Social Question

jca2's avatar

Is it pure folly for two middle aged people to think they could live the rest of their lives hidden from the law and from getting caught?

Asked by jca2 (16267points) May 5th, 2022
52 responses
“Great Question” (5points)

By now, you must have heard about the female Alabama Corrections Officer who was in her mid 50’s, who apparently assisted a prisoner in his escape, and now they are both on the run. She said she was taking him to an appointment outside the prison, by herself which is against protocol. After they both disappeared, it was discovered that there was no appointment. They ditched the government car in a parking lot and have escaped with another vehicle. It was also discovered that the corrections officer put in for retirement and that was her last day at work, and she recently sold her house for below-market value. She was visiting the prisoner for at least two years when he was incarcerated at another facility. Prior to this, she was an exemplary employee for 17 years, unblemished record.

The prisoner is 38 years old and the guard has guns, so the couple is considered armed and dangerous.

I would think they are under a lot of stress right now, living off the grid, maybe having to have someone else get their food. They can’t apply for any financial assistance, they can’t have any bills in their names, they can’t go to the hospital or doctor if they need medical care. I think it would not be do-able to live the rest of their lives this way but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they think they can escape to another country, but you need ID to do that, too.

He needs her so he’s not likely to kill her, but either one of them could decide this is too much for them at any time and turn themselves in, and then they’re both going to jail for a long time.

What do you think? Is this secret life do-able for the long term?

Observing members: 0
Composing members: 0

Answers

smudges's avatar

I suspect that before they actually ran off, they invested in new IDs and had plans laid out. If they have a brain between them, that is.

Call_Me_Jay's avatar

The guy was already serving a 75-year sentence and was awaiting trial for murdering a 50-something woman.

The corrections officer sold her house recently, so may have cash handy. It only ends well for her if they got out of the country to a place without a U.S. extradition treaty.

She provided egress from the prison, guns and money. She served her purpose. She’s probably dead already.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Where are they going to send her pension?

Call_Me_Jay's avatar

My first thought was, “what pension”. But if corrections unions operate like police unions, they will fight tooth and nail to protect hers.

ragingloli's avatar

Well, D.B. Cooper has not been caught yet, has he?

jca2's avatar

@Call_Me_Jay He could be using her, like to get food and stuff. He’s so tall, he would stand out but she seems to be average height, can dye her hair, cut her hair, maybe blend in if she needs to get to a store or something, so she could be helpful to him in that way.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Call_Me_Jay Exactly what I see.. He has a much better chance alone, and nothing to lose.

janbb's avatar

This was a big story down South where I just was. Apparently the guy is 6 foot 9 so I don’t think he can hide for long.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

@all It looks like he substituted one type of prison for another. His life might be better in jail. He can hide his height in a wheelchair.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@Call_Me_Jay… KPERS. Prisons are government run organizations. Retired government employees get KPERS.

jca2's avatar

@Dutchess_III: KPERS is for Kansas employees.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Well, OK. What’s it called in NY?

jca2's avatar

https://www.osc.state.ny.us/retirement/about-nyslrs

NY State and Local Retirement System.

elbanditoroso's avatar

All in the planning.

If they spent time and effort setting up identities and escape routes, and good legends, then YES they could live happily ever after and not be foiund.

But that’s a hell of lot of effort and neither of them seem to be sharp knives.

Dutchess_III's avatar

But it’s the same thing @jca2. They’d have have a bank to deposit it to, or an address to send it to.

jca2's avatar

@Dutchess_III Yes. That’s one reason I don’t see how their plan would work. Even if she has 95k from the sale of her house, that money will run out eventually.

Jeruba's avatar

Yes.

I don’t imagine he’s going to keep her. She was foolish enough to think this one is different, this one is special. She was his ticket out. He doesn’t need her now.

Patty_Melt's avatar

It is possible she purchased a rural property under an assumed name where they would rarely be seen. It could even be possible locals would see only her, and believe she lives alone.
Between gardening, and keeping half a dozen chickens, they wouldn’t need to shop much.
If he cares about her, it could be done.

HP's avatar

What I did for love. This is better than any of that Disney foolishness. If they manage to hold out for any credible amount of time their story and the movie rights will be worth a fortune. Of course, Alabama will attempt to confiscate anything they are paid. But it’s fun to think of them loose in some peaceful country that lacks an exradition treaty with the United States. I await their go fund me campaign. They should surely clean up.

LadyMarissa's avatar

It wouldn’t be a life that I would want to live, but it can be done. They go into a minimalist lifestyle & live very modestly. They could easily live “off the grid” & nobody would pay any attention to them as long as they do indeed “lay low”. There are Vietnam vets who have been living in the woods all over the US for over 45 years because they couldn’t live in society. With the proceeds from the sale of her house, they could buy a modest cabin deep in the woods, a few chickens, goats, cows, or whatever to survive well. Homesteading is a big thing right now so they will have plenty of time to grow a garden to go with the meat that they’ll be raising. She will be making their clothes. They won’t be socializing often enough to need anything fancy. It is totally possible that they may end up living better than we are!!!

