In a bizarre story from 2022, inmate Casey White fled an Alabama detention center with corrections officer Vicky White, with whom he was in an apparent romantic relationship. Here’s how Casey escaped, the charges against him, and other details about him.
According to CNN, Casey, who was then 38, met Vicky (no relation) while serving a 75-year prison sentence for a 2016 conviction for charges including murder and robbery. Casey’s criminal record, however, dates back years. Past offenses included carjacking, home invasion, and attacking his own brother in 2012. At the time of his escape with Vicky, he was awaiting a capital murder trial, ABC News explains.
Reportedly, Vicky and Casey grew close and fell in love while Casey was her charge and secretly kept in contact via burner phones, among other forms of communication. There were an estimated 1,100 secret phone calls between them.
The pair fled the Alabama correctional facility under the pretense that Vicky was accompanying Casey to an off-site, fictitious “mental health” evaluation before they disappeared in a getaway car Vicky had waiting. When Casey and Vicky failed to reappear, it became clear what had happened.
Referring to the case, U.S. Marshal Deputy Commander Ross Manley said (via ABC News), “[It was] apparent that prepping was there for this. The items that were purchased would indicate that there may be some stay in the woods or camping or some remote living arrangements being made.”
Casey White would be hard to miss
Casey White is reportedly 6-foot-9 and weighs more than 300 pounds, so once on the outside, it seems he would be highly recognizable, possibly explaining Casey and Vicky White‘s apparent plans to live off the grid while on the run. His body was also covered in tattoos, some white supremacist in nature. After an 11-day manhunt across several states, Casey and Vicky were apprehended. Casey was returned to custody, while Vicky sadly shot herself at the scene and later died, per NBC News.
In June 2023, NBC News reported that Casey was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. In a plea deal, he agreed to plead guilt to escape charges in exchange for dropping felony charges related to Vicky’s death. At that point, he was still set to stand trial for a capital murder offense.
At his sentencing, Casey said, referring to Vicky, “We just wanted a new life together because she knew the truth. I can handle the truth because I know who I am. I chose this road. It’s cost me my life and freedom.”