Corrections Officer Vicky White Helped Inmate Casey White Flee — 11-Day Manhunt Ended in a Tragic Crash

In April 2022, assistant operations director Vicky White of the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama, helped inmate Casey Cole White escape custody. The pair — who investigators say developed a romantic relationship while he was jailed — remained fugitives for 11 days before a multi-state manhunt ended in a high-speed police chase in Evansville, Indiana. The crash left Vicky with a fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound and Casey back in custody; he was later sentenced to life in prison.

Vicky White.Credit: Netflix

Background

Vicky White. Born Vicky Sue Davis on Aug. 19, 1965, she worked at the Lauderdale County Detention Center for 17 years and rose to assistant director of operations. Coworkers described her as hardworking and compassionate; she earned Employee of the Year honors multiple times. In March 2022 she sold her home, announced her retirement with one day's notice in April, and — according to reporting in the Netflix documentary Jailbreak: Love on the Run — purchased several firearms in the months before the escape.

Escaped inmate Casey White arrives at the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Florence, Ala., after waiving extradition in Indiana, on May 10, 2022.Credit: Dan Busey/The TimesDaily via AP

Casey White. Casey Cole White, born Aug. 20, 1983, had a lengthy criminal history that included violent convictions and a 75-year sentence for a 2015 crime spree. He had been transferred to Lauderdale County while awaiting trial on a separate capital murder allegation. At roughly 6'9" and heavily tattooed, he was housed in cell A1, a unit overseen by Vicky.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding displayed a photo of the Ford F-150 truck used by escaped fugitives Casey White and Vicky White during a press conference in Evansville, Ind., on May 10, 2022.Credit: AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

Developing Relationship

Staff and inmates later said Casey purchased commissary cards and wrote notes of affection; investigators say those gestures were for Vicky. According to investigators and the documentary, their contact began in August 2021 and included frequent phone calls — reported as 949 calls before the escape — and, allegedly, physical intimacy while he was in custody. Sheriff Rick Singleton later told press that Vicky gave Casey occasional privileges, such as extra food.

Casey White; Vicky White.Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Escape

On April 29, 2022 — Vicky's final day on the job and a day when the jail was short-staffed — she arranged for a colleague to bring Casey to booking. At 9:30 a.m. he was shackled and then escorted out at 9:41 a.m.; Vicky told staff she was taking him to a courthouse mental health evaluation. Hours later, with neither returned, supervisors reviewed video and found protocol violations: Casey was walking behind Vicky, not beside an escorting officer. Vicky's marked patrol car was later found abandoned at a shopping center; footage and other evidence showed the two left in an orange 2007 Ford Edge.

This photo, provided by the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office, shows inmate Casey White.Credit: Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office via AP

Manhunt And Capture

Law enforcement launched a wide search across state lines. The fugitives allegedly attempted to alter the Ford Edge’s appearance, abandoned it in Tennessee, and shifted to other vehicles as they traveled north. Surveillance footage and tips placed them in multiple motels; investigators say Vicky changed or disguised her hair and appearance during the flight. On May 9, 2022, tips from a car-wash worker and other sources led police to the motel where they were staying in Evansville, Indiana.

Casey White in June 2023.Credit: Dan Busey/AP

When officers arrived, Vicky and Casey fled in a gray Cadillac. The vehicle left a roadway, collided with a patrol car, and flipped into a ditch. The crash pinned Vicky inside; officers found she had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Casey surrendered at the scene. Vicky was taken to Deaconess Hospital and pronounced dead hours later. Audio played in the Netflix documentary captures Vicky scolding Casey about their choice of motel in her final recorded moments.

Legal Aftermath

Authorities initially charged Casey with first-degree murder on the theory that his actions led to Vicky’s suicide; that charge was later dropped after he pleaded guilty to first-degree escape. On June 8, 2023, he received a life sentence for escape, to run concurrently with the 75-year sentence he was already serving for earlier convictions. Prosecutors say his earliest potential parole date would be 2081. Prosecutors also later dropped a separate capital murder charge related to the 2015 death of Connie Ridgeway, citing the existing life sentence and the wishes of Ridgeway’s surviving family.

During and after the case, friends, coworkers and investigators remained divided over whether Vicky was manipulated by Casey or acted out of genuine affection. Some who knew her insisted her care for inmates was sincere; investigators argued Casey exploited the relationship.

Legacy

The case drew national attention because of the unlikely romance, the procedural failings that allowed the escape, and the tragic outcome. The story was later documented in Netflix’s Jailbreak: Love on the Run, which included recorded conversations and audio clips from the couple’s final hours. Vicky was buried in Lexington, Alabama; nearly 200 people attended her funeral. Casey remains incarcerated at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Alabama.

"I believe after looking at everything, Vicky's love was real for Casey. Casey didn't care about Vicky, not one bit," — Lead investigator Matt Burbank, as quoted in the documentary.