentence without the possibility of parole and is now under stricter surveillance to prevent any future escape attempts.

Aftermath

Authorities determined that he was not behind the murder of Connie Ridgeway. Looking back, if he didn’t falsely confessed to that murder, he would have never met Vicki.

He is also suspected in the mysterious 2008 death of his ex-girlfriend, Christy Shelton. Shelton was shot in the chest at White’s mother’s house, where he was present. The case was initially ruled a suicide, but the investigation has recently been reopened. Shelton’s family has long believed that White may have been involved, though he was never officially named a suspect at the time.

The relationship between Vicky and Casey has sparked questions about what led a seasoned corrections officer to risk everything for a lifelong criminal.

Did Casey prey on her trust, or was it a calculated decision on her part, driven by personal dissatisfaction and a yearning for excitement?

Some close to Vicky suggest that she was charmed and manipulated by Casey’s charisma and tattoos, while others believe she might have experienced a mid-life crisis or some form of mental vulnerability that Casey exploited.

In the aftermath, Vicky’s family and colleagues expressed shock and heartbreak yet tried to remember her for the positive things she had done. After her body was returned to Alabama, over 200 people attended her funeral to pay their last respects.