What we know about Derrick Groves, the convicted double murderer still on the run after escaping a New Orleans jail

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2 days ago

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When Derrick Groves, 27, was convicted in October of killing two people, his sentence was supposed to bring relief to New Orleans and renewed confidence in law enforcement.
'The days of Derrick Groves bullying and brutalizing this community are over,' FBI Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil said at the time.
But less than a year later, Groves, who later pleaded guilty to battery of a correctional officer, broke out of jail with nine other men and escaped into the dark New Orleans night.
Two weeks later, Groves and Antoine Massey, another inmate with a history of escaping custody, are still on the run.
A video posted online appears to show Massey declaring his innocence. The US Marshals Service received the video Monday and is looking into it, Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair told CNN.
In the video, Massey described himself as 'one of the ones that was let out' of the jail 'where they said I escaped.'
'As far as declaring his innocence, he's going to have to come in to take care of that,' Fair said.
Here's what we know about Groves, a man with a violent past whose escape has drawn controversial support.
Groves' criminal record dates back to 2014, when he was charged for attempted second-degree murder at age 17. He was eventually found not guilty, according to court records.
Last October, Groves was convicted for the second time in the killing of two people on Mardi Gras Day in 2018.
After his initial conviction in 2019, a new law calling for unanimous verdicts forced Groves into a second trial — which ended in a mistrial due to a juror reading media reports about the case. A third trial ended in a deadlock, and Groves was finally convicted again last year after a fourth trial, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office detailed in a news release about the conviction.
Groves was determined to be one of two gunmen who opened fire with AK-47-style assault rifles 'on what should have been a joyous Mardi Gras family gathering,' according to the DA's office.
Groves was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson and two counts of attempted second-degree murder for the shooting of two other victims, charges that carry a life sentence, the district attorney said.
Prosecutors used social media to help convict Groves, indicating that his online activity 'played a chilling role' in their case.
Groves' posted on social media days after the killings showing his familiarity with the weapons used in the incident, according to the DA's office. He 'brazenly boasted about the violence' and even took credit for the killings, officials said.
Three witnesses also 'courageously' testified, identifying Groves and his co-defendant as the gunmen, the DA's office said.
'Groves routinely used violence to lash out and silence witnesses or 'snitches,'' Myrthil said at the time. 'There was no doubt in the minds of anyone involved in this case that Groves would continue his bloody rampage on the streets of New Orleans if he weren't stopped. We hope this guilty verdict and the life sentence that accompanies it will give the community renewed confidence and hope in law enforcement.'
Because of delays caused by Groves' attorney being suspended from practicing law and the judge in the case recusing herself, Groves was still awaiting sentencing for that conviction at the Orleans Justice Center when he escaped, Keith D. Lampkin, a spokesman for the DA's office, detailed.
In April 2024, before his conviction in the double murder, Groves was charged with battery of a correctional facility employee. He pleaded guilty in that case, court records show.
After Groves' escape, prosecutors and witnesses associated with the double murder left town 'out of an abundance of caution,' Lampkin told CNN. He did not elaborate.
Groves' aunt, Jasmine Groves, told CNN affiliate WDSU that she wants her nephew to turn himself in and that she hopes deadly force will not be used to get him back into custody.
She told the station that her family does not know where her nephew is and that the days since his escape have been a nightmare.
Jasmine Groves added that Groves' mother was taken from her home against her will by law enforcement officials. US Marshals confirmed to WDSU that they went to Groves' mother's home to question her.
'For my family, it's been like reliving a constant nightmare that we relived throughout these whole 30 years,' she said.
Groves is the grandson of Kim Groves, who was killed in a notorious murder-for-hire plot in the Ninth Ward in 1994, the DA's office said.
She was a 32-year-old mother of three when the hit was ordered by New Orleans Police Department Officer Len Davis, WDSU reported.
This time around, many of the social media posts about Groves have come from supporters, some of whom seem to reference his grandmother's death at the hands of a police officer as a reason to extend him sympathy.
'DERRICK GROVES is the only inmate i dont blame for what he did to qo to jail i hope he neva qet cauqht,' one X user wrote.
'I pray Derrick Groves is never found …safe travels!' another posted.
Another X user shared the hashtags '#StayFreeWoo #Groves #JusticeForKimGroves.'
The DA's office did not have any comment on the social media support for Groves. He indicated, however, that any suggestion that Groves' crimes were in response to or retaliation for his grandmother's death is 'newly generated urban myth.'
CNN's Zoe Sottile, Sarah Dewberry and Karina Tsui contributed to this report.