FLORENCE, Ala. (Court TV) – The inmate who escaped from an Alabama jail with the help of a supervisor has pleaded guilty to charges of escape.
Alabama Chief Assistant DA Angie Hamilton confirmed to Court TV that Casey White pleaded guilty to charges of first-degree escape in a plea deal on Thursday. Hamilton said that in exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the felony murder charge White had been facing.
(L) Casey White ((Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office via AP), (R) Vicky White (Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Casey, 38, had been charged with felony murder for the shooting death of Vicky White, the jail supervisor who aided in his escape from the Lauderdale County Jail in April 2022. The pair were in a romantic relationship, but not related.
Casey walked out of the jail accompanied by Vicky, which prompted an 11-day search for the pair. On the day of the escape, Vicky told co-workers that she was taking Casey to a mental health evaluation, the Associated Press reported.
The pair were eventually found in Evansville, Indiana, where Casey was arrested. Vicky was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the AP reported.
Casey was in court on Thursday with his attorney at a status hearing when he accepted the plea. Hamilton told Court TV that Vicky’s family was in court and expressed relief at the plea agreement.
Casey acknowledged Vicky’s mother when he entered his plea, saying, “It wasn’t supposed to go that way,” and saying the pair was in love and planning to start a new life together, WHNT reported.
Court records reviewed by the AP indicate one of the conditions of Casey’s plea deal is that he have no contact with Vicky’s family.
Casey is scheduled to be sentenced to life in prison on June 8.
At the time of his escape, Casey was facing capital murder charges for the death of Connie Ridgeway. That trial is scheduled for August.
