9 Inmates Escape New Orleans Jail, Plead Not Guilty to Charges

Nine Inmates Plead Not Guilty in New Orleans Jailbreak Case

Nine of the ten inmates involved in a high-profile jailbreak from a New Orleans city jail have entered not guilty pleas to charges related to their escape. The incident, which occurred earlier this year, saw the prisoners break out by climbing through a hole behind a toilet. According to the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, these nine individuals appeared via video from a maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary for their arraignment on July 23.

The jailbreak took place on May 16 in the early hours of the morning when ten men managed to breach a cell wall and use a blind spot to flee undetected. This event was one of the largest and most brazen in recent U.S. history, leading to a widespread manhunt that spanned multiple states. It also brought immediate scrutiny to the prison's security vulnerabilities.

Three of the escapees were recaptured within the same day, while five more were caught weeks after the escape. The most recent inmate was captured in late June, nearly six weeks after the incident. However, the tenth inmate, Derrick Groves, a convicted killer, remains at large.

During the arraignment, an attorney for Groves was present but did not enter a plea on his behalf. All ten inmates are charged with simple escape, which carries a sentence of two to five years in prison. Initially, they faced additional criminal charges, including murder, aggravated assault, and domestic abuse.

Attorney General Liz Murrill emphasized the importance of due process but highlighted the gravity of the situation. She stated that there is video evidence showing the detainees running out of the jail in the middle of the night, not heading to court hearings. Murrill added that they will continue to hold everyone accountable for the escape.

How the Inmates Escaped

According to authorities, the inmates escaped by creating a hole in a cell wall after removing a toilet and sink unit. They fled from the building by passing through a loading dock door. The group then moved along a secure perimeter road between the jail and a building under construction. After scaling a barbed wire fence, surveillance footage captured the men running across Interstate 10 and disappearing into a nearby neighborhood, where investigators later found discarded prison clothing.

The escape went unnoticed for over seven hours after authorities discovered the missing inmates during a morning headcount. Several taunting phrases and doodles were scrawled on the wall above the hole, including "To [sic] easy lol" and "Catch us when you can."

Authorities suspect that other people may have helped the inmates escape or aided them in evading capture. Since the jailbreak, at least 16 people have been arrested for aiding the escapees. Most of the alleged accomplices are family members of the escapees.

Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker, was arrested and charged with being a principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office. Murrill previously stated that Williams admitted to complying with a demand from one of the inmates to shut off the water to a cell, which allowed the escapees to remove the toilet and sink unit. His lawyer claimed he did so because of a clogged toilet, not to aid in the escape.

The 10th Inmate Still at Large

Groves, 27, is the only inmate who remains at large. New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has urged Groves to turn himself in, stating that regardless of his actions, "you will be taken into custody." Groves was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018. He is also awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October.

On June 27, authorities arrested Antoine Massey, 33, at a residence in New Orleans. He was initially in jail on charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle. Massey made national headlines last month after two videos posted on social media showed a man purporting to be the escapee and claiming to be innocent. State and local authorities had said they were aware of the videos and were reviewing them.