NONE of that is anything that I’d want to do, but she doesn’t seem to be thinking logically at this point!!!

chyna's avatar

He has nothing to lose.
But she just threw her life away. Either in jail or dead. I almost feel sorry for her. Almost.
I suppose they could be in another country as they had a 6 hour head start, but they will always be looking over their shoulders, living in fear. I think once the exhilaration of getting away wears off for her and reality sets in, she may give herself up.

jca2's avatar

@chyna: It’s amazing how she went from being a respected employee and member of the community to “warning: armed and dangerous.” Talk about a 180 change.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@chyna And he already killed one older lady, but some women think they are the ‘one’ hat can fix them. Very interested to see how this turns out.

chyna's avatar

^Or, “but he really loves me!”

HP's avatar

Mistaken or not, you must credit her monumental commitment as well as her audacity in pulling it off. She chucked it all with the certainty of return to the wrong side of those bars in an Alabama prison—-a fate worse than death if either of them slip. I’m hoping they keep a journal.

jca2's avatar

I used to work with a woman who was married to a prisoner. The husband was in prison for murder. She has since passed away and he is now out of prison, after over 25 years. Anyway, a friend who knew them both described it as that the wife was in love with an idea of what she thought the man was. It’s all talk and fantasy and knights in armor stuff. Nobody really knows what the prisoner is like, including himself, until he gets out. They have no idea what their relationship will be like until they’re both together on the outside, because it’s really all just a fantasy.

SnipSnip's avatar

If they have money it’s possible…...new identity and plastic surgery is the ticket.

HP's avatar

Possible salvation for him. Big roll of the dice for her. No bout adoubt it, she’s “all in”.

LadyMarissa's avatar

According to tonight’s news, they discovered that little Ford that they switched over to when they left the area. It had been abandoned & towed into storage in Tennessee. Now they’re trying to discover what they are currently driving!!!

Dutchess_III's avatar

It’s was there for a week before they found it…

Jeruba's avatar

I think the notion that they might have planned to live out quiet lives as a couple in some remote region is absurd. That’s not the kind of man he is. He doesn’t love her. He bought her with unctuous flattery, carefully calculated, and she fell for it hard, this 56-year-old woman who lived alone next door to her mother. She might have believed in an outcome like that, but I don’t.

He shaves his beard and gets a decent haircut, and he will be unrecognizable, especially sitting down. A height of 6’9” can be pretty conspicuous.

He might simply abandon her, but that seems unlikely to me. He’s free now. He wants a car, some cash, and a glamorous woman. This one chance is all he gets. Vicky is not going to be an asset. He’s already got all he can from her. He’s probably already smacked her around, too, and she sees the picture now. It’s really sad.

chyna's avatar

Unfortunately, I think @Jeruba has painted a pretty realistic and believable picture. I see no good coming of this for Vicky.

Jeruba's avatar

@Patty_Melt, that story does have a bittersweet ending, though. This guy Casey White sounds more likely to meet his end by a bullet from one side of the law or the other.

As far as the car is concerned, either the police are simpletons or they are also considering other possibilities; for instance, that the pair paid someone to drive that car to Tennessee while they took another vehicle and went west.

chyna's avatar

So they were found in Indiana.
I’m not a criminal, but I would have left the country and not got caught so close to home.
At least they are both alive.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Indiana wants me….

chyna's avatar

Lord I can’t go back there…

jca2's avatar

It’s so new that the first time I heard of it was when @chyna wrote it here. It’s so new that it’s not even mentioned on the TV news yet. I googled it after reading what @chyna wrote and I see they were in a car crash, the man surrendered and the woman shot herself and she’s transported to the hospital in critical condition. It’s not yet clear why she shot herself. I am wondering if she tried to commit suicide. I guess the story will unfold in the next few days.

chyna's avatar

I didn’t know she was shot. How awful.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@jca2 Probably trying to commit suicide to avoid prison.

janbb's avatar

@LadyMarissa Wow. What a sad story it is.

jca2's avatar

Worked for a pension, gave it all up and lost her life for some ridiculousness.

LadyMarissa's avatar

After the autopsy, I bet they discover that she didn’t commit suicide but was murdered!!!

jca2's avatar

On the news, they said she was heard saying she had her finger on the trigger.

Tragic ending. Not a surprising ending, but sad, still.

LadyMarissa's avatar

VERY SAD!!! She seemed to have a good life & chose to blow it all for a man who didn’t deserve her!!!

jca2's avatar

What’s amazing is that she worked in the field where she knows that prisoners are manipulative liars.

Call_Me_Jay's avatar

Also amazing she was weeks (I think) from retiring. She could comfortable in her home today, corresponding with her jailhouse boyfriend, with few cares in the world.

chyna's avatar

I feel so bad for her mother.

elbanditoroso's avatar

No sympathy for her from me, @chyna – you can be sure that the guard’s mother knew what was going on, and either didn’t or couldn’t stop it,

The female guard was 55 years old. She was a grown woman. Not a teenager.

side note: in Alabama she can choose to kill herself, but she can’t choose to have an abortion. How fucked up is that?

Patty_Melt's avatar

How so? Suicide is literal my body my choice. Abortion is causing the death of a minor.
It seems quite in order to me, to limit the choice of death to one’s self, and protect the life of a child.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.

Mobile | Desktop


Send Feedback   

`