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Hunt continues for 5 escaped New Orleans inmates still on the loose

Hunt continues for 5 escaped New Orleans inmates still on the loose

USA, Featured12 hours ago2 Views

Five of the 10 inmates who fled the Orleans Justice Center on May 16 have been recaptured.
The five who remain at large “are considered to be armed and dangerous.”

The massive manhunt for five of the 10 inmates who escaped a New Orleans jail stretched into a sixth day on May 21, a day after the fifth inmate was recaptured and a maintenance worker was arrested in connection with the case.

Corey Boyd, 19, was taken into custody in New Orleans on May 20, according to Louisiana State Police. He fled the Orleans Justice Center while being held on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, aggravated battery, and threatening a public official. Boyd now faces an additional charge of simple escape.Four other escapees have also been captured within New Orleans city limits and are now being held at the maximum security Louisiana State Penitentiary, according to the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

The five who remain at large “are considered to be armed and dangerous,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said, who lauded efforts to recapture the escapees.

“Great work by @LAStatePolice and all our law enforcement partners on the ground,” she said in a social media post after Boyd was in custody. “5 more to go.”

The hunt continued for Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen and Antoine Massey. Vanburen, Donald and Groves all are charged with second-degree murder, officials said.

How did the inmates escape from the New Orleans jail?

The sheriff’s office has said the inmates appeared to have used a tool to cut through steel bars behind the toilet and sink fixture. Multiple outlets have reported that they left behind a mocking message on the wall that read: “To Easy LoL.”

Jail employee Sterling Williams, 33, has been charged with multiple counts of being a principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office. Williams told investigators he complied with a demand from one of the inmates to shut off the water to a cell, allowing the escapees to rip out a toilet and sink unit and climb through the hole in the wall that was created, Murrill said in a statement.

In the arrest affidavit, Williams said one of the inmates threatened to stab him with a “shank” − a homemade knife − if he didn’t follow instructions.

Who are the New Orleans inmates still on the run?

Jermaine Donald, 42, was charged with second-degree murder, according to parish records. The governor’s office said he also faced charges of aggravated battery and possession of a firearm, according to the governor’s office. He pleaded not guilty in April 2024, the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com reported.
Derrick Groves, 27, was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018, according to a statement from the district attorney’s office. Groves has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October, according to a news release from the governor’s office. He also faces a charge of battery against a correctional facility employee, the Associated Press reported, citing court records.
Antoine T. Massey, 32, is charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Orleans Parish records. There also is a warrant for his arrest in St. Tammany Parish for second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, domestic abuse involving strangulation and violation of a protective order involving battery stemming from an incident in November, a spokesperson for the parish’s sheriff’s office told USA TODAY.
Leo Tate, 31, was charged with burglary and drug possession, parish records show. The governor’s office said Tate also was charged with theft of a motor vehicle and was sentenced in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm. NOLA.com reported Tate has also been sentenced to 10 years in prison for obstruction of justice, citing jail records.
Lenton Vanburen, 26, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery, New Orleans police said. Vanburen also faced charges of possession of suboxone, an opioid often used to treat addiction, and battery of a correctional officer, according to parish records.

‘Fear of retribution’ in New Orleans amid manhunt

The daring escape from a long-troubled facility has put some of those closest to the crimes of the fugitives on edge, while other New Orleans residents say they’ve been going about business as usual.

Tess Gonzales, manager of Daisy Mae’s Southern Fried Chicken & Breakfast, said there’s been some worry inside the bustling diner about the five escaped inmates still out in the streets, but there’s also relief now that five have been captured in five days.

“It’s both yes and no. There’s some concern for our safety because they are dangerous criminals,” Gonzales, 53, told USA TODAY. “But it’s not like we’re going to stop living our lives.”

Meanwhile, the prosecutors who put at least one of the inmates behind bars are worried. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told reporters two of the lawyers who tried the case against Groves with him have left town with their families “out of fear of retribution and retaliation.”

“I am personally afraid,” Williams admitted.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Michael Loria and Terry Collins

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