Fugitive Charged With Murder Of Guard Who Helped Him Escape

The Alabama prison inmate Casey White has been charged with the felony murder of prison guard Vicky White, who helped him escape back in April. The two then spent 11 days on the run together before they were apprehended, with Vicky being shot dead after a police chase.

It should be noted that though they share a last name, Casey and Vicky were not related. 

Casey White’s Escape

Daily Mail reported that Vicky, 56, staged an escape for Casey, 38, from jail in Florence, Alabama on April 29 by falsely claiming that she was taking him out for a mental health evaluation. They then swapped vehicles and put on disguises as they went on the run across three states. 

Police finally caught up to the pair on May 9 in Evansville, Indiana, and Vicky was found with a fatal bullet wound to the head after the chase that ensued. Officials said at the time that Vicky had shot herself in the head, and Casey was arrested on the spot.

After the chase in which they were apprehended, the local Indiana sheriff said that they had $29,000 in cash, four handguns, and an AR-15 rifle, signifying that they were prepared for a shootout. Vicky called 911 dispatchers during the chase, and she could be heard saying, “Airbags are going off. Let’s get out and run.” Dispatchers said that they heard her say that “she had her finger on the trigger.”

Listen to the audio for yourself below. We must warn you that it gets graphic at times.

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Casey White Charged

Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly announced on Thursday that Casey had been charged with Vicky’s murder. However, he did not say that he shot Vicky in the head. 

According to the indictment, Casey has been charged with first-degree escape “and in the course and furtherance of committing escape in the first degree, caused the death of Vicky White, who died from a gunshot wound to the head.”

“Causing her death doesn’t mean he pointed a gun at her and he shot her,” Connolly said, according to The New York Times. “He was engaged in the escape and she died.”

Find out more about his charges in the video below.

Casey was served with the warrant on his new charge on Monday in the Alabama prison where he is being held.

“Casey White will enter a plea of not guilty to the charge of felony murder at his arraignment,” said Mark McDaniel, the attorney representing Casey.

“The defense team will file a number of pre-trial motions including a motion for the state to provide the defense team with a copy of the autopsy of Vicky White,” McDaniel added, according to The New York Post. “After receiving the results of the autopsy, the defense team will file additional motions stating the relief sought.” 

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Vicky And Casey’s History

Vicky was a widow with no children, and she had been voted her department’s employee of the year four times. The day that she helped Casey escape was supposed to be her last day of work before she retired. 

Prior to his escape, Casey had been serving a 75-year sentence for previous convictions that included robbery, burglary, carjacking, and kidnapping. On top of that, he was serving a six-year sentence on a domestic violence charge.

Dale Bryant, a lawyer who previously represented Casey, said that the inmate “suffers from a mental illness.”

“When he’s on medication and in a supervised environment … he’s a decent person,” Bryant said. “When he gets out of incarceration, he is unable to stay on his medication and he even self-medicates by smoking methamphetamine or taking other illegal substances.”

A date for the trial has not been set at this time.