Latest news with #Groves'
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Boston Globe
Convicted murderer Derrick Groves eludes law enforcement as last New Orleans jail escapee on the run
Advertisement Groves faces life imprisonment without parole, but administrative delays have kept him in jail for years rather than a more secure prison facility. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'He's got nothing to lose,' said Forrest Ladd, an Orleans Parish assistant district attorney who prosecuted Groves. 'That's a dangerous thing from anybody, much less somebody capable of causing mass harm.' How likely is it Groves will be recaptured? More than 90% of people who escape from U.S. correctional facilities are recaptured within a year, said Bryce Peterson, adjunct professor of criminal justice at John Jay College. 'The longer you are out there, the more likely you are to stay out,' said Peterson, though he believes Groves will be caught eventually due to the high level of media attention. Most escapes occur when low-level offenders seize spontaneous opportunities, Peterson said. The New Orleans jailbreak stands out because of its level of 'sophistication and pre-planning' and the alleged roles current and former jail employees played in the escape, he added. Advertisement How has Groves avoided law enforcement for so long? Multiple defense attorneys who have worked with Groves described him as intelligent and polite. Prosecutors in his cases say he is violent, manipulative and remorseless. 'He's the worst human being I've ever come across in my life,' said Ladd, the Orleans Parish assistant district attorney. 'But he is a very charismatic, and I think that allows him the ability to kind of control people.' A former jail employee who became Groves' girlfriend during his incarceration is accused of helping him coordinate the escape in advance by arranging phone calls that avoided the jail's monitoring system. She is one of at least 16 people — many family members of the escapees — facing charges for providing transport, food, shelter and cash to the fugitives, most of whom stayed within New Orleans. Several days after the escape, authorities received information that Groves was hiding in the city's Lower Ninth Ward, the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged neighborhood where he grew up, according to court documents. State and federal authorities declined to provide details on Groves' suspected whereabouts. Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Robert Hodges indicated he believes Groves is receiving assistance from friends or family. 'Sometimes we think we are incredibly close,' Hodges said during a June 27 news conference, adding that authorities would arrive at a location to find a fugitive 'just moved because they have help.' There is a $50,000 reward for tips leading to Groves' recapture. Mistrust in the criminal justice system Likely impeding the search for Groves is widespread skepticism toward law enforcement from city residents following decades of abuse, often against the Black community. In 1994, a corrupt police officer ordered the killing of Groves' grandmother, Kim Groves, after she reported him for beating up a teenager. Her three children settled a federal civil rights lawsuit with the city for $1.5 million in 2018. Advertisement 'For my family, it's been like reliving a constant nightmare,' Groves' aunt, Jasmine Groves, told WDSU, saying the family has been interrogated and remains under law enforcement surveillance. She has urged her nephew to turn himself in. Groves' mother and aunt did not respond to The Associated Press' requests for comment for this story. In 2014, at the age of 17, Groves was arrested and incarcerated for nearly two years on a charge of attempted second-degree murder for which he was later acquitted by a jury, though his own father had testified against him, according to court records and a prosecutor in the case, Mike Trummel. Tom Shlosman, Groves' defense attorney in that case, said that Groves' prolonged incarceration as a teenager and his grandmother's murder likely undermined his faith in the criminal justice system. Shlosman remembered Groves as 'young and scared.' 'None of that's going to affect a kid in any positive way,' Shlosman said. 'And it's certainly not going to instill trust in law enforcement.' A series of killings Groves, who goes by 'Woo,' dropped out of school in ninth grade and sold heroin in the Lower Ninth Ward for years, according to court records. The FBI began monitoring his social media while he was still a teenager, and Groves pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in 2019. Groves has been in jail since at least 2019, after his involvement in four killings during an 18-month period. In October 2024, a jury convicted Groves of second-degree murder for using an assault rifle to spray dozens of bullets into a family block party on Mardi Gras, killing 21-year-old Byron Jackson and 26-year-old Jamar Robinson and wounding several others. Advertisement Groves later pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in two separate shootings, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office. Eyewitnesses in cases involving Groves have been threatened and physically attacked by him, and others were so intimidated they refused to testify against him, according to three current and former prosecutors and court records. In court, Robinson's aunt, Janis Robinson, said she had cried every night since her nephew died: 'I don't know how we are going to get through it.' In response, records show, Groves swore repeatedly at her in court.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin basketball offers former Yale commit, 2025 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year
