The 39-year-old inmate expressed in the Lauderdale County courtroom that he did not wish for Vicky White, the corrections officer who aided his escape and subsequently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound while police were closing in on them, to be disparaged.
Casey White, the Alabama prisoner who fled from jail with the assistance of a corrections officer, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Thursday
Although Casey and Vicky were not related, they were reportedly engaged in a romantic relationship, which led to their joint escape and an 11-day manhunt that concluded with a car chase in Evansville, Indiana. Law enforcement officials stated that Vicky, aged 56, took her own life after crashing a Cadillac she was driving with Casey inside while attempting to evade authorities.
During his sentencing, Casey revealed to investigators that he was not responsible for the fatal shot that killed Vicky. He expressed his desire for a fresh start with her, stating that she knew the truth. He said, “I can handle the truth because I know who I am. I chose this road. It’s cost me my life and freedom.”
Casey had initially been arrested in 2020 on two charges of capital murder for the alleged killing of 59-year-old Connie Jane Ridgeway, who was found dead in her living room in Rogersville, Alabama, in October 2015. Authorities have described Ridgeway’s murder as a contracted killing.
Casey pleaded not guilty and had been detained at the Lauderdale County Detention Center
Vicky facilitated Casey’s escape by falsely informing jail authorities that she was taking the prisoner to court for a mental health evaluation. However, there was no scheduled appointment, and the police soon discovered her involvement. Just before the escape, Vicky had filed retirement paperwork and sold her house. The authorities located her abandoned patrol car in a shopping mall parking lot, which triggered the intensive week-and-a-half-long manhunt that ended over 300 miles away across state lines.
Casey pleaded guilty to the escape charge and, as part of the agreement, will not be prosecuted for felony murder in relation to Vicky’s death. He was handed the maximum sentence of life without parole and still faces charges in the trial for Connie Jane Ridgeway’s murder.