New Orleans jail escapee posts videos that prompt home search, says source
Police raided the home where a man who identifies himself as New Orleans jail escapee Antoine Massey filmed videos he released on social media while still on the run, but he was not recaptured, according to an Associated Press source.
Authorities were so convinced about the authenticity of the videos that they searched a New Orleans home late Monday where they believe the videos were filmed, according to a senior law enforcement official who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. The official said he was not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation into the 16 May jail escape by Massey as well as nine other prisoners.
Massey was not at the home, the official said – but authorities did locate some clothing they believe he wore during the filming of the clips, including one in which he asked for help from famous rappers and Donald Trump.
Authorities had been tipped to the videos, which were posted on Sunday, by relatives who recognized the residence from which Massey was speaking. It was not immediately clear who owned the home.
Authorities say they are investigating the videos as they race to recapture Massey and convicted murderer Derrick Groves more than two weeks after 10 prisoners made an audacious breakout from a New Orleans jail. Eight of the other escapees have since been recaptured.
Louisiana state police, the agency leading the search for the fugitives, declined to comment on whether it had verified Massey's identity in the videos. The agency carried out the search related to the videos, which have since been removed from Instagram.
The New Orleans police department said it 'cannot confirm the authenticity' of the videos circulating on social media seemingly showing a man with the same facial tattoos as Massey sitting near a kitchen.
'Please, I'm asking for help,' said Massey, who appealed to the US president in one video. But, before mentioning the president in that video, Massey appealed to the New Orleans-born rapper Lil Wayne as well as lyricist NBA YoungBoy, who is from nearby Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
NBA YoungBoy, whose legal name is Kentrell Gaulden, is among a number of celebrities Trump has recently pardoned. Gaulden had been sentenced to two years in prison after acknowledging he possessed weapons despite being a felon.
'When I get back in custody I'm asking y'all please to come and help,' Massey said.
The official who runs New Orleans's jail, local sheriff Susan Hutson, called on Massey to 'come forward and turn himself in'.
'Cooperating with law enforcement is in his best interest and may help avoid additional charges,' Hutson said in an emailed statement. 'It is important that justice is served appropriately and that due process is followed.'
Massey, 32, faced charges of rape, kidnapping, domestic violence involving strangulation and violation of a protective order all stemming from a November 2024 incident in the suburban New Orleans community of St Tammany parish, Louisiana, say authorities. In New Orleans, where he was incarcerated, he faced charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic battery.
Massey said he is innocent.
A woman police identified as being in a relationship with Massey has suffered multiple alleged instances of physical abuse from him, according to police reports, and had a protective order against him last year, court records show.
This woman has been arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and being a principle to aggravated escape. Authorities said the woman knew of Massey's escape plans in advance, communicated with him after his escape and misled authorities.
Massey also claimed in the video that he had been 'let out' of jail.
Footage and images released by authorities show incarcerated people yanking open a faulty cell door, removing a toilet and crawling through a hole where steel bars had been cut. They then scaled a barbed wire fence using blankets.
A maintenance worker charged with helping the men escape has denied knowingly aiding them via his lawyer.
Guardian staff contributed reporting
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mom of three murdered girls' share bizarre Father's Day tribute to killer ex who suffocated them
The mother of the three young girls who were allegedly killed by her now-missing ex-husband shared a bizarre Father's Day tribute to him before their tragic deaths. Whitney Decker made a 20-second video featuring a slideshow of photos of her daughters, Paityn Decker, 9, Evelyn Decker, 8, Olivia Decker, 5, and their father, Travis Decker. The video was made as a Father's Day tribute to her veteran ex-husband who is now wanted on suspicion of murdering their three daughters. Her attorney, Arianna Cozart, provided the video to People. It's unclear when the video, which features Pharrell Williams ' song Happy, was posted. Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia's bodies were found at a campsite in Leavenworth on Monday, after Travis failed to return them after his visitation on Friday. The girls were found 20 miles from their Washington home with their wrists bound with zip ties and each having been suffocated with a plastic bag. Travis reportedly suffers from 'complex PTSD' and 'other mental issues,' and has since been on the run after vanishing into the woods. Yet, the girls' mother spoke out through Cozart and alleged that their murder 'was a tragedy that could've been completely' avoided had officials intervened. She believes 'something broke inside' of Decker and that he 'would not have done what he did if he was himself', Cozart revealed in a heartbreaking statement early Thursday morning. 'He clearly had some sort of break and everything that he had been living with, everything that had been bottled up inside of him for so long as far as trauma, just won out,' Cozart told the Seattle Times. The attorney, speaking on behalf of Whitney, also noted that it was uncharacteristic of Decker not to return his daughters after a scheduled visitation. His 'declining mental health' and 'out-of-character behavior' should have prompted 'enough concern' for an Amber Alert, Cozart argued. She believes authorities should have acknowledged the sisters were 'missing' and in 'substantial danger', even though Decker 'didn't issue an overt threat'. Court documents state that when Whitney reported her daughters missing on Friday, she 'expressed concern' over his out-of-character actions and his alleged deteriorating mental state. Whitney told police Decker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and believes he did not take medication for the condition, according to court documents. The father-of-three was supposed to seek mental health treatment and anger management counseling as part of a parenting plan, but there was no sign he had followed through, the documents show. Whitney stated in September divorce proceedings that he had been 'struggling to maintain stability' since they separated and it was beginning to affect their daughters. She said that at times he would have the girls sleep at an armory while he was in the National Guard, despite her objections, according to the Seattle Times. She also said Decker - was prone to 'outbursts' and would come into her house yelling for the girls - would sometimes fail to pick up after promising to do so. 'I do not want to keep Travis from the girls at all,' Whitney wrote in the court filing. 'To the contrary, I have bent over backwards to facilitate that relationship. 'But I cannot have our girls staying in what is essentially a homeless shelter, at times unsupervised, with dozens of strange men or staying in a tent or living in his truck with him, both in extreme temperatures and unknown areas for their safety.' But still Whitney reiterated to authorities how she did not believe her ex was dangerous and said he loved his daughters. She said the girls had a, 'good relationship with Decker and enjoy their time with him,' and noted that he had never failed to return the girls before, according to a police affidavit. She said when Decker went to pick up the girls Friday, he was 'quieter than usual' which was 'out of character' for him. He had also allegedly been talking about getting rid of his dog due to housing and financial struggles. On Tuesday, a judge issued a warrant for Decker's arrest and ordered he be held without bail. Authorities swarmed the Rock Island Campground on Monday evening after finding Decker's truck. Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputies found the girls' bodies about 75 to 100 yards from the truck. Police believe the girls died from asphyxiation and reported that their wrists were zip-tied, court documents state. Decker's truck had two bloody handprints on the tailgate, and inside were personal items including blankets, food, car seats and a wallet on the center console, police said. The campground also showed signs of recent activity, with a tent and a cooler located a short distance away, but Decker was nowhere to be found.
