Latest news with #OrleansParish
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- General
- Associated Press
New Orleans DA pulls out of jailbreak investigation amid conflict of interest allegation
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Facing allegations of a conflict of interest, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams removed himself this week from a Louisiana Attorney General-led investigation into the massive jailbreak that saw 10 men escape a New Orleans jail earlier this month. Gov. Jeff Landry ordered an investigation into the jailbreak several days after the inmates escaped on May 16. Williams had initially described the inquiry as a 'joint effort' with the Attorney General Liz Murrill and toured the jail with her as part of the probe. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson accused Williams' role in the investigation as being 'fueled by personal animus and political campaigning' according to a court filing earlier this week reviewed by The Associated Press. Williams denied these allegations. Earlier this year, Williams endorsed his employee Michelle Woodfork to replace Hutson as sheriff in 2026. Woodfork declined to comment. In a statement, Williams said the recusal motion had not been granted because there were 'no legal grounds to support it.' Judge Nandi Campbell, who received the motion for recusal, declined to comment. Williams and Hutson dispute the timeline and reasons for his withdrawal from the investigation. Williams said he removed himself due to its 'multi-jurisdictional nature' — citing a separate jailbreak that occurred earlier this month in another Louisiana parish — and has deferred to Murrill. Williams said his office engaged in the investigation 'to ensure that no evidence was lost or compromised' after the breakout. He criticized Hutson for not 'immediately' requesting an 'independent forensic processing' of the facility, where inmates had yanked open a cell door and crawled through a hole cut from behind a toilet. Authorities have arrested a maintenance worker for allegedly aiding in the escape. 'It's hard not to see this agency as anything but compromised until any bad actors have been identified and rooted out,' Williams said of the sheriff's office. At a press conference the day of the escape on May 16, Hutson said that she believed the timing of the jailbreak may have been politically motivated. Hutson's motion for recusal says that Williams' investigation had given an 'unfair advantage to his preferred candidate' and would be a 'strain' on the resources of the sheriff's office. Hutson's allegations against Williams come after local and state officials heaped criticism on Hutson's management of the jail and her office's hourslong delay in notifying authorities of the escape. While Hutson has sought to blame the escape on a lack of funding to help make urgent improvements to faulty locks and ailing jail infrastructure, city and state leaders have generally disputed this characterization. Murrill said in a Thursday statement that she is heading the investigation to provide 'accountability' and 'recommendations' to the state and the city 'to ensure that an escape like this never happens again.' Hutson said that she 'welcomes the oversight of the Attorney General's Office and remains fully committed to cooperating with all relevant authorities.' The Orleans Parish jail system, long plagued by dysfunction, has been under federal oversight since 2013. ___ Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Fox News
14 hours ago
- General
- Fox News
Orleans Parish DA says sheriff's office 'compromised' amid lawsuit, jailbreak investigation
The district attorney in New Orleans fired back at the local sheriff who sought his recusal from the investigation into a massive 10-man escape from the county's jail, escalating a two-week war of words between the two. After Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, whose department runs the jail, filed a lawsuit seeking to bar Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams from investigating the jailbreak, Williams made clear his thoughts on the sheriff. "After this jailbreak, jail leadership should have immediately requested an independent forensic processing of that scene," he said Thursday evening in a media release. "It's hard not to see this agency as anything but compromised until any bad actors have been identified and rooted out." "The Sheriff's Office's time and resources were clearly misspent this week, and once again, this office finds itself two steps behind the moment," the release continued. "We, along with our other law enforcement partners, will remain focused on the crisis at hand: recapturing every individual involved in this escape, understanding the systemic failures or individual actions that made it possible, and implementing meaningful corrective measures." Hutson filed a motion in a New Orleans court after what she called "ongoing attacks" on the sheriff's office in "an unprecedented display of political self-serving bias," according to ABC News. The sheriff noted that Williams is also backing her opponent in an upcoming reelection bid to remain the parish's top cop. Last week, Hutson suspended campaign operations to focus on the breakout. The matter was settled out of court on Thursday in a meeting with Orleans Parish Criminal Judge Nandi Campbell. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office will continue to lead the investigation into how the men, including a four-time killer and a serial escapee, broke out of their cell and hopped the jail's barbed-wire fence to freedom on May 16. "I will continue to conduct an independent investigation into how the ten violent inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on Friday, May 16," Murrill said in an X post on Thursday night, adding that she will provide recommendations to relevant government entities to ensure such an escape never occurs again. Friday marks two weeks since 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans. Two inmates, including a four-time convicted killer, are still on the loose after the jailbreak. Derrick Groves was convicted in October of a double-homicide stemming from a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018. After his conviction, he pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter in unrelated cases and was scheduled to be sentenced in July. He was being held in the jail until his sentencing. Antoine Massey, a four-time escapee known locally for consistently evading law enforcement, also remains free. On Thursday, Crime Stoppers and the FBI both increased their rewards for information leading to the arrests of the pair. Each man now has a $50,000 bounty on his head. The eight other escapees have been caught as local, state and federal law enforcement continue to pour resources into ending the manhunt for good. Fourteen people have been arrested for assisting the escapees either before or after they broke out. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Hutson, Williams, Murrill and the New Orleans Criminal District Court for comment.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
New Orleans jail, site of a brazen inmate escape, faces flooding and plumbing failures
NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans jail that gained national attention for a brazen escape by 10 inmates earlier this month is experiencing 'significant flooding' from 'ongoing and severe plumbing failures,' the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office says. Embattled Sheriff Susan Hutson and her deputies have portrayed the bold jailbreak — one of the largest in recent U.S. history — as the result of an ailing facility in dire need of repairs and improvements such as replacing faulty locks .
