Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued multiple executive orders Sunday following the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Jail early Friday, calling it potentially the largest jailbreak in state history.
Seven of the fugitives remain at large as the manhunt entered its fourth day Monday, with rewards increased to $20,000 per inmate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering $10,000 per inmate, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is offering $5,000, and CrimeStoppers will award $5,000 per inmate.
At a news conference Sunday, Landry ordered the Department of Corrections to audit the Orleans Correctional Facility by the end of the week, ensuring compliance with basic jail guidelines and removing all state inmates from the facility. He also directed the state inspector general to inventory all pretrial detainees and those awaiting sentencing, pointing to systemic delays in the judicial process.
“Derrick Groves, the escapee who pled guilty to manslaughter in October of last year and was awaiting sentencing, if he would have been sentenced by a court system, he most likely would not have had an opportunity to escape,” Landry said, per WDSU News.
Groves, 27, was arrested for the 2018 shooting deaths of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, 4WWL-TV reported.
At least two of Robinson’s family members told the station they went into hiding after the escape, saying, “We didn’t know what was going to happen, we didn’t know how Derrick Groves felt … whether he was coming for us, we didn’t know.”
They added that the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office never contacted them post-escape.
Landry criticized the Orleans Parish criminal justice system, noting that four of the escapees had dismissed cases.
“Kendell Myles, Lenton Vanburen were charged with battery on correctional officers. Robert Moody, Jermaine Donald and Lenton Vanburen were charged with contraband in jail,” he said, per WDSU. “Prosecutors who are unprepared and delay cases for years must be addressed in this court system.”
He called on District Attorney Jason Williams to explain the slow progress of cases, adding that nine of the 10 escapees had been in pretrial stages for years.
“This massive jailbreak could be the largest jailbreak in the history of the state, and it never should have happened,” Landry said, Courthouse News Service reported. “The public deserves to know who, what and how this happened.”
He tasked Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office with leading the investigation. Murrill said Sunday her office’s “main priority remains recovering the prisoners, protecting the public, securing and stabilizing the facility staff, and building.”
The escape occurred around 1:01 a.m. on Friday when the inmates breached a wall behind a toilet, using toiletry items to remove bolts, Sheriff Susan Hutson said. Security footage showed them sprinting out, scaling a wall, and crossing a freeway, leaving behind messages like “to easy, LOL.”
Hutson attributed the escape to “defective locks,” a concern she had repeatedly raised. Three staff members were suspended without pay pending an internal investigation, and Hutson noted the escape was “impossible without help.”
“We appreciate the support of our fellow law enforcement and judicial system partners,” the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office told WDSU in a written statement. “Moments like this require coordination, communication, and shared responsibility across agencies. With that, I acknowledge and respect Governor Jeff Landry’s decision to initiate a comprehensive audit following the recent escape of ten inmates.”
The statement added, “In addition to the immediate actions already taken under my leadership, I view the Governor’s audit as another necessary step toward transparency. But it is equally critical that we recognize the longstanding, systemic challenges that have impacted this facility for years, challenges I have been working to address since the beginning of my tenure.”
Three escapees—Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, and Kendell Myles—were recaptured and charged with simple escape. The remaining seven, facing charges including murder and aggravated assault, were still at large Monday. FBI Special Agent Jonathan Trapp said Sunday the agency believes the public may be aiding the fugitives, warning that accomplices will face arrest. Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert Hodges said authorities do not believe the men have left the state, though leads have not yet panned out.