FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) – A Lauderdale County judge has allowed the prosecution to drop the escape charge against former escaped inmate and accused killer Casey White.
The Lauderdale County District Attorney’s Office has filed a motion to dismiss the first-degree escape charge against Casey White with the option to reinstate the case at a later time.
The court documents filed around 8:30 a.m. Thursday stated there is overwhelming evidence to support the escape charge and a preliminary hearing is not necessary because of that.
The motion was granted by a judge Thursday morning around 9 a.m.
The defense has filed an objection to the State’s dismissal, according to court records. Documents filed by White’s lawyers say, “The State seeks to dismiss the case brought against Mr. White in an effort to avoid and preclude a hearing on this matter…. and further preclude Mr. White from effectively building his defense in this matter.”
The defense’s motion also says that evidence that would be presented during a preliminary hearing would help White in his upcoming capital murder trial as well as with the escape charge.
White is accused of escaping from the Lauderdale County Jail on April 29 with the help of former corrections employee Vicky White (no relation) and leading authorities on an 11-day nationwide manhunt. The search for the two ended in Evansville, Indiana in a police chase.
Vicky White was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head while Casey White was taken into custody and brought back to Alabama.
White is also accused of the 2015 stabbing death of Connie Ridgeway during a home invasion at Ridgeway’s apartment in Rogersville. That trial is set to start later this year in December.
The state says they plan to present the escape case to a Lauderdale County Grand Jury the week of June 27. While the defense wants to have the preliminary hearing as previously scheduled.