Authorities investigating a new social media post by a New Orleans jail escapee on the run
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities announced Thursday they are investigating another social media post, the second in a week, showing a man who identifies himself as Antoine Massey, a fugitive still on the lam after escaping more than two weeks ago from a New Orleans jail.
The latest Instagram post, which appears to have been published Wednesday, shows a man standing in front of a blue car who says he is '#AntoineMassey' and has the same distinctive facial tattoos.
Authorities are not sure when or where the photo reportedly showing Massey was taken. But they 'are treating the post as if it's real,' a senior law enforcement official said. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing investigation into the May 16 escape by 10 inmates.
The group yanked up a faulty cell door, crawled through a hole in a wall behind a toilet where steel bars had been cut and then scaled a barbed wire fence using blankets for protection. It was one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history.
State and local officials have heaped criticism on the management of Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who has largely blamed the jailbreak on poor infrastructure and the inability to make needed improvements at the 10-year-old $150 million facility.
Eight of the escaped men have been apprehended, while Massey and another fugitive, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, remain on the run.
In the Instagram post, the person claiming to be Massey states he is 'innocent.' Massey, 32, faces charges of kidnapping, rape, domestic battery involving strangulation and motor vehicle theft.
'We would encourage Mr. Massey to turn himself in and go through proper legal channels for his day in court,' said Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair in an emailed statement. He added it was 'unknown at this time' if Massey posted the photo or when it was taken.
Earlier this week, other videos made by Massey surfaced on social media, leading authorities to raid a New Orleans home a little over two miles (three kilometers) from the jail, where they believed the videos were produced. But they said they only found some of the clothing they believed he wore in the videos.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged Massey and Groves on Tuesday to 'quit the hide-and-seek game' and turn themselves in.
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