Warrant issued for Alabama corrections officer charged with escape of inmate, both still missing

The hunt continues for an escaped Alabama inmate and a corrections officer who have been missing since Friday from the Lauderdale County jail last Friday, and authorities issued a warrant on Monday for the corrections officer for aiding in the escape of the prisoner.

The inmate, Casey White, was being held at the jail on capital murder charges. He had pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was awaiting trial.

White was charged with the murder of Connie Ridgeway in 2020. He had previously been sentenced to 75 years in prison for kidnapping, attempted murder, robbery and burglary in Limestone County, in a 2015 incident in which he allegedly held his girlfriends and her roommates hostage and threatened to shoot them.

The corrections officer, Deputy Vicki White, has been charged with permitting or facilitating escape in the first degree in connection with Casey White’s escape. In spite of having the same last name, the two are not related.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the corrections officer and authorities at the Southern border have been notified to look out for one or both of the missing parties.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton says the pair left the jail in a marked patrol car, and abandoned the vehicle at a nearby shopping center. Their whereabouts are still unknown, and until today it was unknown whether Vicki White was coerced into facilitating Casey White’s escape, or if she had done so willingly.

Vicki had also reportedly sold her car and house a month ago, and was supposed to retire on Friday, the day of the disappearance.

Authorities are still searching for both Casey and Vicki White. “Don’t take any chances with this guy. He’s dangerous,” said Singleton. There is a $10,000 reward being offered for any information leading to the arrest of either.