The arraignment of a man accused of the March 2022 murder of a Colorado Territorial Correctional Facility inmate, along with more recent felonies, was continued Monday pending a second sanity evaluation.
Anthony White, 39, previously underwent a sanity evaluation in 2024, but District Court Judge Kaitlin Turner found good cause for another evaluation because of the discontinuation of his psychiatric medication when transferring jails, as well as new information regarding his state of mind at the time of the suspected murder of 41-year-old inmate Cruz Carbajal, whose death was ruled by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office as resulting from strangulation and blunt force trauma.
Turner asked White’s public defender, Adam Tunink, to encourage the forensic psychologist to complete the evaluation as soon as she can, but not to rush the process.
“This case has been lingering for some time,” Turner said. “I would like to keep this case moving forward… This case has been pending for almost three years now.”
In November, Magistrate Claire Lebeau found sufficient evidence was presented to bind over three of White’s 2024 cases for trial, including escape and conspiracy to commit escape; assault on an officer after he allegedly threw a cup of urine at her; and damage to a fingerprint machine after he allegedly threw it on the ground.
In June 2022, after he was transferred to Sterling Correctional Facility in Logan County, White was charged with six felonies while in custody, including kidnapping and assaulting a corrections officer and taking her duty belt, pepper spray, radio and handcuffs.
While being held at the Fremont County Detention Center in June, White was suspected of trying to escape the jail after a large hole was discovered through three layers of glass in the cell window where he was housed, an affidavit states.
On Sept. 26, White successfully escaped the jail.
According to an affidavit, at about 12:04 a.m., White was on the booking floor and had asked to use the restroom. Once in the restroom, he removed an access panel, crawled up into the ceiling, and dropped down into the lobby. Once in the lobby area, he ran to the front doors, exited the building and got into a car driven by Megan Skinner, 26, at I-Hop. Just after 1 a.m., White and Skinner were located and apprehended by law enforcement in Pueblo West.
Since the escape, White also has been charged with assault on an officer after he allegedly spit on her face.
White’s next court appearance is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. April 21 to review the progress of his sanity evaluation.
Daily Record reporter Carie Canterbury contributed to this report.
