Latest news with #OrleansParishJail
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Daily Mail
New Orleans jail escapee's 'Bonnie and Clyde' accomplice revealed
The girlfriend of one of the inmates who escaped in the huge New Orleans jail break has been arrested while her 'on-again, off-again' lover remains on the lam. Former prison guard Darriana Burton, 28, was charged with 'conspiracy to commit simple escape' after 10 inmates broke free from the Orleans Parish Jail in Louisiana on May 16. Her boyfriend, convicted killer Derrick Groves, 27, is one of two inmates not yet captured. Burton allegedly had 'intentional and active involvement in the planning phase' and is accused of picking up at least one of the inmates after the escape, according to the Louisiana's Attorney General's Office. Burton participated in a video call with Groves two days before the escape and held up another phone to the camera for another, unknown man, to join the conversation and discuss the escape outside the jail's monitoring systems, according to an affidavit obtained by Fox 8. The pair called again later that evening, during which the three had another conversation. This time, the unidentified man reportedly said the prison break plan was a 'bad move' and could 'trigger a manhunt.' Detectives believe, however, that at this point outside contacts had been made aware of the plan and it was already underway. Burton previously worked at the Sheriff's Office from 2022 until she was arrested and charged for bringing contraband into the jail and malfeasance in office in 2023, according to a statement from Attorney General Liz Murrill. Ten prisoners were captured on shocking video footage escaping from the Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 16 Groves is one of two inmates who remain at large after ten escaped through a wall behind a prison toilet. The group of escapees used a blanket to protect themselves from the barbed wired fence. He has been linked to four killings, and authorities warned that he may be violent or attempt to locate witnesses in his murder trial. Groves was accused for attempted second-degree murder at 17, but was eventually found not guilty, according to court records obtained by CNN. Then, he was convicted for the second time last year of two charges on second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for the 2018 shooting on Mardi Gras. Groves was found to have be one of two gunmen who opened fire on 'what should have been joyous Mardi Gras family gathering' with AK-47-style assault rifles, according to the District Attorney's Office. He was found guilty of killing Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson as well as the attempt on the life of two other victims who were shot. Groves' aunt, Jasmine Groves, pleaded with her nephew to turn himself in to avoid any deadly force in attempts to return him into custody. She told WDSU that no one in her family knows where Groves is following his escape. 'For my family, it's been like reliving a constant nightmare that we relived throughout these whole 30 years,' she said, adding that Groves' mother had been taken by law enforcement for questioning. Groves was found guilty of killing Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson as well as the attempt on the life of two other victims who were shot The remaining inmate on the loose is fellow escapee Antoine Massey who is wanted in connection to a rape and kidnapping in St. Tammany Parish, as well as domestic abuse and theft charges in Orleans Parish. Massey, 32, released a video on Instagram where he pleaded his innocent and insisted he was 'let out' last month. 'I'm one of the ones that was let out of Orleans Parish jail where they said I escaped, right?' Massey says. The heavily-tattooed con looked down the camera as he insisted charges against him had been made up by a jealous woman he was 'dating'. 'The reason why I left the jail is because these people were trying to give me a life sentence in both parishes for something I did not do,' he said. As he claimed he is a victim of corruption, Massey appealed for help from public figures who had 'been through the corrupt system', including Trump, Lil Wayne and the recently-pardoned rapper NBA YoungBoy. Murrill said in the latest release that they will 'continue to pursue anyone and everyone who has aided and abetted these criminals.' 'We will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the full extent of the law,' Murrill added. 'I'd like to thank the US Marshals Service for our executing our warrant for [Burton]. We will eventually get Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves back to prison where they belong.' Sterling Williams (pictured), 33, has been arrested for helping a group of violent criminals escape by allegedly turning off the water to their cell block The group of escapees were also said to have been aided by a prison maintenance worker, Sterling Williams, who allegedly turned off the water to the cell they broke out of. Williams said he was forced to do so and the inmates threatened to 'shank' him if he refused, Massey said in his Instagram video, however, that wasn't true. 'Sterling flat-out lied on me,' Massey said. Police have arrested more than a dozen alleged accomplices since the escape last month, including the grandmother of one of the escapees who allegedly helped him escape. Connie Weeden, 59, is accused of helping her grandson Jermaine Donald and allegedly was in regular contact with him before and after the jailbreak. The investigation uncovered evidence that Weeden was speaking to Donald over the phone in the lead-up to the escape and continued providing assistance even after he had fled the facility. Police say she even provided cash to the dangerous fugitive through a mobile phone app, potentially helping to fund his life on the run. The inmates who have been successfully located and returned to custody include Corey Boyd, 20, Kendall Myles, 21, Gary Price, 21, Dkenan Dennis, 24, Robert Moody, 22, Leo Tate, 32, Lenton Vanburen Jr., 27, and Jermaine Donald, 42. There is now a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the remaining escapee's arrests.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Watch: Texas police body camera footage shows recapture of escaped Orleans inmates
