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LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. — A man already serving a lengthy prison sentence has been charged with capital murder for the 2015 stabbing death of Connie Ridgeway in Rogersville.

Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly spoke about the years-long investigation during a news conference on Tuesday, with Ridgeway’s sons, Austin and Cameron Williams, in attendance.

Authorities received a letter in June of 2020 from the suspect, Casey Cole White, while he was an inmate in the Alabama Department of Corrections system.

In the letter, White asked to speak with a specific investigator, Lt Brad Potts with the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, who traveled to the prison where White was an inmate. Authorities said White confessed to killing Ridgeway and gave details in the case that were never released to the public.

Authorities said White also claimed he was paid to kill Ridgeway. Connolly said this claim remains under investigation.

Connie Ridgeway and her sons Austin and Cameron Williams

Ridgeway, 58, was found stabbed to death Oct. 23, 2015, in her Rogersville apartment. Her murder shocked the small town, where people said she was known for her friendliness and willingness to help others. The community holds a vigil every October in her memory.

Connie Ridgeway’s sons, Austin and Cameron Williams at a vigil in November of 2015

Connolly said on Monday, a Lauderdale County grand jury heard the evidence and issued two capital murder indictments for Casey Cole White.

Authorities arrested Casey White and charged him with two counts of capital murder. One of those counts is for murder during a first-degree burglary and one count of murder for pecuniary gain.

White is currently in the Lauderdale County Jail with no bond set.

White was arrested in December of 2015, for a crime spree that covered two counties, one in Alabama, one in Tennessee. It started with an armed home invasion. Two vehicles were hijacked at gunpoint. One victim was shot in the arm. That was followed by a chase, where speeds reached more than 100 miles per hour. It ended with a stolen car stuck in a field south of Huntsville.

Gov. Kay Ivey offered a $5,000 reward for information in the case in 2018.

The case was investigated jointly by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.