Wisconsin basketball offers former Yale commit, 2025 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year I am proud to announce that I have received an offer from the University of Wisconsin. Thank you to @GregGard and staff for believing in me! @RyanJamesMN @247Sports @BadgerMBB — Nolan Groves (@NolanGroves4) April 15, 2025 The Wisconsin basketball program extended an offer to class of 2025 shooting guard Nolan Groves on Monday. Groves initially committed to Yale in March of 2024, though decommitted this weekend, on April 12. Since then, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has received offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas Tech. While Groves has yet to receive a star ranking from 247Sports or Rivals, his performance on the hardwood suggests that one should soon follow. The Orono Senior High School product averaged 34.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.7 steals as a senior during the 2024-25 slate, enough to earn the Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year award. That standout season also included nine games of 40 or more points, including a season-best 57 tallies in a triumph over St. Louis Park. Groves joins a list of Minnesota Player of the Year honorees that includes current Wisconsin center Nolan Winter, who won the award during the 2022-23 slate at Lakeville North High School. Other past winners include Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs, Tre Jones, Gary Trent Jr., Tyus Jones and Kris Humphries. Wisconsin has developed terrific recruiting success in the neighboring state, recently landing standouts Winter, Tyler Wahl, Brad Davison, Nate Reuvers and Ethan Happ, and others. Just days removed from Groves decommitting from Yale, his offer sheet has the chance to balloon in the coming weeks. His overall recruitment should see quick developments with the April 16 to May 21 signing period fast approaching. Wisconsin's current class of 2025 includes three playmakers thus far -- three-star shooting guard Zach Kinziger, three-star center Will Garlock and international shooting guard Hayden Jones. Its transfer list features former San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, former Portland forward Austin Rapp and former Virginia guard Andrew Rhode. All three transfer additions figure to play sizable minutes for UW during the 2025-26 slate. Wisconsin joining Groves' sweepstakes in the first days may pay dividends in the long run, as could the program's strong recruiting ties to Minnesota. The shooting guard will likely morph into one of the more coveted playmakers in the region, with most others already signed. Groves' scoring ability at 6-foot-5 could make him an appealing bench piece for Wisconsin's 2025-26 squad. Groves' decision is one to keep a close eye on for any Badger fan invested in Wisconsin's recruiting outcomes. If he chooses UW, the program's current No. 47 national recruiting rank will rise significantly. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
CNN
20-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
A conservationist is building bridges in the Amazon so monkeys can cross the road
The first time Brazilian biologist Fernanda Abra saw a Groves' titi monkey, one of the most 25 endangered primates in the world, it was positioned right next to a road. 'It was totally exposed to road mortality,' recalls Abra. Although figures vary wildly, by some estimates, 475 million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicles every year in the South American country, which is home to the world's fourth biggest road network, and the Amazon rainforest. It's a problem that Abra, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Conservation Biology Institute, has been trying to solve by building bridges at the canopy level, so tree-dwelling species can safely traverse roadways. Prev Next Working with local partners including the indigenous Waimiri-Atroari people, who hold important knowledge about the wildlife in their territory in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima, Abra's Reconecta Project has built more than 30 canopy crossings on the BR-174, a 3,300-kilometer (2,000-mile) highway slicing through the Amazon. In 2024, she was among the winners of the Whitley Fund for Nature Award, which celebrates grassroots conservationists, for her efforts. Abra hopes the structures can help turn things around for some of Brazil's vulnerable and endangered species, like the Groves' titi, the Schneider's marmoset, and the Guiana Spider Monkey. Each bridge is fitted with cameras to monitor the animals using it, and those that approach it but turn away, so the structure can be redesigned to convince critters to cross. 'Every time I see the video of the monkey using my canopy bridge, it's wonderful because we are avoiding the situation of road mortality,' says Abra. Reconnecting fragments of forest that have been cut apart by human-built infrastructure can have other benefits, like giving animals access to more food resources and potential mates. 'Connecting the population, we can make it stronger and allow it to grow,' says Abra. That could be crucial as Brazil builds more roads. In 2023, Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced plans to spend almost $200 billion on infrastructure, including new highways. Similar approaches are being put into use across the world. In California, an overpass is under construction above the 10-lane 101 Freeway, that will provide safe passage for animals like mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. Abra also has plans for growth. The Reconecta Project is now expanding in Alta Floresta, a city in the west-central state of Mato Grosso, where she's engaging officials from various government departments and representatives from non-profits and universities, she says. The canopy bridges will be supplemented with measures like speed bumps to slow down traffic and wildlife crossing signs to alert motorists. She hopes to eventually expand to other areas in Brazil. 'What amazes me about Brazil is the richness that we have, the wonderful biodiversity we have here,' says Abra, 'and I will do everything that I can as a person, as a professional, as a conservationist and researcher to protect this rich biodiversity.'
