Casey White’s criminal history goes back a decade. Court documents allege that he hit his brother in the face and head with an ax handle and mallet, which landed him in prison in 2012 for more than three years.
Then, in 2015, he carried out a series of crimes that included breaking and entering, carjacking and a police pursuit, according to the Marshals Service. In March 2016, he was indicted on 15 counts and was ultimately convicted of seven of those counts, including attempted murder and robbery. according to Alabama records. He is serving a 75-year prison sentence on those charges.
According to the Marshals Service, White allegedly threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend and her sister in 2015 if he was released from prison and said he wanted police to kill him. The agency said it has informed “potential targets” of the threat and has taken protective measures.
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 kidnap his neighbor and the neighbor’s baby. Goan was a witness at the trial and told CNN it was a surreal experience to see how little remorse White had.
“I was very pleased that they gave him enough time so that when, if ever, he comes out, he can’t do anything. I took security on that and I’ve definitely lost some peace (since the leak),” he said. “The fact that it is in the world is a terrible thing for society.”
White was serving his 75-year sentence at the William E. Donaldson Correctional Center in Jefferson County, Alabama.
But in 2020, he allegedly confessed to the 2015 stabbing death of 59-year-old Connie Ridgeway and was charged with two counts of capital murder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and was taken to the Lauderdale County Detention Center to attend court hearings in the case, authorities said.
There, he came into contact with Vicky White, who was working as a deputy director of corrections for Lauderdale County.
He was taken back to the Lauderdale detention center on Feb. 25, Sheriff Rick Singleton said.
This is not the first time that White has tried to escape from prison, nor is it the first time that he has gained the trust of other prison officials.
In 2020, while White was being held in the Lauderdale County Detention Center, authorities learned that he planned to break out of jail and take a hostage, Singleton said.
“We shook him and found a handle in his possession, one handle is a prison knife, and we retrieved it. We immediately sent it back to the Department of Corrections,” Singleton said.
An attorney who represented White until 2020 said CNN affiliate WAFF the latest escape attempt was not in itself a surprise.
“I wasn’t surprised that Casey ran away,” attorney Dale Bryant said. “I was surprised to find out who he ran from her with. I had never heard of her before. But this was not the first escape attempt Casey attempted while he was in Lauderdale County facing those charges.”
Before the current leak, Casey White and Vicky White had developed a “special relationship,” which included extra food, Singleton said.
“We were told that Casey White was given special privileges and was treated differently while at the facility than the other inmates,” he said.
Likewise, Casey White had previously earned the trust of officials at the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office.
“When he was in Limestone County after a while, he gained the trust of the sheriff’s department at the time, and they allowed him to be a trustee inside the jail.” Bryant told WAFF. CNN has reached out to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office for more information on its trustee program.
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Reference-www.cnn.com