Shadowing Practice: Guard Helps A Killer Inmate Escape Prison - Learn English Speaking with Video
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It's the 29th of April, 2022.
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CCTV records prison supervisor Vicki enter through a back door.
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Half a minute later, she comes back out with a prisoner.
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Casey White, a 6'9 giant of a criminal serving 75 years for attempted murder.
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They quickly leave in the car as police scramble to make sense of the situation.
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Vicki, a prison supervisor with a two-decade long career and perfect record, just disappeared with a dangerous criminal.
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Police assumed that she was forced or manipulated into helping him escape,
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but that's when new evidence came to light showing that she might have planned the entire thing.
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As a nationwide manhunt began, police would realize the rabbit hole went deeper than anyone expected.
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them down a dark path, ending with Vicki found dead with a bullet in her head.
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It's April 29th, 2022, and prison officer Vicki has just told her work colleagues
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that she's taking a prisoner to a psychological evaluation at a local courthouse.
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But something isn't right, as she's transporting the prisoner alone, despite rules mandating prisoners must be escorted by two officers at a time.
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But because of her senior position as a supervisor, nobody stops her.
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And it would be six hours before police realize that Vicki and the prisoner are never coming back.
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Desperate for clues, police start looking into the man that Vicki escaped with.
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It was Casey White, a man serving 75 years in prison for domestic violence, home invasion, murder, and brutally attacking a man with an axe.
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But there was one crime that stood out to police even more.
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Seven years prior to this, Casey had abused and manipulated his then-girlfriend to a point where she tried to escape from Casey's vicious hands.
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After they successfully made it to her friend's house, Casey would break into the house with two guns and full intent to murder them both.
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Luckily, they both escaped and survived his vicious attack.
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But that's when Casey fled the scene
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and began a series of carjackings across several states until finally getting into a tense standoff with multiple police officers.
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Put the sun down!
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Just relax a little bit.
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Cope is that a poor food, tell her to walk in here.
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Hey, Casey!
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Casey!
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I will get you a sun drive if you'll be still.
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Get me calm.
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You don't get no more drugs on you dude.
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No, you ain't got- he's got this bug in there.
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It's unusual, but the cops rolled a drink and a pack of cigarettes towards Casey, hoping this would calm him down and avoid a shootout.
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Miraculously, this actually worked and the cops were able to move in and make an arrest.
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His interrogation gave cops an even clearer view into just how insane this man was.
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Police now had a clear picture of who Vicky just helped escape prison.
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But how does Vicky fit into all of this?
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She works at a completely different prison and there's no plans for Casey to ever see outside these walls again.
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Well, one year later, Casey confessed to a murder, resulting in him being moved to a different prison.
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This kicked off a series of events that would eventually result in Vicki's death.
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The murder that Casey confessed to was a four-year-old cold case.
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It's unclear why Casey owned up to it now, but he was able to give specific details that nobody but the killer could have known and after a short trial,
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he was quickly transported to a new prison, the same one where Vicky worked.
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Vicky is 56 and has been divorced for several years and put her heart and soul into her job.
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She was a model employee and popular among her colleagues, but her life had become boring and lonely.
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She wanted a change, and when Casey showed up, that's exactly what she got.
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They slowly began to talk more and developed a connection.
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They bonded over their shared last name and began to think that they were destined to be together.
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She started coming in on her days off and was noticeably happier.
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Despite having a great life on paper, Vicki had become enchanted by her feelings for Casey
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and was ready to throw it all away to be with a dangerous criminal.
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But how can this happen?
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Well, it turns out, it's not as rare as you might think.
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Some people are attracted to dangerous people.
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They know they could kill them at any moment, but feel special knowing that they choose not to.
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On top of that, Vicki had started to feel trapped in her day-to-day life
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and as though she had nothing to live for.
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If she could make a break with Casey, it'd at least be exciting, even if it did mean throwing everything away.
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While Casey was serving at Lauderdale, Vicki allowed him unrestricted access to parts of jail that prisoners aren't normally allowed to see,
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including areas that aren't covered by security cameras.
