Casey White, 38, was last seen on surveillance camera in an orange jumpsuit and shackles being led into a patrol car by Vicky White, 56, a corrections official. She had told her bosses and co-workers she was taking him to court for a mental health evaluation, but authorities soon discovered there was no evaluation or hearing scheduled that day.
The duo ditched the patrol car, fled the state in another vehicle and have not been seen since, and a sprawling manhunt has so far failed to locate them. In the days since the escape, officials learned Casey White and Vicky White, who are not related, had formed a “special relationship.”
As the manhunt moves into its second week, here’s what we know about Casey White and his history of violence, his past escape attempt and his physical size.
White’s criminal history dates back a decade. Court documents alleged he beat his brother in the face and head with an axe-sledgehammer handle, landing him in prison in 2012 for more than three years.
According to the Marshals Service, White allegedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister in 2015 if he got out of prison and said he wanted the police to kill him. The agency said it has advised his “potential targets” of the threat and taken protective actions.
Josh Goan was one of the victims in the 2015 case. He said White broke into his truck, stole his firearm, and then used the firearm to carjack his neighbor and the neighbor’s infant baby. Goan was a witness in the trial and told CNN it was a surreal experience to see how little remorse White had.
“I was very satisfied that they gave him enough time that by the time — if he ever — gets out, he would not be able to do anything. I took security in that and definitely have lost a little bit of peace (since the escape),” he said. “The fact that he is out in the world is a terrible thing for society.”
White was serving out his 75-year sentence at the William E. Donaldson Correction Facility in Jefferson County, Alabama.
There, he came into contact with Vicky White, who was working as the assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County.
He was brought back to the Lauderdale detention center on February 25, Sheriff Rick Singleton said.
A trusted inmate who had tried to escape before
It is not the first time White tried to escape prison, nor is it the first time he gained the trust of other correctional officials.
In 2020, while White was being held in Lauderdale County’s detention center, authorities learned he planned to escape the jail and take a hostage, Singleton said.
“We shook him down, and we did find a shank in his possession — a shank is a prison knife — and we retrieved that. We immediately had him shipped back to the Department of Corrections,” Singleton said.
“I was not shocked Casey escaped,” attorney Dale Bryant said. “I was shocked of who he escaped with. I had never heard of her before. But this was not the first escape attempt Casey had attempted while at Lauderdale County facing those charges.”
Prior to the current escape, Casey White and Vicky White had developed a “special relationship,” which included extra food, Singleton said.
“We were told Casey White got special privileges and was treated differently while in the facility than the other inmates,” he said.
Likewise, Casey White had previously gained the trust of officials of the Limestone County Sheriff’s office.
An imposing man with White Supremacist tattoos
Bryant, the attorney, told WAFF White’s size made him stand out.
“I’m 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and he makes me feel small,” he said.
He also noted White has a mental illness and has abused drugs. Still, he said White was a “decent person” when on medication in a supervised environment and said he can even be friendly at times.
“(He’s) one of the few clients I had that never held back and tried to lie to me about something,” he said. “He just laid it out on the table.”
Sheriff Singleton said White could be particularly dangerous if not taking his medications.
“Casey White is a dangerous man. He’s supposed to be on medication. Whether he’s taking those or not, we don’t know. He didn’t leave the jail with any,” he said. “When he gets off his meds, he can be extremely dangerous.”
CNN’s Nadia Romero, Jaide Timm-Garcia and Michelle Watson contributed to this report.