Escaped Alabama inmate Casey Cole White threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister if he ever got out of prison, authorities say
The U.S. Marshals Service said Wednesday that it is working to protect the ex-girlfriend of Casey Cole White, the capital murder suspect who escaped an Alabama jail last Friday after allegedly receiving help from corrections official Vicky White. The Service said in a statement that Casey Cole White threatened in 2015 to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister if he ever got out of prison, saying he also wanted police to kill him.
The statement comes as the manhunt for Casey Cole White and assistant director of corrections Vicky White — who are not related — stretched into its sixth day. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information leading to Casey Cole White's capture, and an additional $5,000 is available for information leading to Vicky White's apprehension.
White, 38, had been charged with capital murder in September 2020 for the "brutal" stabbing of a 58-year-old woman, the Marshals Service said. When he confessed to the murder, he was already serving a 75-year sentence for a 2015 "crime spree" that included a home invasion, carjacking and a police chase, the Service added. He had been moved to the Lauderdale County detention center to await trial for the murder charge.
During pre-sentence reporting in 2015, he threatened his ex-girlfriend and her sister, "warning that if he ever got out, he would kill them and that he wanted police to kill him," the Marshals Service said. Authorities have contacted his potential targets to inform them of the threats and have taken "appropriate protective actions," the Service added.
Much of the story behind Casey Cole White's escape remains unclear. At approximately 9:41 a.m. on Friday, Vicky White — a 56-year-old veteran department official who was set to retire at the end of the day — told other officials that she was taking Casey to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation, and was then going to the doctor for a personal medical appointment. But her patrol vehicle was found in a parking lot hours later — and by 3:30 p.m., officials realized they couldn't contact her and the inmate had not been returned to custody.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton later said that there had been no scheduled court evaluation, and that surveillance footage showed Vicky's patrol vehicle at a red light near the 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," Singleton said Monday.
Officials also said Tuesday that an investigation confirmed that Vicki and Casey had a "special relationship," but did not elaborate.
A warrant has been issued for Vicky White's arrest, charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree. Singleton said that while it's not yet clear what transpired, authorities are confident that she helped him escape.
"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 said.
Singleton confirmed on Wednesday that Vicky White is "no longer employed by the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office." He said that though Friday was her last day, her retirement papers were not finalized.
Authorities have warned that the pair should be considered armed and dangerous, and may be armed with an AR-15, handguns and a shotgun. They are believed to be traveling in a 2007 orange or copper-colored 2007 Ford Edge that Vicky White purchased prior to the escape. It's not clear if there is a license plate, but there is "minor damage to the rear left bumper," the Marshals Service said.
The Marshals Service said Casey Cole White is 6'9", weighs approximately 330 pounds and has brown hair and hazel eyes. The Service said Vicky White is 5'5", weighs approximately 145 pounds and has blonde hair and brown eyes. She was also described as reportedly having a "waddling gait."