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Many speculate this is where the pair were intimate with each other and formed their plan to escape.
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Even at this point, Vicki still had no idea
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that this would turn out to be the worst mistake of her entire life.
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Three days before their escape, they decided to do a test run, after Vicki told her colleagues that Casey had an appointment with a judge at the courthouse.
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Of course, there was no appointment, and they just sat in her patrol car for nine minutes before returning.
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But now they know this works, and they're ready to make preparations for the real thing.
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Two days before their escape, they're spotted on camera passing notes.
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It's thought that this was them discussing the final part of their escape plan, but by the time this footage was discovered, it was already too late.
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By April 29th, 2022, everything was in place, and they're ready to make their escape.
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As Vicki holds a senior post at the prison, she has certain powers that she's about to take advantage of.
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She arranges to send 12 inmates and 5 deputies to court on the day of the escape,
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leaving her, as the last remaining officer in the prison, with transport privileges.
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She then tells her bosses that Casey has to be taken for a mental health evaluation.
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Looking at the surveillance footage, it's clear something was up.
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Vicki has her firearm with her, something that is strictly forbidden inside the prison walls.
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She's also walking in front of Casey instead of behind him, showing she trusts him not to harm her.
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By helping Casey to escape,
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esteemed prison officer Vicki has thrown everything she had away and in one pivotal moment has become a criminal.
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Vicki and Casey casually walk out of the prison into a patrol car and drive away to freedom.
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It took six hours before anyone noticed they're missing.
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When the prison calls the courthouse to see what's taking so long, they're told that there is no appointment,
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and they come to the horrible realization that Casey has made a break for freedom.
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To evade the authorities, they quickly ditch the patrol car and flee the state, and the cops now have no clue where they are, where they're going, or how to find them,
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marking the start of an 11-day manhunt that will span the nation.
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On day one of Vicky and Casey's escape, the cops try to find clues at Vicky's home, but she's nowhere to be seen.
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In fact, she doesn't even own the house anymore.
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As part of her plan, she sold her house for extremely cheap.
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With the money, she bought vehicles, guns, and most suspiciously, men's clothing.
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This is the first indication the cops have
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that Vicky doesn't intend on coming back and is ready to start a new life with Casey.
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Things don't get any better for detectives
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when the patrol vehicle they used to escape is found abandoned at a local shopping mall.
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And even worse, there's no surveillance footage covering that area of the parking lot, so they don't even know which direction they went.
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But on day two of the manhunt, a tip-off from her family blows this case wide open, as it's revealed Vicki has been renting a storage unit.
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Police are able to locate the storage unit and discover that she was renting it with a burner phone.
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But despite their best effort to track this new number, the cops came up with nothing.
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But the existence of this new phone is the first solid evidence
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that cops have showing Vicki planned this all along and was actually a willing participant instead of a hostage.
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You'd think that this would help the investigation, but things only get more insane and confusing from here on out.
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After realizing that they're essentially back to square one, the cops return to the shopping mall where they found the abandoned patrol car
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and decide to comb through all the surveillance footage from the days leading up to the event.
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That's when they spot Vicki a few days before the escape, parking a car in a nearby parking lot.
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And this isn't her usual car either.
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It's one she bought only a couple days earlier, a 2007 Ford Edge that the cops quickly realized had to be their getaway vehicle.
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But when police went back to the parking lot and the supposed getaway vehicle was still there, they realized that Vicki had left a decoy.
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Police had just lost their only clue, while giving Vicki and Casey a five-day head start.
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But since they abandoned the Ford, the cops assumed that they have to have found another vehicle in the area and, Lo and behold, they quickly picked up another lead.
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A homeowner nearby told them he sold his Ford F-150 pickup
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truck to a man who approached his house on the day Vicki and Casey went missing.
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That man is described as being around 6 feet 9 inches tall and looked exactly like the picture he was shown.
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Now all they have to do is find that Ford F-150 and bring this manhunt to an end.
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And thanks to another lead, they're closing in.
