Casey White’s lawyers claim he was in the ‘care and custody’ of his prison guard lover Vicky when she snatched him from jail in April, which could be a hint as to how he expects to defend himself now.
On April 29, Casey and Vicky escaped from the Lauderdale County Jail in Alabama in a patrol car. They then switched automobiles and went on the run for weeks before being apprehended by authorities.
Vicky, who had never been in trouble with the police and was well-liked by her coworkers, shot herself in the head as cops closed in on the couple in the last seconds of their Bonnie-and-Clyde-style rampage.
Now, Casey is back in custody and facing additional charges to the murder he was already accused of when he and Vicky escaped.
His lawyers hinted at how they would defend him in a series of defense motions filed in court last week.
They claimed that he was in Vicky’s ‘care and custody’ when he escaped, implying that he plans to blame his dead sweetheart for the entire criminal spree.
Casey has little chance of a fair trial, according to the lawyers, because of the considerable public interest around the case.
‘Some of the world’s top news networks covered the story on Vicky White’s whereabouts and the Defendant’s detention in the Lauderdale County Detention Center, as well as ‘facts’ this Honorable Court or any juror has yet to hear regarding the Defendant’s capital punishment.
‘CNN, Fox News, NBC News, CBS News, ABC News and others focused reports on Florence, Alabama and the surrounding area
‘It was one of the most viewed stories in the country, trailing only the war in Ukraine for several days.
Casey White remains in custody. His attorneys say he can’t get a fair trial
‘This information has severely prejudiced the Defendant.
‘Nearly all of [the potential jury pool] own a television, phone, computer, tablet or combination of the four.
‘It would take a resident living in a dwelling without access to electricity or communication from the outside world for the last month not to know a significant amount of information about the Defendant, his capital murder case and his other legal matters,’ attorney Mark McDaniel wrote in the filing.
White was due in court on June 13 but his trial date has been pushed back thanks to his new legal team.
They say they intend to rebuild his case from the ground up.