Ten inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail in a daring overnight breakout, taking advantage of serious security lapses. The men fled through a hole behind a toilet in their cell, then scaled a wall while the lone guard assigned to their pod was away getting food. Authorities reported that eight of the escapees remain at large, including individuals charged with murder.
Surveillance footage captured the fugitives sprinting out of the facility. Some wore the typical orange jail uniforms, while others wore white. The escapees were seen scaling a fence and using blankets to avoid injury from barbed wire before dispersing across a nearby interstate and into surrounding neighborhoods. A photo from law enforcement showed the hole behind the toilet through which the inmates escaped. Scrawled above the hole was the message “Too Easy LoL,” pointing to the gap.
The escape went unnoticed for over seven hours until a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m. revealed the absence of the men. Officials confirmed that no deputy was present in the pod where the inmates were held during the escape. A civilian technician who was observing the pod had left to get food, leaving the area unsupervised.
One of the escapees, Kendall Myles, 20, was quickly apprehended following a brief foot chase in the French Quarter. Myles had previously escaped twice from juvenile detention centers. By the end of the day, another fugitive, Robert Moody, 21, was captured in New Orleans after a tip to Crime Stoppers.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff blamed defective locks for the breakout, noting that she had repeatedly raised concerns about the faulty infrastructure. She said there was likely inside help involved, emphasizing that escaping without assistance was almost impossible given the jail’s design. Officials said the inmates pried open a door to enter the cell containing the hole at around 1 a.m., and that at least one steel bar protecting plumbing fixtures appeared to have been intentionally cut using a tool.
Once outside the facility, the men discarded their jail uniforms. It remains unclear how some obtained regular clothing so quickly. Initially, officials thought 11 inmates had escaped but later corrected the number to ten after discovering one man was in a different cell. Three employees have been suspended pending investigation, though authorities did not clarify whether the guard who left to get food was among them or if any were suspected of helping the escape.
The fugitives are mostly in their twenties, with ages ranging from 19 to 42. One of them, Derrick Groves, was convicted of two second-degree murder charges and two attempted second-degree murder charges related to the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings. He also faces a battery charge for attacking a correctional facility employee and may try to contact witnesses in his upcoming murder trial. Another escapee, Corey Boyd, is currently awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge and has pleaded not guilty.
Law enforcement is actively working with local, state, and federal agencies to locate the fugitives. Authorities used facial recognition technology through a nonprofit operating thousands of cameras in New Orleans to identify and capture two of the escapees in the French Quarter. One fugitive was seen walking openly but cautiously on the street before disappearing from camera view.
Local officials harshly criticized the jail’s handling of the escape. The district attorney condemned the multi-hour delay in notifying law enforcement and the public, calling it a “complete failure” of basic responsibilities. The state attorney general described the situation as “beyond unacceptable” and confirmed she alerted surrounding states. Police are also protecting potential witnesses who may be in danger; one family has been relocated from their home as a precaution.
New Orleans’ jail has faced ongoing issues for over a decade, operating under federal monitoring and a consent decree aimed at improving conditions. Despite the opening of the Orleans Justice Centre in 2015 to replace the dilapidated Orleans Parish Prison, problems with security and violence persist. The previous facility was declared unconstitutional due to conditions that endangered inmates.
The sheriff noted that staffing levels are about 60% of what is needed, leaving personnel stretched thin. Financial constraints have prevented the jail from maintaining and repairing broken infrastructure like doors and locks. The facility also holds many high-security inmates convicted of violent crimes, who require stricter housing environments that the jail cannot currently provide. Efforts were underway to transfer some of these inmates to more secure locations before the escape occurred.