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On day 6, the owner of a car wash in Indiana noticed something strange.
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A Ford F-150 had been parked in one of the cleaning bays for an unusual amount of time, and he suspects this vehicle has been abandoned.
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Unfortunately, this is before a search was initiated for the truck, but something's still not right.
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This pickup truck is far too nice to have been dumped by anyone sane, and the owner quickly grew suspicious.
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In order to find out, he checks out the car wash surveillance footage, and what he finds will help the cops finally capture their two fugitives.
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That's Casey getting out of the pickup, and he's acting very strangely.
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He's waiting for Vicki, and she's in that car driving just out of shot.
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When Casey gets in the new vehicle, leaving their pickup and driving off, the owner knows they're up to no good and calls 911.
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There's a truck been sitting in my bay since yesterday at 3 o'clock.
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I looked at the cameras and the guy was kind of suspicious.
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It's a Ford F-150 four-door truck.
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It's blue in color, it's got Tennessee license plates on it.
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And I've got him on camera.
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The next day, cops arrive at the car wash and initiate a search of the truck.
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Does it return to a Dodge?
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Yep.
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With nothing to go off of, the cops quickly leave the scene and the pickup is towed away.
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It takes four days for this vital lead to get back to detectives, but when it does, they drop everything and head straight to Evansville on day 10 of the hunt.
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They're due to arrive at the car wash at 9 a.m., but fail to show up on time,
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frustrating the car wash owner so much that he takes matters into his own hands and calls the local press.
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So then, 9.30 they're not here.
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So I get on the phone to Fox News, I said, y'all want a story?
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Yeah, we like a story.
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I said, I got one.
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I got a convict over here at my car wash.
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I got him on camera.
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He said, you talking about the one in Kentucky?
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I said, no, I'm talking about the one in Alabama with the girl.
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He said, okay, we'll be right there.
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They showed up.
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They got there 10 minutes before the marshals.
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US Marshals arrive during the media frenzy, and when they take a look at the surveillance footage, they realize they've found the car Vicki and Casey could still be driving.
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A Cadillac.
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And one that Vicki and Casey think is completely unknown to the cops.
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It seems like their days on the run are numbered.
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But even with the leads they have, they come up with nothing.
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And the cops are starting to realize their fugitives could be anywhere in the country.
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But as it turns out, they're closer to home than anyone thinks.
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Back in Evansville on day 11, a cop is on his way home from a long shift
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when he sees a familiar looking vehicle parked outside of Motel 41.
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It looks like the same Cadillac from the car wash, and he hastily takes down the license plate.
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The problem is, the license plate of the Cadillac seen at the car wash was never seen, so they have no way of knowing if it's the same vehicle.
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But they do have the license plate of the recovered F-150, So, grasping at straws, they decide to run that through their license plate reader, and when they do, they strike gold.
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Several traffic cameras have picked up the F-150, and following it in nearly every shot is a Cadillac.
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A Cadillac whose license plate perfectly matched the one at Motel 41 right in front of them.
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Finally, by sheer luck, the cops have found their fugitives.
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All they have to do now is bring them in.
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First, deputy marshals find strategic positions around the motel.
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They're all in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles, hoping to be as covert as possible.
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But while the cops surround them, Vicki
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and Casey are in room 150 watching the TV in horror right as the discovery of the Ford F-150 hits the news.
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The plan was to bring Vicki and Casey in quietly, but before they get a chance to put their plan into action, Vicki walks out of the hotel room and throws a bag into the Cadillac.
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She's followed by Casey, and even though they're in disguise, there's no mistaking Casey White's massive frame.
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Casey gets behind the wheel, and the Cadillac takes off.
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The cops' plan has been completely foiled once again, but they've got a backup.
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They're going to follow them and try to box them in to avoid a confrontation, but before they get a chance, they realize they've been spotted.
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Casey turns onto US Highway 41 and hits the accelerator, taking the cops on a chase across traffic and through parking lots,
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until he manages to make a break for freedom by driving straight through an open field.
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At around the same time, police dispatch receives a call from none other than Vicky herself, and it gives you an idea of how terrifying this chase really is.
