Latest news with #Groves
Yahoo
16 hours ago
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What we know about Derrick Groves, the convicted double murderer still on the run after escaping a New Orleans jail
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.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
2 inmates caught in Texas extradited back to Louisiana; 2 more still on the run
Two of the escaped New Orleans inmates who were caught recently in a high-speed chase in Texas have been extradited back to Louisiana, where officials said they will be held at a secure facility. The 10 inmates escaped on May 16 when officials said they ripped away a toilet and sink unit in a cell and went through a hole in the wall. Two are still on the run as authorities have increased rewards for information leading to their capture to $50,000 each. Jermaine Donald, 42, and Leo Tate, 31, were extradited back to Louisiana on May 30 after they were arrested in Huntsville, Texas, about 375 miles from New Orleans, the Louisiana State Police said. Authorities in Huntsville said they led law enforcement on a chase through the city before they were apprehended. Both will face charges for the jail escape, and Donald was also charged with resisting an officer. The escapees still at large are Antoine Massey, 32, and Derrick Groves, 27. For more than two weeks, they have evaded a massive manhunt and attempts at foiling any assistance they could get from the public, with authorities arresting and charging over a dozen people who allegedly helped inmates break out or stay on the run. The inmates escaped in the early morning hours of May 16, and three were recaptured by the end of the day. A week later, two more were nabbed. Within two weeks, authorities had caught all but two, Groves and Massey. Groves was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Groves has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October, according to a news release from the governor's office. He also faces a charge of battery against a correctional facility employee, the Associated Press reported, citing court records. Catching a fugitive: How NOLA, Arkansas escapees are being tracked Massey is charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Orleans Parish records. There also is a warrant for his arrest in St. Tammany Parish for second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, domestic abuse involving strangulation and violation of a protective order involving battery stemming from an incident in November, a spokesperson for the parish sheriff's office told USA TODAY. Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Jorge L. Ortiz, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Orleans jailbreak: 2 inmates extradited to Louisiana, 2 missing
Yahoo
a day ago
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- Yahoo
2 jailbreaks. 3 men still on the run. What we know about the circumstances of each
A police chief-turned-murderer-and-rapist, a repeat escapee and a double murderer are still nowhere to be found after two high-profile jailbreaks keep communities on edge and law enforcement on alert. As much as these stories have in common, the circumstances behind their escapes, where they may be hiding and what they might hope to do on the outside are very different. Grant Hardin, 56, escaped from a state prison in Calico Rock, a remote city in northern Arkansas, on May 25. Formerly the police chief of a nearby small town, Hardin was serving decades-long sentences for murder and rape. Derrick Groves, 27, and Antoine Massey, 32, are the last two fugitives on the run after they and eight other inmates broke out of the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans on May 16. Groves, 27, was convicted of murdering two men on Mardi Gras in 2018. Massey, 32, was charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle. He started escaping custody at age 15. The eight other fugitives have been caught, mostly in New Orleans. But now, several states are involved in the manhunt for Massey and Groves. In both manhunts, hundreds of local, state and federal authorities joined in the search. And both manhunts now face the reality that the longer these men remain on the loose, the harder it may be to ever find them. Most inmates who escape get caught within 48 hours, and after 48 hours, it's more difficult to capture escapees, CNN Senior Law Enforcement Analyst Charles Ramsey told CNN. Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe agreed. 'The longer this goes, and the further away they can get, the better chance they have of staying out there for a while,' said McCabe, a CNN senior law enforcement analyst. Hardin escaped the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock around 2:55 p.m. on May 25, the state's Department of Corrections said. A surveillance image from the time of the escape appears to show Hardin wearing black pants, a black T-shirt and a black baseball cap, as well as an additional item that looks like a bulletproof vest, which the department called 'a makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement.' But the department made clear it was not standard-issue clothing for inmates or correctional officers, so they are also investigating how he got it. Authorities believe he exited through a sally port, a controlled and secure entry point found in places such as prisons, the Stone County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities discovered Hardin was missing during a routine count about 15 to 20 minutes after he left, but an investigation into the timeline of events is still being conducted, corrections spokesperson Rand Champion said. In Louisiana, 10 inmates used hair clippers, stolen blankets and bad infrastructure to ultimately escape a New Orleans jail by squeezing through a small hole cut into the wall behind a metal toilet. They left a message taunting corrections officers on the wall on the way out. 