Final Escapee from New Orleans Jail Captured After Five-Month Manhunt

Sat Oct 11 2025 00:31:05 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Derrick Groves, who escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center, is apprehended in Atlanta, concluding a months-long pursuit following a daring jailbreak.

After five months on the run, Derrick Groves, the last of ten inmates who escaped from a Louisiana jail, was captured in Atlanta, Georgia. The escape involved a dramatic jailbreak through a hole in the wall. Law enforcement officials utilized gas canisters to flush Groves out of hiding in a crawl space. He faces additional charges regarding the escape and will be extradited back to Louisiana for further processing.

Five months after ten 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 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 a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, indicating their audacity.

The escape was facilitated by a perfect storm of staffing issues and building design flaws, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson. By the time the pursuit ended, three of the inmates were found within 24 hours, and others captured in subsequent weeks.

Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair reported that a tip led investigators to Groves, who was found in a well-prepared hiding spot. Groves was previously convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Following his capture, Groves faces new charges related to the escape, and authorities are ensuring he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Furthermore, Groves will be extradited back to Louisiana for processing, as confirmed by Atlanta police.