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A police vehicle forces Casey to drive straight into a ditch, and this pursuit is brought to a sudden halt.
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But it's far from over, as cops know the pair are armed
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and could open fire at any point in some kind of Bonnie and Clyde inspired shootout.
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Oh, God.
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Please, check them out.
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This is not an application.
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She's not a wife.
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That's the best woman in the world right there.
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Please, that's the best woman in the world.
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Vicki, I'm so sorry, baby.
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I'm so sorry, baby.
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Anybody in this world don't deserve it.
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She don't.
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When she's herself, it hit me.
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But y'all ain't gonna believe me, I'm gonna say I killed her.
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Just like y'all's actually killed everybody else.
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Finally, after 11 days, the manhunt has come to an end an end, and they've got Casey unharmed in handcuffs.
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But Vicki met a much more devastating end.
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Just two weeks ago, she was an upstanding member of society, an esteemed prison officer respected by those around her.
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Now, she's a fugitive, laying in a criminal's stolen car, conscious, but with devastating injuries.
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You got him?
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Yes, he's got him.
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All right, what?
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Medic right here, medic.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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Get back.
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I got to break this sucker up here. Can you go in?
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Well, I think we can reach in and get the gun.
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It's probably easier to win shield.
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Help.
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See if it'll open?
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Good idea.
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You got cover?
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Yeah.
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It's opening.
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It's opening.
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You got me?
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You got me?
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I'm gonna go for the gun first.
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Alright, pull me out.
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Alright, I got it, I got it.
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She's been shot in the head, and Casey claims she took her own knife.
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When cops get a better look, they find her finger is still on the trigger of the gun.
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Later that day, Vicki was pronounced dead in a nearby hospital.
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We'll never really know what the two had planned for their life together after their escape.
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Whether they wanted to go off the grid and settle down, or live the rest of their lives on the run.
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Well, it turns out, Casey never planned to keep Vicki around at all.
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He described her as a liability, and someone that didn't have the mind for this sort of thing.
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It's likely that she would have been ditched shortly after this point, or killed by Casey anyway.
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As he was found guilty of first-degree prison escape, and sentenced to life behind bars.
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He'll be 98 years old before he gets a chance at parole.
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So this terror of a man will likely be off the streets until the day he dies.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by analyzing a gripping real-life story about a prison escape. Through this narrative, you will enhance your vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. The dynamic events guide you to engage with various emotions and scenarios, allowing for an immersive approach to language learning. By shadowing the speaker, you can develop pronunciation and intonation skills within context, simulating authentic English-speaking situations. This lesson is perfect for learners looking to improve their speech through shadowspeak techniques.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- CCTV: Closed-circuit television, used for surveillance.
- Prison supervisor: An officer in charge of managing inmates.
- Escape: To break free from confinement or control.
- Manipulated: To control or influence someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.
- Manhunt: An organized search for a person, typically a criminal.
- Standoff: A situation in which no progress can be made; often involves confrontation.
- Confess: To admit or acknowledge a crime or wrongdoing.
- Bond: To develop a close emotional relationship with someone.
Practice Tips
To maximize your english speaking practice using this video, try shadowing the speaker line by line. The tone and pacing of the narrative are critical; take note of how the speaker emphasizes key moments. Start by playing a short segment and pausing after each line to repeat what you hear, mimicking the speaker's intonation and emotion.
Since the video’s pace may vary, gradually increase the length of segments as you gain confidence. Use a shadowing site if available, as these platforms often provide useful features for language learners. Focus on phrases that stand out, such as "desperate for clues" and "chilling confession," to get accustomed to different expressions and contexts. This method, known as shadow speech, allows you to internalize the rhythm and flow of natural conversation.
Finally, consider recording yourself as you practice. Listening to your speech can give you invaluable feedback on your pronunciation and help you fine-tune your skills. Engage deeply with the material, and enjoy the process of learning through storytelling and real-life scenarios. With dedication and practice, you'll find improvement in your shadowspeak abilities!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.