'To Easy LoL,' it read. Arkansas authorities say it was raining 'fairly significantly' at the time of Hardin's escape, giving him a small advantage against his pursuers despite his absence being detected no more than 20 minutes after he broke out, but the men in New Orleans got a much larger head start. Staff at the Orleans Justice Center did not notice the 10 inmates had escaped until more than 7 hours after the jailbreak, and did not alert the public until even later. Officials are still digging into how Hardin escaped, what methods he used and whether anyone helped him. By contrast, authorities in Louisiana say the 10 men who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center received help from at least 14 people – including friends, family members and a maintenance worker at the jail. Some of those suspected accomplices are now held on bonds of over $1 million and face felony charges, according to The Associated Press. Authorities believe Hardin is still in the general area near the prison, according to Champion but the fugitive's knowledge of the land and familiarity with law enforcement tactics are helping him stay out of custody. 'There's caves, there's barns, there's abandoned cars, there's abandoned sheds, there's residences … It's not a flat, open area,' Champion said, plus the area where police are searching is one of the most cave-dense in the state. Hardin grew up in midwest Arkansas, which has similar terrain, giving him another advantage, Champion added. 'I can imagine that the entrance area of a cave could be a useful place to hide,' Matt Covington, an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arkansas, told CNN. 'There is often water present. There are boulders to hide under or small crawlways and side passages,' he added. Officials have been using all resources at their disposal, including dogs, drones and aircraft, among other methods, Champion said, but rain and fog have affected the effectiveness of those resources and with a background in law enforcement, authorities worry Hardin could remain a step ahead of them. 'Obviously, if you have a law enforcement background, you've had specialized training, you've had a familiarity of the tactics that are going to be used,' Champion said. Massey and Groves are less likely to have stuck around, and authorities believe they may not even be in Louisiana anymore. The eight other fugitives they escaped with were caught mostly in and around New Orleans but two of the most recent arrests were in Texas, so several states are now involved in the dragnet. 'We are currently at an impasse on figuring out where these two are,' Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair told CNN last week. 'They can be here locally or can be anywhere in the United States at this point.' The escapees have received help from friends and family who provided food, cash, transportation and places to rest and hide, according to court documents. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill had a stern warning for anyone considering helping the fugitives: 'If you help the remaining escaped inmates, you will be prosecuted,' she said. 'The more help they get, the more charges there will be. Period.' Groves was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder, charges carrying a life sentence, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said. Given Groves' potential jail time and Massey's long track record of escaping custody – previously escaping a New Orleans juvenile detention center and twice cutting off electronic ankle monitors, according to reports – it is likely the fugitives' main goal is avoiding going back to prison, though authorities have 'a lot of leads' and are getting tips from the community, according to Williams. 'They absolutely could be moving to other areas. I alerted my colleagues in the states surrounding Louisiana immediately after the jailbreak to be on alert and to notify their law enforcement partners that these individuals could be coming to their states,' Murrill said. Hardin's motives may be more complex, considering his close ties to the small town of Gateway, where he was briefly the chief of police, less than a three-hour drive from the prison where he escaped. 'To know that he is out on the loose is very scary,' Cheryl Tillman said. Hardin pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for the death of Tillman's brother, James Appleton, in February 2017, according to court documents. Now Gateway's mayor, Tillman was on the city council when Hardin was dismissed from the police department. 'I'm sure the people here in Gateway are worried about him breaking out of prison after what he's done,' she said. The FBI announced a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to Hardin's arrest. 'What we would ask – in this area, especially – please be cognizant. Please be aware. Be alert of your surroundings,' Champion said. Officials announced $50,000 in reward money for anyone with information leading to the arrest of either Massey or Groves. The combined $100,000 offered comes from Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, the FBI and other agencies. 'We need everyone's help,' Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges said. 'If you're listening, and you're in another state and you have a tip … please contact us.'
