After more than five months on the run, convicted killer Derrick Groves has been captured, ending one of the longest jail escapes in recent memory.
Groves, 28, had been “on the lam” since May 16, when he and nine others broke out of the New Orleans Parish Justice Center by crawling through a hole hidden behind a toilet, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. His capture came on Wednesday, October 8, after a standoff with local police in Atlanta.
According to the Louisiana State Police, the arrest was the result of a collective investigation that involved the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, Homeland Security, Crimestoppers, and a collection of local law enforcement agencies that spanned from Louisiana to Georgia.
Groves was arrested following a brief standoff with police, with no reported injuries, according to a Facebook post from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office.
New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams said he was relieved the arrest ended peacefully, reminding the public about Groves’ violent history as a convicted double murderer. Investigators are now focusing on whether he received help while on the run, though officials have not revealed any details on how he made it all the way to Atlanta.
Groves was serving a life sentence without parole for a 2024 conviction in which he opened fire with an assault rifle at a Mardi Gras block party, killing two and wounding several other people. His escape, alongside 9 other inmates charged with crimes ranging from burglary to homicide, exposed some serious issues inside the New Orleans Justice Center, which was reportedly operating at only 60% staffing capacity at the time, with just 36 employees overseeing about 1,400 inmates.
The jailbreak has already led to at least 16 arrests, including relatives of the escapees, jail employees who aided the escape, and others accused of helping the inmates break free. Among them was former Sheriff’s Office employee Darriana Burton, Groves’ alleged girlfriend, who was charged in June for helping “coordinate” the breakout.
While most of the other nine escapees were quickly recaptured and hit with additional felony escape charges, Groves managed to evade authorities for months, outlasting many of the other inmates who had successfully escaped jail or prison in modern history.
His run in the free world eventually resulted in the FBI issuing a $20,000 reward for his capture. Yet, no details as of press time have been made public regarding the reward money, or if it played a factor in his recent arrest.
The fallout has been severe for Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who briefly suspended her reelection campaign after criticism that her office downplayed the escape and took little to no accountability. Gov. Jeff Landry has even ordered a full review of Louisiana’s prison system and warned that anyone caught helping escapees will face felony charges.
Authorities have not disclosed any further details about the standoff or Groves’ activities during his time on the run, but his arrest closes a tense chapter in New Orleans’ ongoing struggles with jail mismanagement and rising crime.