10 Inmates, Including Murder Suspects, Escape New Orleans Jail Through Wall Behind Toilet: Sheriff
10 inmates broke out of the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans after breaching a wall behind a toilet and may have received inside help, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said Friday.
10 Inmates According to the sheriff, the inmates managed to break through a wall in the jail, exit through a supply door around 1 a.m., scale a perimeter wall, and cross an interstate highway. A photo shared by the sheriff’s office showed graffiti near the hole reading “To Easy LoL,” with an arrow pointing to the escape route.
10 Inmates Officials revealed that defective cell locks allowed the inmates to leave their cells even though lockdown typically begins at 10:30 p.m.
10 Inmates “These facilities have deficiencies that pose a risk to public safety,” Hutson said.
10 Inmates Following the incident, three jail staff members were suspended without pay pending an internal investigation. The sheriff’s office has not disclosed specific reasons for their suspension.
10 Inmates They range in age from 19 to 42 and face a range of charges, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse battery, and false imprisonment.
Hutson explained the discrepancy was due to a recordkeeping error after one inmate was moved to a different cell without the change being updated in the system.
Authorities have since recaptured three of the escapees. He tried to flee but was quickly apprehended and has since been rebooked for an additional charge of simple escape.
Another inmate, Robert Moody, who faced charges including aggravated second-degree battery, was captured following a tip to Crime Stoppers. A third, Dkenan Dennis—charged with armed robbery with a firearm—was also taken into custody.
Sheriff Hutson confirmed that efforts to capture the remaining seven escapees are ongoing. Investigators are reviewing phone calls and messages made by the inmates, as well as interviewing jail personnel and other inmates. Over 200 law enforcement officers are involved in the search operation across various locations.
The FBI’s New Orleans field office is assisting in the manhunt and has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the fugitives. Crime Stoppers has pledged an additional $2,000 for each apprehension.
“It’s almost impossible…for anybody to get out of this facility without help from the outside.”
While Hutson attributed the escape to structural issues and staffing shortages, others raised concerns about the delay in notifying the public and other agencies. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has called for a full investigation and prosecution of anyone involved in facilitating the escape.
Murrill also contacted attorneys general in neighboring states—Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee—urging them to alert their law enforcement agencies, in case the fugitives have crossed state lines.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill emphasized that while the top priority during an inmate escape is the swift recapture of the fugitives and coordination with law enforcement, the public must also be notified promptly to ensure community safety.
“In my 52 years, I’ve never heard of a prison break involving this many people,” Williams told CNN on Friday.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has urged the public to remain vigilant, warning that the escapees are considered armed and dangerous. Authorities are encouraging anyone who may see one of the fugitives or know their whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers or call 911 immediately.
“The remaining individuals are still being actively pursued,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
According to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, the jailbreak began shortly after midnight when inmates began tampering with a sliding cell door, ultimately forcing it off its track. By 12:20 a.m., they had broken the door open, and within 23 minutes—by 12:43 a.m.—the inmates had entered the cell. While a corrections monitoring technician briefly stepped away to get food, the group broke through a wall behind a toilet.
Chief of Corrections Jay Mallett revealed at a Friday news conference that toiletries from a handicap-accessible cell were used to remove bolts and fixtures. At least one steel bar securing the plumbing appeared to have been deliberately cut using a tool. “We know this could not have been removed from the inside,” Mallett said, raising the possibility that the escape was an inside job.
Around 1 a.m., surveillance footage captured the inmates leaving through a supply-loading door. After making it over the fence, they sprinted across the highway and discarded their clothes in a nearby neighborhood to avoid detection.
The escape went unnoticed for over seven hours. That jail staff discovered the inmates were missing. A search of the facility began immediately, and investigators reviewed surveillance footage to retrace the escape route.
Roughly an hour after the headcount, the deputy on duty notified jail leadership, and the U.S. The New Orleans Police Department was also alerted around that time. Sheriff Hutson described the situation as “fluid,” noting the complexity of managing the facility’s 1,400 detainees.
“When this went down, our first concern was to figure out who escaped, confirm their identities, and then lock down the entire jail to make sure no one else was missing,” Hutson explained.
Officials Cite Infrastructure and Staffing Failures
“This allows individuals to enter and exit at will,” Mallett noted.
He said the core issue lies in the jail’s infrastructure.
The sheriff’s office’s Chief Financial Officer, Bianka Brown, stated that the current $68 million budget would need to be increased to $150 million to adequately address the facility’s needs.
In addition to infrastructure issues, the facility is facing a severe staffing shortage. The jail operates with only about 60% of the necessary personnel. On the morning of the escape, there were only 36 staff and four supervisors present—an alarmingly low number given the jail’s size.
Hutson added that any staff found to be complicit in the escape will face serious consequences.
Delay in Public Notification Criticized
Despite discovering the jailbreak early Friday morning, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office did not notify the public through the city’s emergency alert system for several more hours.
The alert, issued via the NOLA Ready system, read: “NOPD is assisting OPSO after subjects escaped custody.
The delay in public notification sparked criticism from local officials. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said members of his team were so concerned for their safety that some began making plans to leave town with their families. One of the escapees, Derrick Groves, had been convicted of two 2018 Mardi Gras Day murders.
“I, along with my team, came to work this morning just a stone’s throw from the jail, unaware that we should be on alert. That is inexcusable,” Williams said.
He added that his office would conduct its own investigation into the incident. We need to dig into every single detail of what happened here.”