It’s been remarked many times before that truth can be stranger than fiction. This is certainly true when it comes to stories ripped from the headlines used to influence entertainment.Jailbreak: Love on the Run, currently streaming onNetflix, is just one of manytrue crimedocumentaries that illustrate that some of the most harrowing human dramas aren’t the products of a screenwriter or literary adaptation but the events that occur in the world that we live in.
The story of a corrections officer, Vicky White, falling in love with and subsequently aiding in the escape of convicted felon Casey Cole White raises just as many questions as it answers. How do two individuals, one tasked with maintaining order in a prison and the other someone who’s lived and thrived outside the system of law and order, become intertwined and embark on a daring escape, one that ends with a tragic outcome?
In a series of interviews with multiple individuals who knew both Vicky and Casey, the answer to this question and many more besides are addressed. The true story of Casey Cole and Vicky is fascinating and plays into the public’s fascination with lovers who defy the law.
An Escape, a Manhunt, and a Tragic Conclusion
The true story of the escape and subsequent manhunt is something that historians and true crime attorneys can easily ascertain. For those who worked at the Lauderdale County Jail, the morning of April 22nd, 2022, must have seemed like one of many. Staff showed up to work, and those in custody were in their cells; nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. That is, until 9:30 AM.Vicky White escorted Casey Cole White to a patrol car under the pretense of taking Caseyfor a psychological evaluation. At that moment, Vicky White cast all semblance of a normal life aside and embarked with Casey for a life on the run.
As the sordid affair between the two was uncovered, warrants were issued for both of them. A nationwide alert was sounded, and thanks to the speed and efficiency of news trailing quickly in our digital age,it wasn’t long before the couple were found in Indiana.If the scandalous affair and escape had been sensational and, at times, even unfathomable, then its inevitable conclusion would be as well. Following a brief chase,Vicky and Casey’s car was rammed off the road. Casey surrendered, but Vicky attempted suicideby way of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. While she was rushed to a hospital, the wound would end up being fatal.
Casey could have been charged with felony murder for Vicky’s death, but because of a plea agreement,Casey opted to plead guilty to first-degree escape.In the end, Vicky White became another statistic in the long-running tally of victims at the hands of Casey Cole White.
There’s no Romance in Manipulation
In the world of melodrama, there’s always been a whimsical way of storytelling, where two people from two opposing worlds become attracted to and subsequently intertwined with one another. In the case of Vicky and Casey Cole White (no biological relationship), there couldn’t have been two people more different regarding where they came from.Casey Cole White, a convicted armed robber serving a 75-year sentence, and Vicky White, a corrections officer completely dedicated to her career, were an unlikely pairing, to say the least.
It’s hard to fathom what would make someone who has 17 years invested in a career, a sprawling property, and, by all accounts, a tireless dedication to her duties sacrifice everything to assist in the escape of a convicted felon. The Netflix documentary, while certainly captivating in its presentation and an intriguing look into the complex nature of a relationship that developed in the unlikeliest of places, is symptomatic of a much larger matter that’s manifested within popular culture: the domestication of true crime. The modern true-crime documentary has mutated in the past several years into a mild form of softcore pornography. This is certainly apparent in the amount of emphasis the documentary places on the phone sex sessions between the two would-be lovers.
Beyond the fantasies of a brash and violent felon sweeping a corrections officer off her feet, there exists at the heart of the case of Vicky and Casey Cole an aspect that’s played out in multiple other cases that involve manipulation, grooming, and preying on the insecurities and wants of others.Casey Cole’s actions are akin to those ofCharles Manson or Charles Starkweather, manipulating those through the use of coercion and predatory nature.This is what lies at the heart of the case: the actions of a narcissist and nothing more. The escape from prison and the subsequent death of Vicky White all go down to no one winning or having the storybook ending that so many films attempt to give two lovers from different sides of the tracks.
Humanizing the Glamorous Stereotype of Fugitives in Love
Jailbreak: Love on the Runmakes for an interesting viewing in terms of a documentary and the facts surrounding the true case. Although some of its presentation is more focused on aspects that appeal to the average viewing audience’s need for entertainment and titillation, there’s an achievement of a different sort that should be praised, and that’s how it humanizes the stereotypical “fugitive couples” trope that’s dominated popular culture for several years.
From Bonnie and Clyde toNatural Born Killers, historical facts and the movies based on them have projected a romanticized view of the couple who are on the lam and thumbing their noses at various figures of authority. The former of these examples is far removed from our time period, and the latter is a highly stylized fictional narrative.
In many respects, the documentary humanizes this tale as old as time. While the audience is made aware of the torrid affair between guard and prisoner, various interviews highlight the reactions of those who knew everyone personally. The human experience is very much a non-linear one, but by placing a considerable amount of emphasis on the parties involved, it becomes that much more relatable to us as a whole.
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Where Are They Now, and Where Do We Go From Here?
Like so many other matters that pertain to factual events, the parties involved don’t have their story wrapped up in a nice package with a happy ending. Far from it. The 11 days in whichboth of them were freewere but a fleeting moment.Casey is back behind bars,a product of the institution that allowed him to prey on the weakness ofVicky, whose suicidespeaks to the desperationto escapefrom the mundane life that a prisoner in her care made promises of.
Where do we go from here? It’s a question that’s rather difficult to answer.Jailbreak: Life on the Run, while certainly suffering from the pitfalls of the gentrification that true crime has suffered, reminds us that the dichotomies of manipulation and victimization are very real aspects of the human experience.