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
2 inmates caught in Texas extradited back to Louisiana; 2 more still on the run
2 inmates caught in Texas extradited back to Louisiana; 2 more still on the run Two escaped inmates were captured over 300 miles away in Huntsville, Texas. They were extradited back to Louisiana. Show Caption Hide Caption New Orleans escapees arrested in Texas, police body cam footage shows Two New Orleans escapees Jermaine Donald and Leo Tate, were captured in Texas, according to Huntsville Police Department. Two of the escaped New Orleans inmates who were caught recently in a high-speed chase in Texas have been extradited back to Louisiana, where officials said they will be held at a secure facility. The 10 inmates escaped on May 16 when officials said they ripped away a toilet and sink unit in a cell and went through a hole in the wall. Two are still on the run as authorities have increased rewards for information leading to their capture to $50,000 each. Jermaine Donald, 42, and Leo Tate, 31, were extradited back to Louisiana on May 30 after they were arrested in Huntsville, Texas, about 375 miles from New Orleans, the Louisiana State Police said. Authorities in Huntsville said they led law enforcement on a chase through the city before they were apprehended. Both will face charges for the jail escape, and Donald was also charged with resisting an officer. The escapees still at large are Antoine Massey, 32, and Derrick Groves, 27. For more than two weeks, they have evaded a massive manhunt and attempts at foiling any assistance they could get from the public, with authorities arresting and charging over a dozen people who allegedly helped inmates break out or stay on the run. Who are the inmates still on the run? The inmates escaped in the early morning hours of May 16, and three were recaptured by the end of the day. A week later, two more were nabbed. Within two weeks, authorities had caught all but two, Groves and Massey. Groves was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018, according to a statement from the district attorney's office. Groves has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October, according to a news release from the governor's office. He also faces a charge of battery against a correctional facility employee, the Associated Press reported, citing court records. Catching a fugitive: How NOLA, Arkansas escapees are being tracked Massey is charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and theft of a motor vehicle, according to Orleans Parish records. There also is a warrant for his arrest in St. Tammany Parish for second-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, domestic abuse involving strangulation and violation of a protective order involving battery stemming from an incident in November, a spokesperson for the parish sheriff's office told USA TODAY. Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse, John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Jorge L. Ortiz, and N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
New Orleans jail escape: Reward for tips leading to arrest of 2 remaining fugitives increases to $50,000
The reward for the arrest of the two remaining inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail this month has more than doubled to $50,000, authorities announced on Thursday, as police said they believe they are closing in on the "dangerous" fugitives. Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves are among 10 inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16, according to Louisiana State Police. In the nearly two weeks since, eight of the inmates have been captured, but Massey and Groves remain on the run, police said. There are now rewards totalling $50,000 per inmate for tips leading to their arrest, according to Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col Robert Hodges. That includes rewards being offered from the Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, he said. Hodges said police have "some strong leads" about where the remaining two fugitives are, though they still need tips because of the men's movement. "We're confident that we are closing in on the remaining two escapees, and that we should have them in custody soon," he said during a press briefing on Thursday. "We're resilient, and although they're going to get tired and frustrated as they try to move around Louisiana or move around the metropolitan area, they know the walls are closing in." MORE: 8 New Orleans inmates captured, 2 remain missing after more than a week on the run Authorities urged anyone with information on the whereabouts of the two fugitives to reach out while acknowledging that may be difficult. "We understand, along with our law enforcement partners, that some of you might be reporting a friend, a loved one, a relative, and albeit not easy, it is critical to your safety and the safety of the public that you report that," Walter Martin, chief deputy U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Louisiana, said during the briefing. Martin vowed to recapture the "dangerous inmates." One of them, Groves, was recently convicted of two counts of second-degree murder in a 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting and faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said. He also subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, online court records show. Hodges warned that anyone who helps the remaining fugitives will be arrested and prosecuted. "Now is the time to make the right choice," he said. MORE: Facial recognition technology use in search for New Orleans jail escapees under scrutiny Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans President and CEO Darlene Cusanza said Thursday the organization has received nearly 700 tips related to the inmates' escape, resulting in the arrest of three of them. One inmate was arrested within 30 minutes of receiving the tip, she said. Three tipsters will be paid $10,000, she said. The 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in the early morning hours of May 16 after climbing through a hole behind a toilet. Their disappearance was not noticed for several hours and touched off a massive manhunt. Over a dozen people have been arrested on suspicion of helping the escapees, including another inmate in the jail and a jail maintenance worker who is accused of shutting off water to the toilet allowing escapees to remove it. Three of the 10 inmates who escaped were apprehended in New Orleans within the first 24 hours of the jailbreak. The others were captured in the following days, including in Baton Rouge and two in Texas. The eight captured inmates have been transported to a secure state facility in Louisiana, Hodges said. New Orleans jail escape: Reward for tips leading to arrest of 2 remaining fugitives increases to $50,000 originally appeared on
