Criminal who escaped with prison guard lover handed life in jail after she shot herself

A prisoner was sentenced to life in jail for escaping with the help of a jail guard who then took her own life.

Casey White, 39, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday in a courtroom in Lauderdale County, Alabama.

He had escaped from jail with the assistance of a corrections officer, Vicky White, 56, who tragically took her own life as the police closed in on them after a manhunt spanning three states.

During the court proceedings, Casey White expressed that he felt like the most despised individual in the world.

However, he refused to tarnish the name of Vicky White, a corrections officer who had shown care and concern for him despite not being related.

Vicki White, the jail official tragically took her own life during a manhunt across three states (Lauderdale County Sheriff/ZUMA Press Wire Service/REX/Shutterstock)

Casey White expressed feeling like the most hated man but refused to tarnish the officer's name (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Off/ZUMA Press Wire Service/REX/Shutterstock)

He said Vicky White, who was not related to him, was the first person who cared about him in six years.

Casey White apologised for the escape and confessed that Vicky White's only regret was leaving her family behind.

He shared that their intention was to start a new life together because she knew the truth about him.

Casey White arrives at the Lauderdale County Courthouse for a sentence hearing in Florence, Ala., Thursday, June 8 2023 (AP)

He further stated that he was willing to face the truth about himself and acknowledged that he had willingly chosen the path that ultimately cost him his life and freedom.

White was serving a 75-year prison term for an array of charges from 2015, including attempted murder, and he was awaiting a capital murder trial when he escaped in April 2022.

Following a pursuit, authorities rammed the Cadillac sedan driven by Casey White and Vicky White and pushed it into a ditch (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office)

The pair was on the run for 11 days until Casey White was recaptured in Evansville, Indiana.

Vicky White died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

White pleaded guilty to escape in exchange for prosecutors dropping a felony murder charge involving Vicky White's death and agreed to the maximum sentence of life without parole.

He said Vicky White was the first person who cared about him in years (Lauderdale County Sheriff's Depa)

Casey White apologized for the escape and acknowledged the officer's sacrifice for her family (Lauderdale County Sheriff's Depa)

Casey White was also told to notify the state if he, his family or attorneys receive opportunities for books, movies or other financial opportunities related to the escape, which made national headlines, as any proceeds should be used to pay for his defence.

Meanwhile, he still faces an August 14 capital murder trial for the 2015 slaying of Connie Ridgeway in Rogersville, Alabama.

That trial was delayed in the aftermath of the escape and White retaining a new team of attorneys.