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Body camera footage from the Huntsville Police Department in Texas shows the moment two New Orleans escapees were captured. On Monday, May 26, 31-year-old Leo Tate and 42-year-old Jermaine Donald were found across Louisiana state line in Texas by Huntsville officers. Eight inmates captured, two still at large following Orleans Parish jailbreak The video shows officers in a pursuit behind the white vehicle reportedly being driven by Donald. In a second video, the vehicle is surrounded and Tate is seen being pulled out of the vehicle's back seat followed by Tate being pulled from the front. The group has been on the run for 11 days following the May 16 escape through a hole cut in the wall at the Orleans Justice Center. Tate was in custody for charges of simply burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm, illegal carrying weapon with a controlled substance. Donald faced charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of firearm. Boyfriend of Desire homicide victim arrested on murder allegations Eight of the 10 escapees have been located and transferred to a state correctional facility. Also captured Monday was 27-year-old Lenton Vanburen who was captured in Baton Rouge. Vanburen was in custody for illegal carrying weapons, illegal possession of firearm by felon, obstruction of justice, introduce contraband in prison Antoine Massey and Derrick Groves remain at Orleans Parish Jail escapee captured in Baton Rouge, attorney general says NPR sues Trump over order to cut funding Collision 'sport' trending on social media turns deadly Three-time U.S. Olympian earns new title, graduates from LSUS Watch: Texas police body camera footage shows recapture of escaped Orleans inmates Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Three Orleans Parish Jail escapees recaptured on Monday, two still at-large
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Three inmates who escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail were recaptured on Monday. According to a social media post from Attorney General Liz Murrill, Lenton Vanburen, 26, was picked up in Baton Rouge by the Baton Rouge Police and the Louisiana State Police. Lenton was incarcerated on charges of parole violation, possession of a firearm by a felon, and illegal carrying of a weapon. He will face additional charges related to the escape, Murrill says. Baton Rouge Police shared that Lenton was found sitting on a bench near a department store in Hammond Aire Plaza around 6 p.m. after an anonymous tip. Jermaine Donald and Leo Tate were recaptured in Houston, Texas. The 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Jail on May 16 through a hole behind a toilet and scaled a wall without detection. Two inmates, Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, remain at large. IMS opens ticket renewal for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Three Orleans Parish Jail escapees recaptured on Monday, two still at-large Florida man survives alligator attack before being fatally shot by deputies What if the most exciting cars today are Korean? Woman arrested, accused of principal to attempted murder in Baton Rouge shooting Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
27-05-2025
- Fox News
Sixth fugitive from New Orleans jailbreak captured in Baton Rouge
One of five remaining fugitives on the run after escaping from a New Orleans jail has been captured, authorities said Monday. Lenton Vanburen was arrested in Baton Rouge and was back in custody, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill posted on X. "Vanburen was originally incarcerated on charges of parole violation, possession of firearm by felon, and illegal carrying of a weapon," Murrill wrote. He will face additional charges related to his escape. Vanburen was one of 10 inmates to make the brazen May 16 escape from their Orleans Parish jail. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Louisiana inmates used hair trimmers in efforts to escape from New Orleans jail, source says
The 10 inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail in a stunning overnight escape last week used electric hair trimmers with multiple clipper blades to help cut their way through the cell walls, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation told CNN. Investigators continue to comb through previous jail phone recordings and believe that other incarcerated inmates or employees at the jail could face additional charges for their role assisting in the May 16 escape and initial cover-up in the hours following the jailbreak, according to the source. Those inmates are believed to have placed the toilet back on the wall after the jailbreak to conceal the hole behind the toilet that escapees used to break free. In addition, the inmates also provided towels to the escapees which were used to help them scale the barbed wire fence surrounding the Orleans Parish Jail, the source told CNN. