Federal and state officials have increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of seven inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail by climbing through a hole behind a toilet.
The massive manhunt for seven of the ten escapees entered its third day in Louisiana on May 18. During a news conference, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Jonathan Trapp stated that he believes members of the public assisted the seven inmates in evading authorities.
Trapp stated that the FBI is now offering $10,000 per inmate, while the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) offers $5,000 per inmate. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also announced that the Crime Stoppers award will be increased to $5,000 per inmate, which will be funded by the governor and state Sen. Cameron Henry.
“The FBI will work together to ensure that those who help these inmates evade recapture are held accountable,” Trapp said at the news conference. “These inmates are accused of serious crimes, and until they are back in custody, we should all remain vigilant.”
The inmates, some of whom are charged with murder, escaped from Orleans Parish Prison around 1 a.m. on May 16. According to Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, the men escaped through a hole in the wall behind a toilet and sink unit after pulling a “defective” cell door off its tracks.
According to Landry, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, and Dkenan Dennis were returned to custody on the evening of May 17. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are still searching for Corey Boyd, Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Lenton Vanburen, Antoine T. Massey, and Gary C. Price.
At least one of the inmates was discovered thanks to a public tip, the FBI in New Orleans said on social media. According to Louisiana State Police, one recovered escapee was found hiding under a car in a hotel garage in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter.
The inmate was apprehended following a brief chase.
The city of New Orleans and its police department have urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant during the manhunt and report any suspicious activity, according to WDSU. Col. Robert Hodges, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, also warned that the escapees may have left New Orleans and traveled to other parishes or states.
Did the inmates have help?
According to Orleans Parish Chief of Corrections Jeworski Mallett, the inmates would not have been able to breach the wall near the toilets without outside assistance.
“It was more than just a breach of security, it was some type of help,” Mallett told reporters.
Security footage showed the men tampering with a cell door, fleeing through a loading dock, and running across a highway. According to Hutson, a jail employee witnessed the men fleeing through surveillance but did not report it. “We have indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department,” Hutson told the media.
Following the incident, Hutson announced that three sheriff’s office employees would be suspended without pay, according to NOLA.com and local television station WGNO.
What were the inmates initially in jail for?
The jail housed 1,400 inmates, including several “high security” prisoners convicted of violent crimes who needed a “restrictive housing environment that did not exist,” Mallett told PBS.
At least three of the escaped inmates have been charged with murder or attempted murder, according to parish records.
The three recaptured inmates, Myles, Moody, and Dennis, were awaiting trial on felony charges such as attempted murder, armed robberies, aggravated assault, battery, extortion, illegally carrying weapons, and illegal drug possession, according to Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office records.
Price, 21, was charged with attempted first-degree murder. Donald, 42, was charged with second-degree murder. Massey, 32, is accused of domestic abuse involving strangulation, according to Parish records.
It is unclear what additional charges the inmates may face after their escape.
Louisiana Gov. Landry calls for audit into New Orleans jail
During the May 18 news conference, Landry stated that the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office would lead the investigation into the “massive jailbreak.”
The governor also directed the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections to conduct an audit of the Orleans Parish Prison to ensure compliance with basic jail guidelines and to remove all current inmates from the facility.
“There is no excuse for the escape of these violent offenders,” Landry informed the audience. “There is also no excuse for the way these cases are currently being mismanaged in our criminal justice system.”
Landry also stated that he will issue an executive order instructing the state’s Inspector General to compile an inventory of all pre-trial detainees and those who are still awaiting sentencing. The governor used one of the escapees, Groves, as an example.
“If he would have been sentenced by our court system, he most likely would not have had an opportunity to escape,” claimed Landry.
