Ninth prison escapee in Orleans captured; man remains at large
Antoine Massey, 33, was located and arrested in a house in New Orleans on Friday night, according to the Louisiana State Police. The previous two inmates were apprehended on May 26 in Huntsville, Texas.
HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE June 27, 2025
Ninth Fugitive Arrested in New Orleans from OPSO Inmate Escape pic.twitter.com/uspCK3nscm— LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) June 27, 2025
Officers with the NOPD, State Police, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and U.S. Marshals participated in the arrest of Massey. More than 200 law enforcement personnel participated in the manhunt since the May 16 jailbreak.
Massey was taken to a secure state correctional facility at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Agola, which is 135 miles northwest of New Orleans.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office received an anonymous tip from a citizen that led law enforcement to the house in the city's Third District, according to New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick.
"He peacefully gave up to law enforcement who had surrounded the house," Kirkpatrick said during a news briefing.
The house was an Airbnb, according to Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges.
Authorities are investigating whether anyone helped him.
"It's pretty obvious over the last six weeks, to remain a fugitive that long, he had assistance -- he had help," Hodges said at the briefing.
Earlier this month, Louisiana authorities found a video online that appeared to show Massey pleading to rappers and President Donald Trump to help him while he was still on the run.
Massey was incarcerated for domestic abuse battery involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation, state police said.
Authorities increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Massey and Derric Groves to $50,000 per inmate last month.
Groves is last remaining escapee.
"Law enforcement personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies will continue to work around the clock to locate the one remaining fugitive," Louisiana State police said in a news release.
Kilpatrick addressed Grove during the briefing: "We are going to capture you. You will be taken into custody. But you still have the option to peacefully turn yourself in, and we will make an appeal to you to do so.
"All of these captures have been able to be done peacefully and that is also the end of the game. We don't want anyone hurt."
Groves was convicted last year of two counts of second-degree murder in a 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said.
The inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center early in the morning after climbing through a hole behind a toilet. Their disappearance was unnoticed for several hours.
"We're installing new razor wire, tightening physical barriers, upgrading locking mechanisms," Kilpatrick said. "These all play an important role in the safety of our residents, staff and the entire community
Three inmates were apprehended in New Orleans within the first 24 hours of the jailbreak.
Alleged accomplices, including Groves' girlfriend Darriana Burton, inmayes and jail workers, have been arrested.
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