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, which oversees the Orleans Justice Center jail facility, has not responded to CNN's questions about the details surrounding the escape, including whether inmates are allowed to have access to electric hair trimmers and barber equipment. Authorities continued to search for five of the escapees as of Friday afternoon. Five others have been recaptured and are being held without bond at the maximum-security Louisiana State Penitentiary. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill visited the Orleans Justice Center earlier this week as part of the ongoing investigation into the escape. The district attorney said Thursday the director of the New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab visited the jail to begin a formal forensic processing of the scene, which he said was not requested by the sheriff's office. Williams formally asked the sheriff's office to voluntarily cooperate with the forensic analysis, including by sharing any records of staff fingerprints or DNA 'for the purpose of inclusion or elimination of their profiles,' according to a letter Williams sent to the sheriff's office on Thursday that was obtained by CNN. A separate letter from Thursday formally requested the sheriff's office preserve all records related to the jailbreak, including surveillance video and electronic communications between staff. 'It is critically important to get all fugitives back into custody. But it is equally important that we identify and hold accountable anyone who facilitated or assisted with this historic jailbreak,' the district attorney wrote. 'If you were manning the security system, you would have known a door was opening,' former Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, who ran the jail from 2004 to 2022, told CNN. 'Especially in the middle of the night,' Gusman said. He oversaw construction at the Orleans Justice Center, which re-opened in 2015 as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency project to replace older jail structures that were damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Gusman told CNN he has no idea how the inmates got into the pipe chase behind the toilet and sink, but emphasized they had to navigate through walls made with a 'substantial' network of concrete molding about '5 inches thick' and mixed with rebar, which is re-enforced steel. 'And the pipe chase is secure; if you open the door in the pipe chase, an alarm should go off,' the former sheriff told CNN. 'If you get into the pipe chase, it's not like you are out. You still have to get to another door.' Gusman added, 'So however they got into the pipe chase, I don't know, but once they got into the pipe chase, there was a door that they had to leave out of the pipe chase onto the loading dock.' A maintenance worker with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, Sterling Williams, was arrested Tuesday. Williams, 33, is accused of 'willfully and maliciously' assisting with the jailbreak, according to an affidavit. He faces one count of malfeasance in office and 10 counts of being a principal to simple escape. Williams' attorney, Michael Kennedy, said the worker was turning off water to an overflowing toilet after being told to do so and is 'fully convinced' of his client's innocence. Six other suspected accomplices have also been arrested for allegedly helping some of the 10 escapees. On Friday, New Orleans police announced the arrest of Casey Smith, who is accused of helping two fugitives. The 30-year-old was taken into custody Thursday in the city's Third District. 'Smith admitted to her role in aiding the escapees' transport along with Cortnie Harris,' who was arrested Wednesday for her alleged role in the incident, New Orleans police said. Authorities arrested Trevon Williams on Friday in connection with the inmates' escape. Trevon Williams, who was already in jail on unrelated charges, was rebooked on an additional charge of principal to simple escape, according to an X post from Murrill. New Orleans police announced the arrest of Emmitt Weber, 28, on Friday. Weber faces a charge of accessory after the fact of simple escape, authorities said. Meanwhile, another suspect, Corvanntay Baptiste, was arrested earlier this week after allegedly communicating with escapee Corey Boyd via phone and social media and helping him get food, Louisiana State Police said. Another arrestee, Connie Weeden, is accused of sending cash via a cell phone app to escapee Jermaine Donald. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections is deploying at least 10 seasoned auditors to the Orleans Justice Center this week to investigate the escape. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry tasked the department with auditing the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, to ensure they were in compliance with 'conditions necessary to ensure the safe, efficient, effective and legal operation of a jail facility,' the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections told CNN. The last audit of the facility was in 2014, over a decade ago, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, before the jail located in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood was opened. A team of over 200 local, state and federal law enforcement officers and agents is working around the clock to capture the remaining missing inmates, according to state police. CNN's Matt Rehbein, Rebekah Riess, Hanna Park, Cindy Von Quednow, Zoe Sottile and Holly Yan contributed to this report.
