ATLANTA (AP) — Months-long search for Louisiana’s only inmate still on the run Bold May Jailbreak The case ended Wednesday when authorities announced they had found a man hiding in an underground wandering space of an Atlanta home and took the last of 10 fugitives into custody.
Derrick Grovesthe 28-year-old was found guilty of murder and facing a possible life sentence before an inmate escaped through a hole behind a toilet in a New Orleans prison. He has one of the most heinous criminal histories of any fugitive, and authorities have offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair said the SWAT team spent several hours searching Groves’ home after obtaining a search warrant.
“They couldn’t find him and had to pump gas into the house and basement multiple times,” Fair said. “Given how long it took an experienced and well-trained SWAT team to rescue him, he was going to hide for a while.”
Atlanta Police Deputy Chief Kelly Collier said Grove was eventually found by a police dog sent to capture her.
In a video provided by the Atlanta Police Department, Groves, shirtless, shoeless and with shackles on his wrists and ankles, can be seen smiling and kissing someone who is filming him being led into a police car.
Fair said the information leading to his arrest came through New Orleans Crimestoppers, an anonymous tipster program. Mr. Groves was the only person in the home; no one else was arrested.
The home’s garage door was seen falling inward Wednesday afternoon as officers and vehicles blocked access to the scene. The brick house, set on a sloping lawn and surrounded by trees, is next to Tyler Perry Studios, one of the largest film production facilities in the country.
In a post on X, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry praised law enforcement for getting all 10 fugitives back “where they belong, behind bars.”
It was not immediately clear whether Groves had an attorney who could be reached for comment Wednesday.
The remaining nine fugitives were captured within six weeks of their May 16 escape, and most are still found in Louisiana.
Fugitive’s mother reacts to his capture
“I’m confused. I’m just trying to talk to him,” Groves’ mother, Stephanie Groves, told The Associated Press after learning about the arrest online.
Fighting back tears, she encouraged her son to surrender peacefully, but said she didn’t know why he went to Atlanta. She said the family had been tracked and monitored by law enforcement since the incident.
“It was just a mess,” she said. “I’m really glad this is over.”
“Of course he will be caught,” she added.
new orleans jailbreak
Groves and nine other men pulled the door open. defective cell door Inside a New Orleans prison, he was squeezed out of a hole behind a toilet, scaled a barbed wire fence and fled into the darkness. Ten people were arrested, making it one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history.
The prisoners’ absence was not discovered until the morning census, hours after they rioted demanding their release. At the scene of the crime, in a cell where the men had removed the toilet through a hole, they left a message. They drew an arrow on the wall of the cell, pointing to the gap they had passed through. Above it was a graffiti message that read “To Easy LoL.”
City and state officials have cited multiple security deficiencies at the prison, including ineffective cell locks and allegations that inmates left when the only guard monitoring them went to get food. However, authorities remain firm in their view that the men likely had help and that the escape may have been an inside job.
A prison maintenance worker was arrested on suspicion of helping incarcerated men escape by turning off the water in a toilet that had a hole in the back for the fugitives to sneak out of. That man is deliberately refused He was helping them through a lawyer, but the lawyer said he was just unclogging a toilet. Another former prison official identified by authorities groves girlfriendis accused of helping orchestrate the escape.
search for fugitives
Hundreds of law enforcement officers scoured the city for fugitives, using phone records and hundreds of tips to quickly track down some of them.
at least 16 people, many of them friends and family One of the escapees was charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive before and after the escape, and was arrested on a felony charge. Court documents allege these people provided food, cash, transportation and shelter.
1 person identified as fugitive hid in an empty house It was captured in Baton Rouge, more than 80 miles (129 km) from New Orleans, and was commissioned by a friend of his to be repainted. The other two were arrested after the incident. high speed car chase Located in Walker County, Texas. However, most of the fugitives were found within the city limits of the Parish of Orléans.
Antoine Massey was reportedly one of the last fugitives to be recaptured. Posted photos and videos on social media while on the run.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has blamed poor prison infrastructure for the escape, but has faced widespread criticism from state and local officials over her handling of the escape and the management of the prison.
Extra charges apply to fugitives
Many of the men were originally in a New Orleans jail awaiting sentencing or trial on charges of violent crimes, including murder. Groves was previously convicted of second-degree murder in 2024 for opening fire on a family party on Mardi Gras, killing two people and injuring others. He faces life in prison without parole.
Nine other men accused of escaping from a city jail appeared in court via video call from a Louisiana state prison in July and pleaded not guilty to evading charges.
“Everyone is entitled to due process. But there is video of these detainees fleeing the jail in the middle of the night. They were not heading to a court hearing,” said State Attorney General Liz Murrill.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams welcomed the conclusion of the investigation and said prosecutors would “pursue all legal avenues” against Groves.
All 10 have been charged with simple escape, which will be added to the previous charges for which they were originally sent to prison, Murrill’s office said. The escape charge carries a sentence of two to five years in prison.
Groves’ attorney was present at the arraignment but did not make an argument on Groves’ behalf. reported New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune.
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Brooke reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Charlotte Clammon in Atlanta and Sarah Klein in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report.
