In brief
After five months of evasion, Derrick Groves, a 28-year-old convict, has been captured in Atlanta, Georgia. Groves was part of a group of ten inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Justice Center by breaking a toilet and exiting through the wall. His capture marks the end of a significant manhunt, culminating in a tense standoff with police.
Five months after 10 prisoners broke out of a Louisiana jail, the last escapee has been captured, Louisiana State Police confirmed on Wednesday.
The runaway inmate, 28-year-old Derrick Groves, was taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia, following a brief stand-off, police said.
Police released several gas canisters into a house where Groves was believed to be hiding, and then found him hiding in a crawl space, CBS News, BBC's US partner, reported.
The 10 inmates, including Groves, had fled the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May by ripping a toilet from the wall and breaking metal bars around the hole in the wall before climbing down a hall and running across a highway.
The inmates had scrawled a few messages into the wall above the hole, including 'To Easy LoL,' a smiley face with its tongue sticking out, and another that appeared to tell officers to catch them if they can.
The escape was facilitated by a 'perfect storm' of staffing issues and building design flaws, as noted by Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson in August.
Three of the inmates were found within 24 hours of the breakout, and several others were captured in the following weeks. A tip led investigators to track Groves to the Atlanta area.
When police first approached the home, it appeared that no one was there. However, Groves was ultimately found hiding in a crawl space he had worked to conceal himself in.
Groves was convicted of second degree murder in October 2024 after firing an assault rifle into a Mardi Gras block party, which resulted in the deaths of two people. He also faced charges for attempted murder and firearms offenses, with a sentence of life imprisonment.
Now facing additional charges for his escape, Groves is to be extradited to Louisiana for processing, as confirmed by Atlanta police.