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Louisiana AG confident remaining jailbreak fugitives will be recaptured after officials make 14th arrest
New Orleans authorities have arrested a total of 14 people in connection with a mass jailbreak on May 16 and re-arrested eight of the 10 Orleans Parish escapees. Two fugitives — domestic abuse suspect Antoine T. Massey and four-time convicted killer Derrick Groves — remain at large. "I am absolutely confident that they will be recaptured, and we just are going to continue our very methodical work to get them back in custody," Attorney General Liz Murrill told Fox News on Thursday, adding that Massey and Groves are both considered "armed and dangerous." Officials this week announced the arrests of Massey's sister, 31-year-old Daishanae Massey, and two other women, Lenika Vanburen and Diamond White. All are accused of helping the escaped inmates, who removed a toilet from a wall in a cell and crawled through the hole it created. The eight inmates who have been re-arrested include Lenton Vanburen Jr., Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Corey Boyd, Robert Moody, Gary C. Price, Dkenan Dennis and Kendall Myles. The 11 others charged in connection with helping them escape include Patricia Vanburen, Tyshanea "Minnie" Randolph, Lenton Vanburen Sr., Angel McKey, Emmitt Weber, Trevon Williams, Casey Smith, Sterling Williams, Connie Weeden, Corvanntay Baptiste and Cortnie Harris. "I think they were sympathetic. I mean, some of them are relatives of some of the escapees," Murrill said Thursday. "I mean, these individuals are reaching out to people they know and seeking assistance, and we are going to arrest and prosecute anyone who we find is assisting them." A New Orleans jury last October found Groves guilty of two counts of second-degree murder after he killed two men on Mardi Gras in 2024. He later pleaded guilty to two manslaughter charges in two other killings. Groves, already serving two life sentences for the Mardis Gras murders, was awaiting his sentencing for the manslaughter charges when he escaped the Orleans Justice Center. His aunt, Jasmine Groves, is calling on him to turn himself in. "I'm praying to the Lord that he is protected, and I pray that they don't try to kill him," she told FOX 8 New Orleans. Murrill told Fox News' John Roberts there is "always the possibility" that Groves and Massey could be traveling out of state. Jasmine Groves told the outlet that her nephew has been stabbed three times in jail, and she noted that the inmates would have never been able to escape had the correctional facility been staffed properly. The other escaped inmates, some of whom are charged with violent offenses, were being held in a minimum-custody site at the Orleans Parish facility. The jail is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson on Thursday called for a long-term investment in plumbing upgrades at the Orleans Justice Center ahead of hurricane season, noting issues with flooding and "severe plumbing issues." "These recurring plumbing issues highlight a much deeper infrastructure crisis at OJC, rooted in years of deferred maintenance, chronic overcrowding, and a lack of meaningful investment," Hutson said in a Thursday statement. "This is not just a facilities problem. It's a public safety issue, a staffing issue, and most of all, a human dignity issue. We are responsible for providing safe, stable, and humane conditions for everyone in our custody and working inside that building." Hutson announced a temporary suspension of her re-election campaign in a statement on May 21. "As I said today, I take full accountability for the breach that occurred under my leadership," Hutson said. "I am grateful to the community, our law enforcement partners and city and state leaders for helping us to secure the Orleans Justice Center and capture the remaining escapees." "We've taken immediate action, including suspensions, an arrest and full cooperation with the attorney general's investigation." She added there is "a long road ahead" for her "to be fully satisfied that the [Orleans Justice Center] and my deputies have the proper resources to perform their duties to the fullest extent the people of New Orleans deserve." "As such, I am temporarily suspending my re-election campaign. I cannot spend a moment putting politics over your needs," she said. "Now is the time to focus on security, accountability, and public safety. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with other agencies and community organizations to hear your valuable input and make necessary changes." WATCH: Stunning video shows New Orleans inmates escaping Anyone found aiding an escapee will be charged as an accomplice, according to New Orleans authorities. The FBI is offering rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of the escaped inmates. Crime Stoppers is also offering a $2,000 reward per inmate. A violent offender warrant squad is searching for the escapees, along with the FBI and U.S. Marshals. More than 200 law enforcement officers are assisting with the search.
