Escaped Alabama Murder Suspect ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Guard, US Attorney General Warns

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday that an escaped murder suspect and a jail officer who helped him are “considered extremely dangerous” and that the US Marshals Service has taken the lead in the search for the suspects. two fugitives.

Law enforcement officials in Alabama have been looking for casey white, who was awaiting trial in a capital murder case, and Vicky White, a jail official, as they went missing after being released from the Lauderdale County Detention Center last week. The two are not related, but they had a “special relationship”, the authorities said.

Garland said they should be considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached by anyone who sees them.

“They worked together on devising this escape plan,” said US Marshal Marty Keely, whose officers are leading the manhunt.

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Last Friday, Vicky White, 56, told her co-workers that the 38-year-old inmate needed to go to court for a mental health evaluation. She was escorting the inmate alone, a violation of sheriff’s office policy. When she did not answer her phone or return in the afternoon, the authorities realized that the couple had disappeared. Authorities eventually learned that the evaluation was never scheduled and was just a sham to allow Vicky White to sneak Casey White out of jail without suspicion.

The two left in a squad car, which was found abandoned near a parking lot where investigators believe Vicky White had parked a getaway car.

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Authorities learned last week that Vicky White purchased a variety of weapons, including an AR-15 rifle in January and a shotgun two weeks before the escape. They also believe she has a 9mm handgun with her and have received reports that she may also have a .45-caliber handgun, Keely said.

Federal investigators believe they had been planning the breakout for at least several months, Keely said. Vicky White sold her house for $95,000, almost half the market value, and she also sold her car just before the escape, she said. She had also filed paperwork to officially retire from her job.

Police believe Vicky White had staged a getaway car nearby, an orange 2007 Ford Edge, which had no license plates. She bought the car a few days before the escape and paid for it in cash, Keely said.

“It was well planned,” Keely said of the escape. “She is very knowledgeable about law enforcement procedures.”

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The Marshals Service and the sheriff’s office have interviewed numerous associates, family members and others who knew both Casey White and Vicky White and have received numerous tips in the investigation. But despite their best efforts, researchers have not found any solid leads to locate them.

“We’ve investigated all the leads and so far we don’t have a legitimate detection,” Keely said.

The Marshals Service is offering up to $10,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Casey White and a $5,000 reward for information leading to Vicky White.

Authorities have said Casey White, who is about 6 feet 9 inches (2 meters), should be recognizable by his size.

Casey White was being held in jail on capital murder charges in the 2015 death of Connie Ridgeway. He confessed to the murder in 2020 while in state prison for other crimes. He has been linked to home invasions, carjackings and was also involved in a police chase, Keely said.

Family members and colleagues said they are puzzled by the involvement of Vicky White, who had worked for the sheriff’s office for 16 years, with the inmate who was already serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other crimes.