Inmate Casey White who escaped with guard must ‘never be allowed back into society’, victim’s son says
FORMERLY escaped convict Casey White should “never be allowed back into society” after being charged in the death of his prison guard lover, the son of a woman he allegedly stabbed to death says.
Casey White, 38, was charged on Tuesday with felony murder in connection to the death of corrections officer Vicky White, 56, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on May 9 in Evansville, Indiana.
The fatal shot was fired as police closed in on the rogue duo – who were not related but believed to be romantically involved – 11 days after Vicky White busted Casey out of the Lauderdale County jail in Alabama, where for years she had been considered a model employee.
At the time of Casey White’s escape, he had been serving a 75-year sentence for kidnapping and attempted murder.
He was also awaiting trial for the murder of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway, who was stabbed to death during a home invasion robbery in 2015.
Although White confessed to the crime in 2020, he later pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
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White is facing capital murder charges in the death of Ridgeway and could be sentenced to death if convicted.
He could also face a potential death sentence in relation to Vicky White’s suicide after prosecutors accused him in an indictment of causing her death while committing first-degree escape.
Under Alabama state law, felony murder charges are filed when a murder is committed in the commission of a felony.
Reacting to the newly filed charges, Ridgeway’s oldest son Austin Williams told The US Sun that it’s imperative that Casey White is never allowed to see the outside of his prison cell again.
“The autopsy found that Vicky killed herself otherwise I would’ve had a hard time believing it,” Williams said in a written statement.
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“I have mixed feelings about the death penalty in most cases but I feel like some criminals are past the point of rehabilitation.
“If they can’t be reformed, why take the chance on the loss of more innocent lives?
“Casey White certainly does not need to be allowed back into society,” he added.
CON CHARGED IN GUARD’S DEATH
Casey White was charged in Vicky’s death on Monday at the state prison where he is being kept in Bessemer, Alabama.
He was previously charged with first-degree escape in connection to his jailbreak, and the new indictment accuses him of committing felony murder “during the course of and in furtherance” of that crime, Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly said in a news release.
Casey White’s defense attorney, Mark McDaniel, said his client intends to plead not guilty in response to the charge, but declined to comment further.
“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 said in a statement.
“After receiving the results of the autopsy, the defense team will file additional motions stating the relief sought.”
Casey and Vicky White were believed to have struck up a secret, romantic relationship inside the Lauderdale County jail some two years before executing their April escape plan.
Vicky, who boasted a squeaky-clean record before her death, busted Casey White out of the jail on April 29 telling her colleagues she was taking him to an evaluation at a nearby court – but no such appointment had been scheduled.
For the next week-and-a-half, the pair dodged cops by ditching cars and donning wigs and other disguises before their race was finally run in Evansville on May 9 when they were spotted leaving a motel.
GUARD ‘MASTERMINDED’ PLAN
The reasons why Vicky decided to go on the run with Casey White may never be realized, but investigators say she appeared to be plotting the escape for some time and was likely the “mastermind” behind the ill-fated plan.
Days before her disappearance, Vicky White filed for retirement after working as a corrections officer for 17 years.
She had also recently sold her three-bedroom home in Lexington for just $95,000 and moved back in with her mother, who lived next door to her.
Investigators believe Vicky and Casey White had formed a suicide pact before embarking on their escape attempt, intending to die in a shoot-out with police in the event they were cornered.
But on the day their escape came to an end, Vicky White reportedly decided to take her own life after the stolen car she was driving collided with a cop car and crashed in a ditch.
Casey White, meanwhile, was taken into custody without incident.
Body camera footage from the arrest showed the towering six-foot-nine con telling officers “please check my wife.”
Law enforcement issued first aid to Vicky White at the scene but she was pronounced dead in hospital a short while later.
‘WE NEED ANSWERS’
A court date for Casey White’s trial in the murder of Connie Ridgeway is slated to commence on December 12 of this year.
Austin Williams previously described Casey White’s re-capture as a “miracle”, telling The US Sun back in May: “It’s huge. [I’m] so glad we still have the chance to get justice for Connie.”
As the trial for his mother’s murder looms, Austin said “December can’t come soon enough” as his family’s seven-year wait for justice nears a potential end.
“We need answers,” he insisted.
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“We don’t know much more than the public knows. Why our mother? And how could anyone harm her?
“If [he is] guilty, then justice needs to be served.”
