$5,000 reward given to person who gave "valuable" information that led to capture of escaped Alabama inmate Casey White
A $5,000 reward has been given to a person who provided help in capturing an inmate who sparked a nationwide manhunt after escaping with a jail official, Alabama's governor said Wednesday.
Gov. Kay Ivey directed the Finance Department to issue a $5,000 reward to a person who "provided valuable assistance to law enforcement in securing the apprehension and arrest of Casey White," Ivey's office said in a news release.
The recipient has chosen to remain anonymous, the governor's office said. Officials did not describe what information the person provided.
Casey White and jailer Vicky White disappeared from Lauderdale County Detention Facility on April 29, sparking a manhunt that drew international attention.
Eventually, authorities found their car at a local motel in Evansville, Indiana and placed it under surveillance. Vicky White soon emerged in a wig, alongside the 6-foot-9 Casey White, officials said. They hopped in the Cadillac and drove off with the marshals secretly tailing them, but the officers were seen.
The brief pursuit ended when the officers rammed the car. The Cadillac flipped over and, at some point, Vicky White shot herself in the head, authorities said.
As officers pulled them from the wreckage, Casey White blurted out, "Please help my wife, she just shot herself in the head," Keely said. It wasn't clear why he referred to Vicky as his wife but U.S. marshals told CBS News there is no evidence Casey and Vicky White were ever married.
Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly had recommended that the reward be given, the governor's office said.
"Thanks to the good information from this citizen and the diligent work from law enforcement in Alabama all the way to Indiana, we were able to put the bad guy behind bars where he belongs. I look forward to justice being served," Ivey said in a statement.