Reward up to $10,000 for escapee wanted for Capital Murder, $5,000 for Correctional Officer who helped him escape
Per Sheriff Rick Singleton, Vicky White’s employment status is currently “No longer employed by the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office”. Friday was her last day to work, however, her retirement papers were not finalized. This is a personnel issue that will be discussed on a later date.
BIRMINGHAM – The U.S. Marshals Service is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to the capture of an escaped inmate from Lauderdale County Jail and up to $5,000 for the correctional officer who authorities believe helped him escape April 29 from Lauderdale County.
A warrant was issued May 2 for Vicky White, 56, charging her with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree in connection with capital murder suspect Casey White’s escape from jail. (The Whites are not related.)
Authorities said Vicky White sold her home a month ago, and she was supposed to retire on April 29, the day she and Casey White disappeared.
Casey Cole White, 38, was charged with capital murder in September 2020 in the brutal stabbing of 58-year-old Connie Ridgeway. He was already serving a 75-year sentence for a 2015 crime spree that involved home invasion, carjacking, and a police chase. White confessed to the murder and was awaiting trial at the Lauderdale County Jail when he disappeared.
Investigators have learned that during pre-sentence reporting in 2015 he made threats against his ex-girlfriend and her sister, warning that if he ever got out, he would kill them and that he wanted police to kill him. USMS and local law enforcement authorities have been in contact with his potential targets to advise them of the threats and the escape and have taken appropriate protective actions. Investigators with Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office have also recently learned through inmate interviews that the jail official and the inmate had developed a “special” relationship.
Investigators determined that prior to the escape, Vicki White purchased a 2007 orange or copper colored Ford Edge. It is believed that they could be traveling in this vehicle. It is unknown what license plate is on the vehicle, or if it even has a license plate. There is minor damage to the rear left bumper.
The subjects should be considered dangerous and may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun. These are actual photos of the vehicle they are believed to be in.
Law enforcement-sensitive information about the vehicle was accidentally released on social media May 3, which led some internet sleuths to the Florence car dealer who sold the vehicle to Vicky White. Some Facebook users have leveled accusations of wrongdoing against the owners of that dealership. The U.S. Marshals would like to assure everyone that the owners have been very helpful in this investigation, and that no one at the dealership is suspected of helping the pair avoid law enforcement.
Anyone with information on the Whites’ location is urged to contact urged to contact law enforcement. You can call the USMS Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102. Anonymous tips may also be submitted via the U.S. Marshals Tip App.
The U.S. Marshals-led Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force in the Northern District of Alabama with its primary office in Birmingham. Its membership is composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Huntsville Police Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Probation and Parole, and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. The USMS Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders who are considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous fugitives. These offenders tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s) pose a significant threat to public safety.
For additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service, visit www.usmarshals.gov.
Media Release/Marty Keely, U.S. Marshal
Northern District of Alabama
