Casey White charged with murder of jail official during escape
A prisoner who prompted a nationwide manhunt when he disappeared this spring from an Alabama jail has been charged with killing the corrections official authorities said helped him escape. Casey White, 38, has been indicted on a murder charge for the shooting death of Vicky White, Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly announced Tuesday. The pair’s disappearance from an Alabama jail in April sparked a national manhunt that came to a bloody end in Indiana, where Casey White was captured, and Vicky White died. The indictment alleges that during the escape, ”White caused the death of Vicky White, who died from a gunshot to the head.” The indictment does not specify who pulled the trigger. Authorities have said Vicky White died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. White will plead not guilty at an arraignment hearing, defense attorney Mark McDaniel said in a statement. The defense previously pointed blame at Vicky White for the escape, saying Casey White was in her “care and custody” the entire time of his disappearance from jail. Casey White, in April, walked out of an Alabama jail in handcuffs in the custody of Vicky White, the assistant director of corrections at the facility, prompting a national manhunt for the pair. On the day of the escape, Vicky White, 56, told co-workers she was transporting the inmate to a mental health evaluation, but authorities later learned no such appointment existed. The two were eventually discovered in Indiana, where Casey White was captured. Authorities said Vicky White shot herself in the head. Alabama law allows a murder charge if someone, “causes the death of any person” while engaging in certain other felonies such as escape or if the person, “recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person.” Friends and colleagues had said they were bewildered by the involvement of Vicky White, who had worked for the sheriff’s office for 16 years, with the inmate who was already serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other crimes. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Lawyers reveal potential defense in Alabama jailer escape
The prisoner who walked out of an Alabama jail in handcuffs with a corrections official, prompting a manhunt that came to a bloody end in Indiana, was in the woman’s “care and custody” the entire time, his attorneys said in revealing their potential legal defense to an escape charge. Lawyers for Casey White made the claim about his high-profile departure from the Lauderdale County jail in a flurry of motions filed Friday in a capital murder case in which White faces a potential death sentence if convicted. It was the defense’s first public explanation of what happened. An attorney for White, Mark McDaniel, declined comment Monday. But the defense’s suggestion that jailer Vicky White, 56, was in control of Casey White, 38, as they departed the jail in Florence, Alabama, on April 29 meshes with a claim made previously by Casey White’s mother, Connie Moore. “I doubt he even knew he was leaving when she came in there to get him,” Moore told The Associated Press in an interview last month. Casey White, who is not related to Vicky White, was serving a 75-year prison sentence for attempted murder and other crimes and awaiting trial on a murder charge when he left the jail with Vicky White, the longtime assistant corrections director at the time. Video showed her escorting White to a patrol car and leaving for a supposed mental evaluation at a courthouse. Officials said no evaluation or hearing ever was scheduled, and the two disappeared. They were eventually located in Evansville, Indiana, where the man surrendered and was arrested after Vicky White shot herself to death in the car in which they were riding. Authorities in Alabama said it appeared the two had a “jailhouse romance.” Weeks before they fled, Vicky White sold her house for $95,000, sold her car, and filed for retirement, which took effect the day she took the man out of the jail. The defense portrayed Vicky White as being in control of events from the very start, noting she placed Casey White in the back of a sheriff’s department vehicle. “This prompted an 11-day manhunt for Vicky White and the Defendant who remained in her care and custody,” the defense said. The defense arguments came in a request to move Casey White’s upcoming capital murder trial out of Lauderdale County because of publicity caused by the escape and manhunt. While a court has not ruled on the request, a judge on Friday postponed White’s trial in the 2015 death of Connie Ridgeway. Authorities say he confessed to the slaying in 2020 while in state prison, but the defense asked a judge to throw out those statements. White won’t go on trial in the murder case any sooner than December, a judge ruled in granting an unopposed defense motion to postpone the case. A hearing on the escape case is scheduled for later this month. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Sheriff Mike Blakely convicted on theft, ethics charges
A longtime Alabama sheriff has been removed from office, the attorney general’s office said, after jurors on Monday found him guilty of charges of theft and using his office for personal gain. News outlets report that jurors convicted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakley of two counts but found him not guilty of eight others. After nearly 40 years in office, Blakely was escorted out of the courtroom by one of his own deputies and taken to the same jail that he oversaw as sheriff. He was not placed in handcuffs as he left the courtroom, news outlets reported. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clay Crenshaw said Blakely will be immediately removed from office on Monday because of the felony convictions. The two convictions relate to accusations that Blakely borrowed money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money and that he deposited $4,000 in campaign funds into his personal account. “The attorney general’s office is committed to ensuring the violators of the public trust be held accountable under the law,” Crenshaw said, reading a statement from the Alabama attorney general’s office. “Today Sheriff Blakely has been held to account for felony violations of the Alabama ethics law as well as a theft charge.” An attorney on Blakely’s defense team told reporters that they will “keep fighting.” “We will certainly appeal this decision today and look forward to having another day in court on this matter,” Mark McDaniel, an attorney on Blakey’s defense team, after hearing the verdict. Blakely, 70, took the stand during the trial to deny any wrongdoing. Initially elected in 1982, Blakely told jurors he sometimes put campaign funds into his personal account because his campaign treasurer lived hours away and encouraged him to deposit the money as reimbursement for campaign expenses. While testimony showed Blakely sometimes left IOUs and took money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money, he said that wasn’t a crime. Blakely didn’t deny gambling at casinos during trips to the Gulf Coast and Nevada for law enforcement conferences, but he said the outings didn’t cost taxpayers extra and denied accusations that an employee sent him money because he was broke from losses. Blakely was indicted in 2019, but the case was delayed several times because of reasons including the pandemic. “Public officials must set the highest example of accountability, and no matter how long someone holds office they are not above the law,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. “Sheriff Blakely repeatedly swore an oath to enforce and obey the law during his 40 years in office, and he now knows the consequences of violating that oath.” Blakely faces a possible prison sentence of between two and 20 years for each count. Sentencing will occur at a later date. