Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Jailbreak: Love on the Run’ recounts the series of events when a correctional officer helped a prisoner break out, leading both of them on a run from the authorities. At the center of the story are Vicky White and Casey White. Vicky had a stellar record of about two decades-and-a-half of working at Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama. So, one day, when she drove away with felon Casey White under the impression of taking him to the courthouse for a mental health evaluation and did not come back, alarms went off. An eleven-day manhunt ensued, ending in tragedy for Vicky and foiling Casey’s plans of riding off into the sunset with his freedom.
Casey White Had Committed Several Crimes Before He Met Vicky White
When Casey White was brought to Lauderdale County Jail, he was awaiting trial for the murder of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway, who was killed in 2015 in a home invasion robbery. Previously, Casey had confessed to the murder but later recanted his statement, claiming insanity as his excuse. However, this wasn’t the only reason he was in prison. In fact, he was already serving a 75-year sentence due to a string of crimes he’d committed previously. His charges included attempted murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, third-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, and unlawful breaking and entering vehicle.
Within these charges was the story of him attempting to kill his ex-girlfriend and killing her dog. Reportedly, in 2015, following his arrest, Casey threatened his ex-girlfriend and claimed that he would kill her if he ever got out of prison. This is why, when he eventually went on the run in 2022, she was terrified, fearing that he might come through on his threats. Apart from this, Casey was revealed to have several tattoos on his body, marking his affiliation with the Alabama-based white supremacist prison gang named Southern Brotherhood. Additionally, he also had a domestic violence conviction from 2017, for which he was sentenced to six years in prison.
The Prison Break With Vicky White isn’t the First Time Casey Tried to Escape
While the 11-day manhunt of Vicky White and Casey White garnered heavy media publicity, this wasn’t the first time he’d tried to escape from prison. He had tried something different in October 2020 when he was still in Lauderdale, but his plan was foiled by the prison officials. Reportedly, his plan was to take a hostage using two makeshift knives, hoping that he could use the person as a shield to make his escape. However, things didn’t turn out his way, and his attempt made the correctional officers devise the policy of having two deputies with him at all times, especially during transportation to and from the courthouse.
Later, the detail of Vicky taking him to court alone struck the officers, leading them to the realization that she was complicit in his escape attempt. When Casey’s first attempt was foiled, he was sent back to the Department of Corrections, which is exactly what he didn’t want. Still, there was nothing he could do about it. He was brought back to Lauderdale in February 2022 while awaiting his trial for the murder of Connie Ridgeway. Reportedly, during the time he spent away from Lauderdale, he and Vicky were constantly in touch with each other. It is believed that when he returned to Lauderdale, a plan for escape was devised by the couple.
Casey White is Serving Time in Prison Today
Following the end of the 11-day manhunt, which resulted in Vicky White’s death, Casey White was sent back to prison. He was put on trial for the escape attempt and was charged with felony murder for causing the death of Vicky White. He pled guilty to the first-degree escape charge, in return for which the felony murder charge was dropped. He was sentenced to life in prison and sent to William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County, Alabama. His life sentence factors a possibility for parole, with the parole consideration date set to January 1, 2061. In 2023, Casey White also saw charges dropped in the murder case of Connie Ridgeway, based on the consideration that he was already serving a life sentence and continuing another trial would only put a dent in the state’s resources.
While Casey White already has a list of crimes committed by him, he made a new shocking revelation when he claimed to have committed another murder while he was on the run with Vicky. Reportedly, he made this claim during an interview with Brian Entin of NewsNation, whom he told that he had a confession to make. Entin had tried to establish contact with Casey for a while by sending him several letters. When he eventually responded, the felon claimed that he “got a woman and a baby girl buried up in Evansville, Indiana.” He also claimed that he was revealing this because he needed to get this secret off his chest as it was “the right thing” to do.
Interestingly, he refused to talk about this crime with the authorities, stating that he would only talk to the FBI about it. So far, his claims haven’t been proven. Evansville Police Department did not find any missing women reports matching Casey’s claims. Furthermore, his lawyers believe that he might be lying as he has a history of confessing to things “in hopes of being transferred out of prison.” Officers in law enforcement also believed that Casey’s claims were nothing but lies and that he might have tried to “muddy the waters,” as he was yet to receive sentencing on his pending cases.
Read More: Georgineo Lopez: Casey White’s Cellmate is a Free Man Now
