Casey White, 38, was last seen on surveillance camera in an orange jumpsuit and shackles, led in a patrol car by 56-year-old Vicki White, a correctional officer. She had told her bosses and colleagues that she was taking him to court for a mental health assessment, but authorities soon discovered that no hearing or assessment was scheduled for that day.
The two dumped the patrol car, fled the state in another vehicle and have not been seen since, and a lengthy search has so far found them. In the days after the escape, officers learned that Casey White and Vicki White, who were not relatives, had established a “special relationship.”
As the search progresses to its second week, here’s what we know about Casey White and his history of violence, his previous escape attempt and his physical size.
White’s criminal history dates back a decade. Court documents allege that he hit his brother in the face and head with the handle of an ax and a hammer, which took him to prison in 2012 for more than three years.
He then committed a crime in 2015, including breaking into a home, stealing cars and pursuing police, according to the marshals’ office. He was charged with 15 counts in March 2016 and was eventually convicted on seven of those charges, including attempted murder and robbery, according to Alabama records. He is serving a 75-year prison sentence on these charges.
According to the Marshals Service, White threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister in 2015 if he was released from prison, and said he wanted police to kill him. The agency said it had informed its “potential targets” of the threat and had taken protective action.
Josh Goan was one of the victims in the 2015 case. He said White broke into his truck, stole his firearm and then used the firearm to steal his neighbor and the neighbor’s baby. Goan witnessed the trial and told CNN it was a surreal experience to see how little remorse White had.
“I was very happy that they gave him enough time that until – if ever – he came out, he would not be able to do anything. “I took it for granted and definitely lost some peace of mind (since the escape),” he said. “The fact that he’s out in the world is a terrible thing for society.”
White was serving his 75-year sentence at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County, Alabama.
But in 2020, he claims to have confessed to the piercing death in 2015 of 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway and has been charged with two counts of murder. He pleaded not guilty to insanity and was taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Center to attend court hearings, authorities said.
There he contacted Vicki White, who worked as assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County.
He was returned to the Lauderdale Detention Center on Feb. 25, Sheriff Rick Singleton said.
A trusted prisoner who has tried to escape before
This is not the first time White has tried to escape from prison, nor is it the first time he has won the trust of other law enforcement officials.
In 2020, while White was being held at the Lauderdale County Detention Center, authorities learned he planned to escape from prison and take a hostage, Singleton said.
“We shook it and found a knuckle in his possession – the knuckle is a prison knife – and took it out. We immediately sent it back to the repair department,” Singleton said.
A lawyer who represented White until 2020 told CNN’s WAFF branch that the latest escape attempt was not a surprise in itself.
“I was not shocked that Casey escaped,” said attorney Dale Bryant. “I was shocked by who she ran away with. I had never heard of her before. But this was not the first escape attempt Casey made while in Lauderdale County facing these charges.”
Prior to the current escape, Casey White and Vicki White had developed a “special bond” that included extra food, Singleton said.
“We were told that Casey White had special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than other prisoners,” he said.
In the same way, Casey White had previously won the trust of Limestone County Sheriff’s Office officials.
“When he was in Limestone County, after a while, he won the trust of the sheriff’s office at the time, and they allowed him to be a trustee in prison,” Bryant told WAFF. CNN contacted the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office for more information about its trustee program.
Impressive man with White Supremacist tattoos
White is an impressive 6 feet 9 and weighs about 330 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes, said the US Marshals Office. The agency also released images of his tattoos, some of which she said were linked to the Alabama-based White Brotherhood Southern Brotherhood Prison Gang. A tattoo on his back depicts a Confederate flag with the words “Southern Pride”, and a tattoo on his chest depicts a shield decorated with the letters “SB”, a Nazi swastika and the letters “SS” in the lightning style of the infamous Nazi paramilitary group.
Bryant, a lawyer, said the size of WAFF White set him apart.
“I’m 6 feet 3,220 pounds and he makes me feel small,” he said.
He also noted that White has a mental illness and has abused drugs. However, he said White was a “decent person” when taking medication in a controlled environment, and said he could even be friendly at times.
“(He is) one of the few clients I had who never held back and tried to lie to me about something,” he said. “You just put it on the table.”
Sheriff Singleton said White could be especially dangerous if he doesn’t take his medication.
“Casey White is a dangerous man. He is supposed to be on drugs. Whether he takes them or not, we don’t know. He hasn’t left prison with any,” he said. “When he takes off his medication, he can be extremely dangerous.”
CNN’s Nadia Romero, Jade Tim-Garcia and Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
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