Reuters
43 minutes ago
- Reuters
Fed's Musalem estimates ‘50-50' chances on tariffs triggering prolonged US inflation, FT reports
June 6 (Reuters) - St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem has put the likelihood of Donald Trump's trade war causing a prolonged surge in inflation at "50-50," warning that U.S. policymakers would face uncertainty "right through the summer," the Financial Times reported on Friday. Musalem told the newspaper that while U.S. President Trump's tariffs could boost inflation for "a quarter or two," there was "an equally likely scenario where the impact of tariffs on prices could last longer." Trump's tariff hikes and a $2.4 trillion budget bill have shaken markets, prompting a wait-and-see stance from the Fed after last year's rate cuts. Musalem said he believes officials could benefit from a favorable scenario where uncertainty over trade and fiscal policy "goes away in July," which would put the Fed back on track to cut interest rates in September, according to the FT. He also highlighted, however, the possibility of a scenario "where inflation begins to rise materially and we will not know whether that is a temporary, one-off increase in the price level or whether it has more persistence," the report said. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady at its mid-June meeting, when it will release updated economic projections.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Chaos breaks out as ICE raids business in downtown Los Angeles and locals revolt: 'We will not stand for this'
Federal immigration officials clashed with protesters as they raided several downtown Los Angeles locations on Friday. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were spotted at a Home Depot, an apartment complex, federal courts and even in the fashion district. The raids come just days after Donald Trump 's watch dog Stephen Miller demanded ICE crackdown on migrants at popular shopping destinations to bolster their arrest numbers. Crowds of protesters swarmed the officers on Friday in an attempt to stop the detentions, reported KTLA. However, there efforts were unsuccessful and at least 45 people across seven locations were detained, according to Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Executive Director Angelica Salas. One of those detainees has been identified as Service Employees International Union California President David Huerta, who was pepper-sprayed and injured while being taken into custody, Mayor Karen Bass told NBC Los Angeles. 'He is doing ok physically, but I know what really impacted him the most was the emotional trauma of watching parents and kids being separated,' said Bass. 'He's going into ICE custody and we hope to get him out very soon.' Footage from local news station KABC showed officers throwing smoke bombs or flash bangs on the street to disperse the people so they could drive away in SUVs, vans and military-style vehicles. In one video, a person was seen running backward with their hands on the hood of a moving white SUV in an effort to block the vehicle. The person fell backward, landing flat on the ground. The SUV backed up, drove around the individual and sped off as others on the street threw objects at it. Other video showed people being handcuffed by federal authorities in a Home Depot parking lot. At one of the spots, immigrant-rights advocates used megaphones to speak to the workers inside a store, reminding them of their constitutional rights and instructing them not to sign anything or say anything to federal agents, the Los Angeles Times reported. The advocates also told the federal agents that lawyers wanted access to the workers, and sometimes yelled out specific names. Mayor Bass said neither her nor the Los Angeles Police Department were warned about the activity. 'As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,' Bass said. 'These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this. Police Chief Jim McDonnell released a statement claiming the department is not involved in 'civil immigration enforcement.' 'We will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations, nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual's immigration status,' McDonnell said. 'I want everyone, including our immigrant community, to feel safe calling the police in their time of need and know that the LAPD will be there for you without regard to one's immigration status.' The Los Angeles raids come as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller has reportedly demanded ICE agents raid Home Depots and 7-Elevens as part of his lofty new target for arrests of illegal migrants. Miller, one of Donald Trump's biggest hawks on immigration, said last week that Trump wants the agency to conduct 3,000 arrests every single day in an ambitious effort to ramp up his deportation agenda. He and 'border czar' Tom Homan have both suggested that the numbers are not currently where they want them. Homan backed the ambitious new benchmark on Thursday morning, insisting: 'We've gotta' increase these arrests and removals.' 'The numbers are good, but I'm not satisfied. I haven't been satisfied all year long.' During Trump's first 100 days back in office, ICE officials arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants.
