Quick Facts You Should Know
- In May 2025, a total of ten inmates broke free from a New Orleans prison, some facing serious charges like murder.
- While nine of the inmates were caught shortly after the escape, Derrick Groves remained at large for five long months.
- He was eventually captured in October 2025, thanks to a tip-off that led authorities to an Atlanta residence.
It was a dramatic escape that left many in shock! On May 16, 2025, ten inmates, including the convicted murderer Derrick Groves, pulled off a daring prison break from Orleans Parish Justice Center.
After months of hiding, Groves was apprehended on October 8, 2025, by U.S. Marshals in Atlanta, as reported by CNN. A tipster contacted Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans, which ultimately led law enforcement to his hideout. It reportedly took almost three hours of searching and several cans of gas for officers to find him curled up in a crawl space!
At the time of his prison breakout, Groves was waiting for sentencing after being found guilty of the shocking killings of two men during a Mardi Gras event in 2018. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill made it clear that Groves was a major threat: “This was a very dangerous individual. He is going to face jail time for a very, very long time.” It seems quite easy to understand why authorities were so keen to apprehend him quickly.
Who Is Derrick Groves?
Derrick Groves isn’t just any old convict. He was convicted of committing a double homicide in 2018 and was awaiting sentencing for multiple murders when he broke out of prison. The brutal acts left the community shaken, especially since they occurred during a family gathering.
Initially tried in 2019, he ended up facing a retrial due to new legal guidelines requiring unanimous jury verdicts. After the mistrial, it wasn’t until October 2024 when Groves was finally found guilty of second-degree murder of both Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson. After the verdict, one FBI official expressed relief at the outcome, stating, “The days of Derrick Groves bullying and brutalizing this community are over.”
Who Were Groves’ Partners in Crime?
During the breakout, Groves wasn’t alone—he escaped alongside nine other men with various criminal backgrounds, ranging from carjacking to attempted murder! The group included Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, Gary Price, Corey Boyd, Lenton VanBuren, Leo Tate, Jermaine Donald, and Antoine Massey. Just imagine a bunch of known criminals running wild!
After scattering, the police managed to apprehend most of them. Massey even went on a rant in a now-removed video, claiming his innocence and alleged that he was led out, rather than escaping. Let’s just say that it raised quite a few eyebrows and added a twist to the whole saga!
The Escape Execution: How They Did It
On that fateful May evening, as guards ran their usual checks, a group of inmates, including Groves, found an opportunity to tamper with their cell door. With the tech overseeing the lockdown distracted by a quick meal, they spotted their chance and resigned to a handicap cell.
Using electric hair clippers and patience, they didn’t just shake the bars; they cut their way through the wall behind the toilet. They left a cheeky note on the wall that read, “To Easy LOL”, likely as a joke to the guards they outsmarted!
Turns out, a maintenance worker named Sterling Williams helped them by disrupting the water supply under the threat of a weapon. Upon his capture, he faced legal consequences for his involvement in the breakout along with twelve others.
Catch Me If You Can: How They Finally Caught Derrick Groves
After their dramatic escape, most of the group was captured in a matter of weeks, but Groves eluded capture for a whopping five months! It took a tip to CrimeStoppers to set the wheels of justice in motion again. Groves was finally caught when authorities identified his hideout in Atlanta. After a tense three-hour standoff involving K-9 units, he was tracked down in a crawl space.
Interestingly, during this time, law enforcement also nabbed his girlfriend, who had aided his flight from prison. Following her dismissal from the jail, she found herself in hot water for bringing contraband and was suspected of enabling Groves’ escape attempt.
Where Is Derrick Groves Now?
Since his apprehension in October, Groves has been charged with a simple escape. However, authorities noted that they could elevate this to aggravated escape after finding drugs and weapons in Atlanta. Clearly, his issues are far from over! Not skipping a beat, he opted to waive extradition and expressed wishes to return to Louisiana immediately. Groves summed it up by saying, “I want to return where I’m from.”
It’s eerie to think Groves is out there lurking, and who would rest easy with someone like him back on the streets? The saga continues as remarkable twists and drama unfold!
