‘He’s Getting Help’: Louisiana Police Haven’t Figured Out How to Capture Man Who Escaped Prison Nearly Four Months Ago
A convicted murderer remains the only inmate still at large following a mass escape from the New Orleans Justice Center more than three months ago.
Two prosecutors who helped convict Derrick Groves have left Louisiana in recent weeks along with their families, fearing retaliation. One victim’s family has also gone into hiding, underscoring the lingering danger posed by Groves, who has now been on the run for 98 days.
Authorities say Groves, 31, was awaiting a life sentence for two killings when he helped orchestrate the May 16 breakout, in which 10 inmates tunneled out by dismantling a toilet and slipping through a maintenance shaft before scaling razor wire.
Nine escapees have since been captured, all pleading not guilty to charges of escape. Groves, however, has eluded capture despite an intense nationwide manhunt, and officials fear he is receiving help.
The jailbreak has left behind a trail of fear as the fallout from the jailbreak continues to ripple through New Orleans’ justice system.
Groves had just been convicted for a string of violent killings when he broke free. In October 2024, a jury found him guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder stemming from a 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting that left Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson dead and two others gravely wounded.
The conviction capped years of mistrials, retrials, and delays under new laws requiring unanimous jury verdicts. Assistant District Attorneys Forrest Ladd and Zachary Creel, who led the case, presented eyewitness testimony, cellphone records, and ballistics evidence tying Groves to the crime.
“This has been a long journey for these families, and this is a great day for the city of New Orleans,” Ladd said after the verdict.
“Derrick Groves is a heinous criminal who reigned terror in the Lower Ninth Ward for well over a decade, and that reign of terror has ended.”
But Groves had other plans. Just seven months after his conviction, he broke free and vanished.
FBI agents described him as a cold-blooded enforcer who silenced witnesses and intimidated neighbors. On the day of his conviction, Groves also admitted to two additional killings — those victims were identified as Tyrone Smith and Woodrow Smith.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil called the conviction a turning point, adding, “The days of Derrick Groves bullying and brutalizing this community are over. There was no doubt in the minds of anyone involved in this case that Groves would continue his bloody rampage if he weren’t stopped.”
Instead of heading to Angola State Penitentiary to serve his sentence, Groves was being held at OJC when the jailbreak occurred.
“He shouldn’t even have been here. He should have been in Angola,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson admitted in an interview with CBS News. Hutson said she is confident Groves will be recaptured. “We know he’s getting help also out there in the community, which is a little shocking given what his history is. I do believe we’ll find him. It’s just a matter of time.”
The breakout triggered sharp criticism of Hutson’s leadership and of longstanding problems at the jail, including crumbling infrastructure and poor communication among agencies.
Meanwhile, at least 17 people have been charged in connection to the escape, among them former OJC maintenance worker Sterling Williams, who pleaded not guilty to 11 counts, including malfeasance in office. Two women accused of aiding the inmates, Daishanae Massey and Diamond White, have also pleaded not guilty. Both remain jailed in Plaquemines Parish.
Groves’ violent path is rooted in a family history scarred by tragedy. His grandmother, Kim Groves, was executed in 1994 on orders of a corrupt New Orleans police officer, a killing that neighbors say left a lasting mark on the boy they once remembered as “a normal kid.” Over time, he became known as an enforcer who used violence to silence witnesses, even boasting about killings on social media.
Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture and urging the public to contact the FBI, Louisiana State Police, or Crime Stoppers with tips.