Additional Coverage:
New Orleans Jailbreak: Two Inmates Still at Large
Two inmates remain at large more than a week after a daring escape involving 10 prisoners at a New Orleans jail. The escape, which involved a compromised bathroom wall, has sparked an intensified search spanning multiple states.
Three escapees were apprehended on Monday: Lenton Vanburen Jr., Leo Tate, and Jermaine Donald. Tate and Donald, captured in Texas after a high-speed chase, were the first of the group to be found outside Louisiana. With eight now back in custody, the focus remains on locating Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves, both considered armed and dangerous.
Antoine Massey: A History of Escapes
Massey, 33, has a long history of escaping custody. His record dates back to 2007 when, at 15, he and five others broke out of a juvenile detention center after being arrested for armed robbery and aggravated assault.
He was apprehended after two weeks. Massey’s history also includes a 2009 attempted escape charge in Orleans Parish, a 2019 escape from a northern Louisiana detention center, and two instances of removing electronic ankle monitors.
Officials familiar with Massey’s record expressed concern over his housing on the first floor of the New Orleans jail, given his history.
Derrick Groves: Convicted Murderer
The second escapee still at large is Derrick Groves, 27. Groves was convicted last year for a double homicide committed on Mardi Gras in 2018.
He was found guilty on two counts each of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, charges carrying a life sentence. Groves’ family has pleaded for him to surrender peacefully.
The New Orleans Jailbreak: A Coordinated Effort
The 10 inmates escaped through a hole behind a toilet in a handicapped cell, leaving the message “To Easy LoL” scrawled on the wall. The escape is attributed to faulty locks, stolen blankets, and possible inside assistance.
At least 13 individuals have been arrested for aiding the escapees, either before or after the jailbreak on May 16. Among them is a maintenance worker accused of turning off the water to the toilet, allegedly under duress from Massey.
However, the worker’s attorney claims he was simply following a deputy’s instructions to fix an overflowing toilet.
Other Notable Escapes
The New Orleans jailbreak brings to mind other high-profile escapes: the infamous Alcatraz escape of 1962, the multiple escapes of drug lord “El Chapo,” the 2022 escape of Casey White aided by corrections officer Vicky White, the record-breaking 46 years of freedom enjoyed by Leonard Fristoe, and the multiple escapes and eventual capture of serial killer Ted Bundy.