Final New Orleans Inmate from Massive Jailbreak Captured After Five Months

Sat Oct 11 2025 01:29:34 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Derrick Groves, the last of ten escaped inmates from Orleans Parish, was apprehended in Atlanta after a five-month search. His escape was marked by a surprising jailbreak and clever hiding tactics.

After five months on the run, Derrick Groves has been captured, marking the end of a manhunt for the ten inmates who broke free from the Orleans Parish Jail. Groves was tracked to Atlanta, Georgia, where he was found hiding in a crawl space after police used gas canisters to flush him out. Detailing their escape, authorities highlighted design flaws in the jail and staffing issues that allowed the breakout to occur. Groves, who had previously been convicted of murder, now faces additional charges for his escape.

Five months after ten prisoners broke out of a Louisiana jail, the last escapee has been captured, Louisiana State Police confirmed on Wednesday.

The runaway inmate, 28-year-old Derrick Groves, was taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia, following 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, a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, and another that appeared to tell officers to catch them if they can.

The inmates' escape was made easier by a perfect storm of staffing issues and building design flaws, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson told CBS News in August.

Three were found within 24 hours of their escape and several others were captured in the following weeks.

Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair, of the Eastern District of Louisiana, told CBS News that a tip led investigators to track Groves to the Atlanta area.

When police first approached the home, it appeared that there was no one there, he said.

Groves was convicted of second degree murder in October 2024 after he fired an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party, killing two adults. He now faces additional charges for his role in the escape, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill stated, asserting that he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Groves will be extradited to Louisiana for processing, Atlanta police added.