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Botched crime scene handling could derail prosecution of Orleans Parish jail escapees, former FBI agent says
The failure by law enforcement officials to immediately process the jail cell from which 10 inmates escaped on May 16 as a crime scene could jeopardize potential prosecutions of the inmates, an expert said. "One of the first things any prosecutor looks for is basic crime scene documentation: photos, evidence logs, and signs that law enforcement treated the scene seriously," Jason Pack, a former FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital. "Even if the facts seem clear-cut, skipping those steps opens the door for defense attorneys to argue the investigation was incomplete or sloppy." On Thursday, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams made what he called a "very unusual" move. Noting that Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson had not ordered a crime scene investigation inside the jail cell, he assembled a team of New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) crime scene technicians and personally accompanied them to the jail to collect evidence. "Time is also of the essence when trying to get good DNA samples or collect fingerprints to make sure those areas are not molested or destroyed in any way," he told the media at the time. "So I am deeply concerned that there was not an immediate request by the sheriff to our local crime lab to get in there and examine, document, preserve and collect all of the forensic evidence that was available there so that we could already have it tested." Pack said that the delayed collection of evidence could help defense attorneys muddy the waters, and that Williams is likely tying up loose ends to make his potential cases as bulletproof as possible. "Now that someone from inside the jail has been charged with helping the escape, the district attorney was likely thinking like a prosecutor from the start," he said. "He would have been focused on how the case will look in court and what a judge or jury will expect to see." Sterling Williams, 33, an employee of the sheriff's office and a maintenance worker at the jail, has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office for allegedly aiding the inmates in their jailbreak. He is accused of turning off the water in the cell from which the inmates escaped, allowing them to remove a toilet that blocked a hole they had cut into the cell's wall. Once the toilet was removed, they climbed through the hole, ran through an unguarded corridor, and then made a beeline for the jail's fence, hopping over it and onto the streets of New Orleans. Williams told investigators the inmates threatened to "shank" him if he did not help them. "For legal purposes, especially when a criminal charge has already been filed, the pod where the escape happened still needs to be treated like a crime scene," Pack said. However, he noted that the crime scene is a hectic area. The jail has 1,400 inmates, and countless inmates and staff could have contaminated the crime scene by now. "It's also important to remember that a jail pod isn't a clean crime scene. It's a busy place: guards, inmates, maintenance workers," Pack said. "A lot of people have access." According to Pack, the fingerprint and DNA evidence might not yield a clear-cut answer as to who might have committed a crime. Instead, he said, the value in collecting that evidence is to show in court that "every reasonable step was taken" in the investigation. WATCH: Stunning video shows New Orleans inmates escaping Williams said after collecting evidence from the scene that he had asked all OPSO employees and other relevant parties to voluntarily submit to fingerprinting in order to rule them out as suspects. He also demanded that surveillance footage from 90 cameras in the jail from April 1 through May 21 be handed over to his office. "Even when video shows how the escape happened, crime scene photos and records help prove that the case was handled professionally and by the book," Pack said. The May 16 early morning escape included a convicted four-time killer, along with nine others facing violent criminal charges stemming from second-degree murder to domestic abuse and felon in possession of a firearm. They taunted the authorities on the way out, writing "To easy LOL," along with other messages on the wall of the cell. Authorities were unaware that the men were missing for about eight hours after the escape. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office did not respond to a request for comment. Two hundred local, state and federal law enforcement officers have been involved in a manhunt for the suspects. As of Tuesday, eight of the suspects have been recaptured, and 14 people have been arrested for aiding them. Along with Williams, an inmate who did not escape with the group of 10 became the second person from inside the jail to be charged with helping them escape. Trevon Williams, 23, has been rebooked on 10 counts of principal to simple escape for allegedly giving the escapees a blanket and shirt to help them hop the razor-wire fence during their escape. Arrests over the weekend included 28-year-old Lenika Vanburen, 18-year-old Patricia Vanburen, 27-year-old Tyshanea "Minnie" Randolph, 47-year-old Lenton Vanburen Sr. and 40-year-old Angel McKey – all accused of aiding the escapees. Lenton Vanburen Sr. is the father of escapee Lenton Vanburen, who has since been caught, a source confirmed to Fox News. State police said that Diamond White, 21, was also arrested on charges that include principal to aggravated escape and obstruction of justice, USA Today reported. Emmitt Weber, 28, was also arrested for allegedly helping two of the inmates after the escape. So was Casey Smith, 30, who reportedly admitted to driving some of the inmates around New Orleans after they escaped. On Thursday night, the Louisiana State Police announced that it had arrested Connie Weeden, 59, who allegedly sent cash to then-fugitive Jermaine Donald via a cellphone app. Before that, Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, were arrested for allegedly assisting the fugitives. Harris is accused of transporting some of the escapees to locations throughout New Orleans after the escape, and Baptiste is accused of being in contact with escapee Corey Boyd and bringing him food after the escape. Sources close to the investigation told Fox News that Baptiste is the girlfriend of now-recaptured Boyd, who is accused of second-degree murder, and Harris is the girlfriend of Leo Tate, who is still on the run. On Monday, three more inmates were recaptured. Vanburen was caught in Baton Rouge, and Tate and Donald were captured by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Walker, Texas, according to the Louisiana State Police. Groves remains on the run with Antoine Massey, a four-time jail escapee who faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation.
