Five months after 10 inmates broke out of a Louisiana jail, the last escapee has been captured, Louisiana State Police confirmed on Wednesday. The escaped inmate, 28-year-old Derrick Groves, was taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia, after a brief stand-off, police said. Police released several gas canisters into a house where Groves was believed to be hiding, and then found him hiding in a crawl space, CBS News reported.
The 10 inmates, including Groves, had fled the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May by ripping a toilet from the wall and breaking metal bars around the hole in the wall before climbing down a hall and running across a highway. The inmates had scrawled a few messages into the wall above the hole, including To Easy LoL and another that appeared to taunt officers to catch them if they can. This escape was facilitated by a combination of staffing issues and building design flaws, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson.
Three of the escaped inmates were found within 24 hours, while others were captured in subsequent weeks. A tip led investigators to track Groves to the Atlanta area. Initially, police believed he might not be present in the house where they found him, but he was ultimately discovered in a crawl space in the basement, indicating he had put considerable effort into the hiding space.
Groves was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 for firing an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party, resulting in two fatalities, and had been sentenced to life imprisonment. Following his capture, he now faces additional charges for his involvement in the escape. Groves will be extradited to Louisiana for processing.
The 10 inmates, including Groves, had fled the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May by ripping a toilet from the wall and breaking metal bars around the hole in the wall before climbing down a hall and running across a highway. The inmates had scrawled a few messages into the wall above the hole, including To Easy LoL and another that appeared to taunt officers to catch them if they can. This escape was facilitated by a combination of staffing issues and building design flaws, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson.
Three of the escaped inmates were found within 24 hours, while others were captured in subsequent weeks. A tip led investigators to track Groves to the Atlanta area. Initially, police believed he might not be present in the house where they found him, but he was ultimately discovered in a crawl space in the basement, indicating he had put considerable effort into the hiding space.
Groves was convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 for firing an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party, resulting in two fatalities, and had been sentenced to life imprisonment. Following his capture, he now faces additional charges for his involvement in the escape. Groves will be extradited to Louisiana for processing.