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A conservationist is building bridges in the Amazon so monkeys can cross the road
Editor's Note: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. The first time Brazilian biologist Fernanda Abra saw a Groves' titi monkey, one of the most 25 endangered primates in the world, it was positioned right next to a road. 'It was totally exposed to road mortality,' recalls Abra. Although figures vary wildly, by some estimates, 475 million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicles every year in the South American country, which is home to the world's fourth biggest road network, and the Amazon rainforest. It's a problem that Abra, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Conservation Biology Institute, has been trying to solve by building bridges at the canopy level, so tree-dwelling species can safely traverse roadways. unknown content item - Working with local partners including the indigenous Waimiri-Atroari people, who hold important knowledge about the wildlife in their territory in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima, Abra's Reconecta Project has built more than 30 canopy crossings on the BR-174, a 3,300-kilometer (2,000-mile) highway slicing through the Amazon. In 2024, she was among the winners of the Whitley Fund for Nature Award, which celebrates grassroots conservationists, for her efforts. Abra hopes the structures can help turn things around for some of Brazil's vulnerable and endangered species, like the Groves' titi, the Schneider's marmoset, and the Guiana Spider Monkey. Each bridge is fitted with cameras to monitor the animals using it, and those that approach it but turn away, so the structure can be redesigned to convince critters to cross. 'Every time I see the video of the monkey using my canopy bridge, it's wonderful because we are avoiding the situation of road mortality,' says Abra. Reconnecting fragments of forest that have been cut apart by human-built infrastructure can have other benefits, like giving animals access to more food resources and potential mates. 'Connecting the population, we can make it stronger and allow it to grow,' says Abra. That could be crucial as Brazil builds more roads. In 2023, Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced plans to spend almost $200 billion on infrastructure, including new highways. Similar approaches are being put into use across the world. In California, an overpass is under construction above the 10-lane 101 Freeway, that will provide safe passage for animals like mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. Abra also has plans for growth. The Reconecta Project is now expanding in Alta Floresta, a city in the west-central state of Mato Grosso, where she's engaging officials from various government departments and representatives from non-profits and universities, she says. The canopy bridges will be supplemented with measures like speed bumps to slow down traffic and wildlife crossing signs to alert motorists. She hopes to eventually expand to other areas in Brazil. 'What amazes me about Brazil is the richness that we have, the wonderful biodiversity we have here,' says Abra, 'and I will do everything that I can as a person, as a professional, as a conservationist and researcher to protect this rich biodiversity.'
CNN
20-02-2025
- Science
- CNN
A conservationist is building bridges in the Amazon so monkeys can cross the road
The first time Brazilian biologist Fernanda Abra saw a Groves' titi monkey, one of the most 25 endangered primates in the world, it was positioned right next to a road. 'It was totally exposed to road mortality,' recalls Abra. Although figures vary wildly, by some estimates, 475 million vertebrate animals are killed by vehicles every year in the South American country, which is home to the world's fourth biggest road network, and the Amazon rainforest. It's a problem that Abra, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Sustainability, Conservation Biology Institute, has been trying to solve by building bridges at the canopy level, so tree-dwelling species can safely traverse roadways. Prev Next Working with local partners including the indigenous Waimiri-Atroari people, who hold important knowledge about the wildlife in their territory in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima, Abra's Reconecta Project has built more than 30 canopy crossings on the BR-174, a 3,300-kilometer (2,000-mile) highway slicing through the Amazon. In 2024, she was among the winners of the Whitley Fund for Nature Award, which celebrates grassroots conservationists, for her efforts. Abra hopes the structures can help turn things around for some of Brazil's vulnerable and endangered species, like the Groves' titi, the Schneider's marmoset, and the Guiana Spider Monkey. Each bridge is fitted with cameras to monitor the animals using it, and those that approach it but turn away, so the structure can be redesigned to convince critters to cross. 'Every time I see the video of the monkey using my canopy bridge, it's wonderful because we are avoiding the situation of road mortality,' says Abra. Reconnecting fragments of forest that have been cut apart by human-built infrastructure can have other benefits, like giving animals access to more food resources and potential mates. 'Connecting the population, we can make it stronger and allow it to grow,' says Abra. That could be crucial as Brazil builds more roads. In 2023, Brazil's president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced plans to spend almost $200 billion on infrastructure, including new highways. Similar approaches are being put into use across the world. In California, an overpass is under construction above the 10-lane 101 Freeway, that will provide safe passage for animals like mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats. Abra also has plans for growth. The Reconecta Project is now expanding in Alta Floresta, a city in the west-central state of Mato Grosso, where she's engaging officials from various government departments and representatives from non-profits and universities, she says. The canopy bridges will be supplemented with measures like speed bumps to slow down traffic and wildlife crossing signs to alert motorists. She hopes to eventually expand to other areas in Brazil. 'What amazes me about Brazil is the richness that we have, the wonderful biodiversity we have here,' says Abra, 'and I will do everything that I can as a person, as a professional, as a conservationist and researcher to protect this rich biodiversity.'
