Location of hotel, getaway car aided Alabama jail escape, investigators say

FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) — News 19 has taken a closer glance at how investigators say Vicky White executed an escape with an inmate from the Lauderdale County jail very last Friday.

The escape has drawn national headlines but Vicky, the former assistant director of corrections for Lauderdale County, and Casey White, who was in the jail awaiting trial on cash murder expenses, remain at massive, according to the most current reports.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton advised Information 19 the night just before Vicky helped the inmate escape – applying a fake claim that he had a mental health and fitness appointment at the courthouse – she stayed in a resort around Florence Boulevard.

And, it seems, the hotel’s place was component of a larger prepare. Investigators stated Vicky White’s sheriff’s office environment car was uncovered parked in Florence strip shopping mall a few several hours right after the pair experienced left the jail.

Investigators learned the getaway car or truck that she bought a couple days previously – a copper-toned 2007 Ford Edge – was in the very same great deal the evening ahead of the escape. The lodge she stayed in was within going for walks length of that ton.

Singleton claims she drove her official vehicle to function previous Friday early morning, picked up Casey White, and then switched motor vehicles. The pair haven’t been sighted since that day, according to authorities.  

Information 19 requested Singleton why he considered Vicky White, 56, stayed at the lodge, somewhat than with her mother, exactly where she’d been living given that promoting her very own dwelling.

“This is just mainly, strictly, my own belief,” Singleton claimed. “I imagine she did not want to experience her mom that early morning, understanding that she was heading to leave.”

The U.S. Marshals Company said that following the pair remaining the location, they were being previous witnessed in Rogersville later on that day in the Ford. On the other hand, Singleton informed News 19 community authorities have been not able to verify that assert.

“I don’t know that they were being noticed in Rogersville on Friday, my comprehension is that the car or truck was found in Rogersville prior to Friday,” the sheriff stated.

Singleton said he no lengthier believes that Vicky and Casey White, who are not thought to be linked, keep on being in the location.

“I never assume they’re community,” Singleton explained. “Of program, they could be ideal down the road, you know how that is. If I realized the place they had been at, which is in which we would be. But my intestine feeling is that they’re out of this region.”

Casey White, 38, has a pending murder circumstance — 1 the Lauderdale County District Legal professional Chris Connolly states will have to be experimented with after he’s recaptured. He is charged with two counts of funds murder in the October 2015 loss of life of Connie Ridgeway at her home in Rogersville. Ridgeway was found stabbed to demise.

Casey allegedly confessed to the killing when he was by now serving a 75-year prison sentence in Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer on attempted murder, kidnapping and theft charges.

There have been a variety of delays in the murder circumstance. Connolly told Information 19 people challenges contributed to White’s becoming transferred to the Lauderdale County Detention Center in February. The Alabama Section of Corrections would not enable White’s lawyers to convey a computer or hard generate into the prison to focus on White’s circumstance with him.

Connolly reported White’s absence of accessibility to his attorneys to aid his defense was a problem that would have an affect on the potential of the circumstance. Connolly said he only would like to test it at the time, but if the scenario went forward without having White conferring regularly with his lawyers, it could probably be despatched back on attractiveness.

Connolly claimed that stalemate with the point out prison procedure hindered the case’s development drastically. The protection asked for in December that Casey be transferred to the county jail in Lauderdale County so they could prepare his scenario.

The preliminary trial in February was pushed back again to April, and the demo judge requested Casey to be transferred to Lauderdale County in February. But, the situation was continued yet again until February, meaning Casey was in the jail partially supervised by Vicky White for additional than two months.

Connolly told News 19 the June trial date will also probable be delayed additional by the chaos of the escape. And, if they are caught, he needs see Casey White remanded back again to the state prison process. He also wants condition prison officers to change their approach and permit White’s attorneys access to him to prepare for the funds murder circumstance. Prosecutors are searching for the death penalty.

Connolly reported it was vital to try out the money murder case from White.

“Number one, he demands to be held accountable for what he did,” Connolly instructed News 19. “And quantity two, those victims should have to have the individual who we imagine murdered their mom brought to justice for that crime. And you know, that lifetime with no parole or 75-12 months sentence that he’s doing now, who knows what the parole board may well do? I’m not suggesting they would enable him out, but I suggest, you know, you could say 75 decades I’ve observed lifers wander out of there.”

There has been community speculation that Casey confessed to the Ridgeway killing to get moved out of the jail process and into the Lauderdale County Jail.

But Connolly claimed Casey’s alleged confession to the killing spurred investigators to appear at him as a suspect, they did not halt there, they vetted his details and then charged him.

Casey was indicted on rates of capital murder through a robbery and cash murder for economic attain. Connolly said he was indicted on the 2nd cost since of the confession, but investigators were unable to corroborate the declare he was paid out to eliminate Ridgeway. Connolly mentioned that cost is not staying investigated and the concentrate of White’s demo would be on the 1st demand.

And, he says the two Casey and Vicky White will encounter supplemental expenses for the escape after they are found.

“He’s heading to be charged with escape in the initially diploma, which is a (Class) B felony and I forget how a lot of priors he’s acquired,” Connolly stated. “But she can be charged as an accomplice to that as nicely. Plus, there is a different demand from her for aiding in the escape.”