Casey White's escape with Vicky White: How it unfolded, where the investigation stands

Vicky Sue White, 56, assistant director of corrections at the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office, and capital murder suspect Casey Cole White, 38, disappeared on April 29. Soon after, an investigation revealed the escape plan must have been underway well before then.

Here are some key dates in the case:

'Convinced she orchestrated this': Vicky White flew under the radar before escape with Casey White

'Special relationship': Lauderdale officials: Jailer, escaped inmate had 'special relationship'

The lead-in

• April 18: Vicky White closes on the sale of her home in Lexington for some $95,000 — a price said to have been below its market value.

• About a week before the escape, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton said, Vicky White purchases a 2007 Ford Edge.

• April 28: Vicky White turns in paperwork for her retirement, with plans for April 29 to be her last day on the job after 17 years working in the jail.

• April 28: Vicky White spends the night at the Quality Inn, Singleton said, after stashing the Ford Edge in a parking lot within walking distance of the hotel. He didn't know the reason; he speculated to a reporter that she couldn't face her mother the next morning, knowing what she was going to do.

April 29

• 8:47 a.m.: Transport Van 5 leaves the Lauderdale County Detention Center with seven inmates escorted by two deputies

• 8:56 a.m.: Transport Van 2 leaves the detention center with five inmates escorted by two deputies

• 9:20 a.m. Assistant Director Vicky White instructs corrections deputy to prepare inmate Casey White for transport to courthouse. Deputy removes White from his cell, takes him to booking and handcuffs him and shackles his legs.

• 9:41 a.m.: Vicky White leaves detention center with Casey White en route to courthouse for “mental health evaluation.” Prior to leaving, she tells booking officer that she is the only deputy available who is firearms certified and she is dropping him off to the other deputies at the courthouse. Vicky White says she’s then going to Med Plus from there because she isn’t feeling well.

• 11:34 a.m.: A Florence Police Department officer spots the vehicle parked among other cars left on a lot that are for sale. The officer is unaware of the situation involving Vicky White and Casey White.

• 1:50 p.m.: In Bethesda, Williamson County, Tennessee, someone reports an abandoned 2007 Ford Edge on the side of a road in a sparsely populated area.

• 2:37 p.m.: The car, found locked with nothing inside, is towed to a lot and left there. At this point, Lauderdale County officials don't know that Vicky White and Casey White are missing, and have no description of a suspect vehicle.

• 3:30 p.m.: The booking officer reports to administration that they have been trying to contact Vicky White to check on her, and that her phone is going directly to voice mail. Co-workers had planned a retirement party, complete with cake and gifts. The officer also advises that Casey White was not returned to the detention center with the other inmates.

The administrator immediately contacts the sheriff’s office, and officers begin a search of the courthouse to determine if Casey White is still there.

Within several minutes, it is determined he is not there and that no court appearance or evaluation had been scheduled.

• 5:30 p.m.: U.S. Marshals, FBI, ATF, Secret Service and ALEA join the investigation; word of the escape hits the news, and it has been a prominent story ever since.

The fallout

• May 1: U.S. Marshals offer a $10,000 reward for Casey White.

• May 2: The sale of Vicky White's home is reported, along with authorities' belief that she has "plenty of cash."

• May 3: U.S. Marshals announce a warrant has been issued for Vicky White for facilitating an escape, and a $5,000 reward offered. Singleton says investigators believe Vicky White had a "special relationship" with Casey White, revealing she contacted him by phone when he was in prison.

• May 3: Information about the 2007 Ford Escape is released to the media inadvertently, and reported widely. By that time, the vehicle had long been abandoned.

• May 5: In Williamson County, Tennessee, someone realizes the vehicle towed April 29 is the one sought in connection with the escape.

• May 6: The Williamson County Sheriff's Office tweets that the vehicle had been found in Bethesda the day the two went missing. It had been reported abandoned and not linked to the escape until Thursday evening.

• May 6: Singleton announces the discovery of the vehicle and speculates it was abandoned because of mechanical problems. He says the only two options he sees for the two was leaving the area on foot, or getting a ride with someone.

• May 6: Gov. Kay Ivey announced she is offering an additional $5,000 reward for both Vicky White and Casey White. The Lauderdale County District Attorney's office asked for the maximum reward available, and within an hour, the governor OK'd it. The reward is limited to private citizens who are not members of or employees of any government law enforcement agency or their relatives.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Escape: How a Lauderdale County jailer, inmate went on the run