A daring escape from a Louisiana prison by ten inmates has left officials stunned and sparked a manhunt. The inmates, all of whom have violent criminal histories, managed to escape from the Orleans Justice Center through a small window hidden behind a toilet. The escape was discovered during a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m., more than eight hours after the inmates had made their exit.
The inmates used the small window to gain access to a maintenance area, from which they were able to scale a wall and escape the prison. A witness reported seeing the ten inmates, all dressed in their orange prison jumpsuits, running across Interstate 10 in the dead of night.
Adding insult to injury, the inmates left behind a series of taunting messages scrawled on the walls. Among the messages were “To Easy LOL,” a misspelled boast about the ease of their escape, and “Catch us when you can,” a direct challenge to the authorities.
By 11 a.m., one of the escapees, Kendall Myles, had been apprehended. Myles, who was accused of shooting a man, was found and arrested in the French Quarter, a popular tourist area in New Orleans. The remaining escapees, however, are still at large and are considered dangerous due to their violent criminal histories.
Among the escapees is Derrick Groves, who was convicted of a double murder that occurred during a mass shooting at Mardi Gras in 2018. Police have warned that Groves may be seeking out trial witnesses. Other escapees include Corey Boyed, accused of second-degree murder and aggravated battery, and Gary Price, who was being held on charges of attempted first-degree murder.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has stated that the plumbing panels behind the toilet used in the escape could only be removed from the outside, suggesting that the inmates may have had outside assistance. The jail is currently operating at 60% staffing levels, and state officials are calling for a full investigation into the escape.
The jail remains on full lockdown as both an internal investigation and a manhunt are underway in New Orleans.