The morning of April 29, criminal Casey White entered the back of a patrol car for a “mental health evaluation.” What authorities were unaware of was that there was no evaluation scheduled for White; the appointment was simply a ploy to escape his lifetime prison sentence.  The convicted felon wasn’t unaccompanied in the escape. In fact, White had an unlikely accomplice on his side, former corrections officer, Vicky White. Though unrelated, the two had formed an unusual relationship since Casey’s arrival at the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Mississippi back in October of 2020. 

Casey’s life of crime began in 2015 after violating the law in a range of ways including carjacking, police chasing, home invasion, robbery, and attempted murder. Convicted on seven of the 15 charges, Casey was sentenced to 75 years in prison. While his time at the Lauderdale Detention Center was short, his connection with Vicky remained. The two kept in contact through phone calls and visits until Casey’s eventual return to the detention center this past February.

The unlikely pair proved to be abnormal in numerous ways including their 18-year age difference, power imbalance, and Vicky’s admirable past. After 20 years of “exemplary” work, Vicky’s sudden betrayal of trust left coworkers shocked and disappointed. The distrust and confusion was felt by all those around her including her own mother who claimed to have “never heard of him (Casey), never seen his picture, nothing.” Although left in heartbreak and disbelief, law enforcement had to act fast in order to capture the now loose fugitives. The US Marshals Service offered a combined $15,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of Casey and Vicky White. 

While the escape may have seemed abrupt to those around them, the departure was. Signs of the plot to escape had remained present since 2020 after Casey had been caught with a shank and stated his intentions to run away. Weeks prior, Vicky announced her plans to retire on April 29, coincidentally the day of the jailbreak. In preparation, she sold her home, withdrew cash from numerous banks, purchased new clothing, and under a false name acquired an orange 2007 Ford Edge. 

The pair took off around 9:30 a.m., driving to a nearby shopping center to ditch the patrol car and switch into a getaway car, positioned in the lot the night before. On May 2, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Vicky White describing the officer as “missing and endangered.” The two switched between an estimated six cars throughout the duration of their escapade, stopping at a Tennessee car wash, tipping off local police. From there the couple drove to Indiana stopping at another carwash, this time driving a gray Ford F-150. Surveillance footage showed the couple getting into yet another new vehicle and driving their newfound Cadillac to a nearby motel, where they had purchased a stay for two weeks. Evansville police waited outside the motel beginning an on-road pursuit off of US Highway 41. The Whites drove through a field and parking lot where the officer was forced to ram a separate vehicle into their car, flipping it into a ditch. When officers reached the now destroyed Cadillac they found Vicky with a gunshot wound to the head, later ruling her death a suicide. Found in the car was $29,000 in cash, wigs, four handguns, and a semi-automatic rifle. 

On May 10, Casey was taken back to Lauderdale County where he was charged with first-degree escape and later transferred to the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility. While many questions remain unanswered, civilians can now rest assured in knowing that the two are no longer on the run.