Cindy White: What to know about the longest incarcerated inmate at the Indiana Women's Prison
Cindy White has been incarcerated for almost 48 years, serving most of her sentence at the Indiana Woman's Prison, for a crime she committed at just 18 years old.
Here's what you need to know about her:
More: Justice or vengeance: At 18, she killed 6 in fire. Will Cindy White, now 66, die in prison?
Who is Cindy White?
Sarah Isabel "Cindy" White is a 66-year-old Indiana woman who is in prison for starting a house fire in Greenwood in 1975 that killed Charles and Carole Roberson and their four young children.
She met the Roberson family a few years prior to the fire, when they were customers on her newspaper route. She befriended the family and their home became a safe haven for her.
White was a troubled teen who had alleged sexual abuse by her father and others. The trauma she endured as a child followed her into her teens and led to her admittance to a psychiatric hospital when she was 17. Both of White's parents had died by the time she was released.
She moved in with the Robersons after being released from the psychiatric hospital. White, then 18, helped the family as a live-in babysitter and paid $20 a month in rent.
What did Cindy White do?
On the night of Dec. 31, 1975, after the family had gone to bed, White crumpled up some newspaper, placed it next to the family’s Christmas tree and set it on fire. The blaze quickly engulfed the home. White was the only one to get out alive.
Police suspected foul play, and White became the prime suspect. She was found guilty by a jury in 1976, but she denied her role in the fire for more than 10 years.
In 1987, she admitted starting the fire, claiming she was abused by the Robersons. She also accused Charles Roberson of threatening her if she tried to leave. White said she didn’t intend for anyone to be hurt but thought the fire would help her escape the abusive situation.
Who were the victims of the fire started by Cindy White?
Charles and Carole Roberson, 45 and 41, respectively, moved from Evansville to Greenwood a few years before the fire. Also killed in the fire were the couple’s four children: 7-year-old Michael, 6-year-old Dale, 5-year-old Gary and the youngest, Rita or “Sissy,” who was 4.
The family is buried at a cemetery in Evansville, Indiana.
What was Cindy White's sentence when she was convicted?
A Johnson County judge imposed six life sentences — one for each of the victims. At that time, Indiana required life sentences in murder cases. Today, the maximum punishment for murder in Indiana is 65 years.
Read the full story: Justice or vengeance: At 18, she killed 6 in fire. Will Cindy White, now 66, die in prison?
Where is Cindy White now?
White has been held at the Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis for most of the past 48 years. She has been incarcerated there longer than any other woman currently at the prison.
Now 66, she uses a wheelchair after a series of strokes.
During her time in prison, White earned a GED and college degree. She has participated in counseling and several other programs.
What do those in support of Cindy White say?
White has been described as a model prisoner. Former staff, psychiatrists and counselors say she has grown significantly and would not pose a threat to society if released.
Indianapolis attorney Charlie Asher has been working to help free White since 1994.
Prosecutors portrayed White as a jilted lover who started the fire as revenge against Charles Roberson. But Asher argues there's far more to White's story than what jurors heard during her trial in 1976.
To him and White's other supporters, her case raises questions about the punitive value of life sentences, particularly for young first-time offenders, as well as the morality of permanently imprisoning a deeply damaged teenager whose mental and emotional growth was stunted by a long history of physical and sexual abuse ― a key part of White's story that jurors never heard.
What would it take to free Cindy White from prison?
White has exhausted all of her options for appealing the guilty verdicts. The six life sentences were intended to ensure she would never be released from prison.
The Indiana Parole Board, which makes recommendations to the governor, has also repeatedly denied her clemency petitions. Successful petitions, either by pardons or sentence commutations, are rare.
Since 2017, Gov. Eric Holcomb has commuted the sentences of only five people. One was convicted of a nonviolent drug crime, and the other four were either terminally ill or were physically incapacitated and required 24/7 care. Holcomb has pardoned seven people since he took office — almost all of whom were convicted of low-level felonies. One was Keith Cooper, who was found to be innocent.
You can find the full story about Cindy White here.
Contact IndyStar reporter Kristine Phillips at (317) 444-3026 or at kphillips@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Who is Cindy White? What to know about Indiana woman serving 6 life sentences