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Mo Brooks moves forward on challenging Electoral College votes
Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks is challenging the Presidential Election votes and is following through with the threat to ask certain electoral college votes to be thrown out. Brooks wants certain electoral votes thrown out based on President Donald Trump’s allegations of massive voter fraud, News 19 reported. So far every lawsuit that has been filed has been dismissed, including one in the U.S. Supreme Court. This time Brooks, along with 18 other leaders, are asking Mitch McConnell and others to “do their jobs and conduct voter fraud and election theft hearings and investigations so that Congressmen and Senators will be better informed when Congress faces questions about the legitimacy of various federal elections held on November 3, 2020.” Brooks posted on Facebook and Twitter, calling on Congress to reverse the presidential election results and give the win to Donald Trump. At the end of the letter, Brooks asks Congress to hold hearings to do three things: 1. Probe all allegations of illegal conduct concerning the November 3, 2020 elections. 2. Investigate systemic problems affecting our elections. 3. Hear from election experts to explore legislative solutions that lessen the impact of fraudulent and illegal votes and restores faith that America can hold a free and fair election. Political analyst and attorney Mark McDaniel told News19, “Not only does Congressman Brooks have a right to do it. He has a duty to do it if he feels there is a problem with the election, then he should raise objections to it. And I know there will be a number of other members of The House of Representatives that will probably go along with Congressman Brooks on this.” David Person, political analyst and radio host, has a different opinion on Brooks’ actions. Pearson stated, “This is what’s disturbing about these efforts, by Mo and others. They don’t seem to have the focus or the energy to try to address arguably the largest health crisis of the past 50, 60 years, but they have all of the energy and all of the focus in the world to focus on an election that was lost.” Other leaders who have signed the letter are Andy Biggs, Mike D. Rogers, Jim Banks, David Rouzer, Paul Gosar, Ted Budd, Brian Babin, Bob Gibbs, Ralph Norman, Greg Steube, Jody Hice, Mike Kelly, Jeff Duncan, Louie Gohmert, Randy Weber, Scott DesJarlais, and Mike Garcia. Brooks needs support from at least one Senator to trigger a debate before Congress. According to a Washington Examiner article, Brooks told Washington Secrets this week, “I’m cautiously optimistic that there will be one or more United States senators who will fight to reject voter fraud and election theft. Ultimately, whether a senator acts on behalf of our country will be determined by whether that senator’s employers, the American people, have made it known to the senators that this is a litmus test issue.” Brooks continued, “Either you fight for America, or voters never vote for them again and fight against them.”
Huntsville’s Mark McDaniel appointed to NASA Advisory Committee
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the appointment of Huntsville’s Mark McDaniel to the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council (“NAC”) — NASA’s highest civilian advisory board. Bridenstine tweeted the appointment on Wednesday while visiting the Rocket City. “I’m proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark McDaniel to the Human Exploration and Operations subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). His legal and space expertise will serve our agency well,” he wrote. I’m proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark McDaniel to the Human Exploration and Operations subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). His legal and space expertise will serve our agency well. pic.twitter.com/hxOxpal3Mg — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) August 15, 2018 Alabama 5th District U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks recommended McDaniel to Bridenstine, a personal friend and former House colleague of Brooks, to be a part of NAC. Brooks praised the appointment saying, “Mark McDaniel’s experience and qualifications make him an excellent choice to advise NASA on its future missions. I congratulate Mark on his appointment and have confidence he will be a productive and constructive member of the committee.” “I greatly appreciate my friend NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine for his thoughtful consideration in appointing Mark McDaniel. Jim’s leadership at NASA has been exemplary, and I am glad he took time out of his busy schedule to announce Mark McDaniel’s appointment in Huntsville,” Brooks continued. McDaniel said he is honored by Brooks’ recommendation. “It is a great honor for Congressman Brooks to have recommended me for the Human Exploration and Operations Committee of the NASA Advisory Council, and I look forward to serving NASA in this important position,” said McDaniel. “I have been friends with Mo for many years, and I have always admired him for his integrity and courage, and especially for what he does for NASA and national defense.” McDaniel, no stranger to NASA Previously, NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin appointed McDaniel to the NASA Advisory Council in October 2000 and NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe reappointed McDaniel to the Council in November 2002 and November 2004. During McDaniel’s tenure on the NAC, President George W. Bush announced the Moon, Mars, and Beyond Initiative which set the Nation on a more aggressive pace for Space Exploration. On January 26, 2007, McDaniel received the NASA Public Service Medal for his “Leadership and Council to America’s Space Agency, his advocacy of Human Space Flight and Exploration and dedication to the Aerospace Community at large.”
