9 New Orleans Jail Escapees Plead Not Guilty
Nine inmates accused of orchestrating a daring escape from a New Orleans city jail in May pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of simple escape. The high-profile jailbreak, which involved ten detainees slipping through a hole behind a toilet and climbing over a barbed wire fence, remains one of the largest in recent U.S. history.
The inmates entered their pleas remotely via Zoom from the Louisiana State Penitentiary during their arraignment. A tenth inmate, Derrick Groves—a convicted killer—remains at large. Authorities continue to search for him, and his attorney was present at the hearing but did not enter a plea on his behalf.
“All individuals are entitled to due process,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said during a press briefing. “But there’s a video of these detainees running out of the jail in the middle of the night. They were not heading to court hearings. We will continue to hold everyone accountable.”
Each of the ten men faces a charge of simple escape, which carries a penalty of two to five years in prison. The escape charges are in addition to the existing criminal counts that led to their original incarceration.
According to investigators, the group orchestrated the escape by opening a locked door to reach a cell with non-functioning plumbing. There, they removed a toilet and squeezed through a hole in the wall. Surveillance footage captured all ten sprinting out of the facility under cover of darkness.
Shockingly, the escape went unnoticed until a routine head count the next morning. When officers discovered the point of exit, they found graffiti scrawled above the hole in the wall—previously hidden by the toilet—that read: “To Easy LoL.”
In the wake of the incident, at least 16 individuals have been arrested and charged with aiding the escape or assisting the fugitives afterward. Many of those arrested are family members who allegedly provided transportation, money, shelter, and food.
The escape has raised serious questions about conditions and security at the Orleans Parish jail. Officials have launched internal investigations, and critics have called for sweeping reforms in oversight and infrastructure.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office has not commented on whether disciplinary actions have been taken against staff or if upgrades to jail facilities are underway.
Meanwhile, the manhunt for Derrick Groves continues. Law enforcement agencies are urging the public to report any sightings or information that could lead to his capture.
The inmates’ attorneys have not publicly commented on the case, and it remains unclear whether any of them will seek plea deals or contest the charges at trial. Court proceedings are expected to continue later this year.
As the investigation unfolds, the escape has spotlighted not only the fragility of jail security but also the resourcefulness of those behind bars—and the community networks that can mobilize to support them once they’re out.
