Fourth person arrested for aiding escaped inmates in New Orleans jailbreak

Global News

23-05-2025

Louisiana State Police have arrested a fourth person in connection to the New Orleans jailbreak that saw 10 men escape last week, with five remaining at large.
Connie Weeden, a 59-year-old woman from Slidell, was arrested and charged on May 22 with one count of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly 'assisting the fugitives' in the May 16 escape, according to police.
'The initial investigation revealed that Weeden was in contact via phone before and after the escape with escapee Jermaine Donald (who remains at large). Furthermore, investigators determined that after the escape, Weeden provided cash to Donald via a cell phone app,' police said in a Facebook post.
Weeden was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center. It remains unclear whether she has retained a lawyer.
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Two other women, Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, were also arrested and charged on May 21 for allegedly being accessories after the fact in assisting the jailbreak.
Police revealed Harris was in contact via phone with an escapee who remains at large and determined that she transported two escapees to multiple locations in New Orleans.
'Investigators also determined that Corvanntay Baptiste was in contact via phone and social media with escapee Corey Boyd (captured) and helped facilitate getting him food while he was hiding in a residence,' police said in another Facebook post.
1:58
New Orleans prison break: Maintenance worker arrested over allegedly helping inmates escape
A maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish jail was also arrested in connection to the jailbreak after authorities said he helped facilitate the escape.
Sterling Williams, 33, is accused of cutting off the water so the inmates could pull the toilet from the wall, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a press release.
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He is currently being held at Plaquemines Parish Detention Center on 10 counts of principle to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office.
Williams' lawyer is now claiming that the inmates clogged a toilet to shut the water off so that they could escape through a hole behind it.
Williams did not know about the plan and did not allow the inmates to cut a pipe behind the toilet to create an opening for their escape, lawyer Michael Kennedy told The Associated Press.
The defence lawyer laid out a very different narrative than the one presented by authorities a day earlier when Williams was arrested.
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Authorities have said an inmate instructed Williams to turn off the water to a toilet, leading to one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history.
Kennedy said that after a deputy called Williams to fix a toilet, he found it overflowing.
'This was clearly all part of an orchestrated plan,' Kennedy said. Williams 'was nothing more than the tool they used to turn off the water, which they knew would have to happen after clogging the toilet.'
According to an arrest affidavit that made no mention of a clogged toilet, Williams was 'initially very evasive and untruthful' during an interview, but ultimately told investigators that an inmate had threatened to 'shank' him if he did not turn off the water.
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Authorities have said that Williams could have reported the threat and escape plan. They asserted that because Williams turned the water off, the inmates were 'able to successfully make good' on their escape, the affidavit said.
Kennedy said Williams did not report the escape because he was 'not aware' it was happening. The lawyer also addressed authorities' allegations that his client was threatened to help the men escape.
'He was not aware that there was going to be an escape,' Kennedy said. 'He was not conspiring with them. He had no knowledge that he was being used.'
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Murrill toured the jail on May 21. Williams told reporters after the tour that 'certainly more than one person' was responsible for the escape but declined to share further details.
3:07
New Orleans prison escape: 6 men still at large after largest jail break in Louisiana history
Authorities are still scouring New Orleans for five escapees and have offered US$20,000 in rewards for tips leading to the arrest of the fugitives, many of whom were charged with or convicted of violent offences, including murder.
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Louisiana State Police are still searching for the remaining Orleans Parish Prison escapees. Louisiana State Police / Facebook
The latest arrest came Tuesday when a fifth fugitive, Corey Boyd, was taken into custody.
Boyd, 19, was briefly spotted on May 16 hours after the escape. He was captured in New Orleans. He was originally jailed for second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and threatening a public official.
'Boyd will ultimately be transported to a secure state facility outside of the area and booked for simple escape,' the state police said in a Facebook post.
Fifth Fugitive Arrested from OPSO Inmate Escape
Law enforcement agencies working collectively to locate the inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on May 16, 2025, have arrested 19-year-old Corey Boyd. pic.twitter.com/zf5jQLmvEq
— LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) May 21, 2025
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On May 19, a fourth fugitive, Gary Price, was taken into custody. He was taken to a state facility outside of the New Orleans area and booked with additional counts of simple escape and possession of a Schedule II drug.
Price was initially jailed on a May 6 count of attempted first-degree murder along with six domestic offences, including aggravated second-degree battery, aggravated assault with a firearm and domestic abuse battery. He hadn't entered a plea before he escaped the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility.
Fourth Fugitive Arrested from OPSO Inmate Escape
Law enforcement agencies working collectively to locate the inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on May 16, 2025, have arrested 21-year-old Gary C. Price. pic.twitter.com/SLwdCREXVu
— LA State Police (@LAStatePolice) May 20, 2025
Soon after the May 16 escape, one of the men, Kendall Myles, 20, was apprehended in the French Quarter of New Orleans after a brief foot chase.
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Myles and the other two men who were captured earlier, Robert Moody, 21, and Dkenan Dennis, 24, were taken by helicopter to a state correctional facility outside the New Orleans area, Louisiana State Police said.
Dennis had been charged with armed robbery with a firearm and illegal carrying of a weapon during a crime of violence, according to Murrill. Moody was facing a weapons charge and charges of attempted second-degree battery and obstruction.
Murrill said both men will face additional charges for the escape.
In a news conference on May 16, New Orleans Police Department Supt. Anne Kirkpatrick said the fugitives are dangerous but urged the public 'not to panic.'
— With files from The Associated Press