Ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans early Friday morning, exploiting defective locks and a gap behind a cell toilet before scaling the facility’s perimeter wall, officials said. Three have since been captured, but seven remain at large—including four charged with second-degree murder.
Surveillance footage showed the inmates fleeing through a loading dock and sprinting across Interstate 10 after using blankets to shield themselves from barbed wire. Their orange jail uniforms were later found abandoned nearby. Authorities believe the escape was coordinated and likely involved assistance from within the jail.
“It’s almost impossible—not completely, but almost impossible—for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said at a press conference.
The inmates were reported missing during a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m., more than seven hours after the escape. By then, three had already been apprehended:
Kendell Myles, 20, was arrested in the French Quarter after being found hiding under a car in a hotel garage.
Robert Moody, 21, was captured late Friday following a tip from Crime Stoppers.
Dkenan Dennis was arrested near Chef Menteur Highway.
The remaining fugitives include Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, and Derrick Groves, all facing murder charges. Groves, convicted in a 2018 Mardi Gras shooting, may seek out trial witnesses, authorities warned.
Sheriff Hutson acknowledged long-standing security deficiencies, including broken locks and staffing shortages. Three employees have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. At the time of the escape, no deputy was present in the inmates’ housing pod, and a civilian monitor had left to get food.
“This represents a complete failure of the most basic responsibilities entrusted to a sheriff,” said Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams, criticizing delays in notifying the public.
Federal and state agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Marshals, have joined the search. Rewards of up to $5,000 are being offered for information leading to arrests.
The Orleans Justice Center, opened in 2015 to replace the notoriously unsafe Orleans Parish Prison, remains under federal oversight due to persistent violence and mismanagement. Sheriff Hutson cited a critical need for $5.2 million in repairs, including lock replacements, but funding has been lacking.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick urged vigilance, warning that the escapees may have changed clothes and could be receiving outside help. One family connected to a case was relocated for safety.
“If anyone is harboring these individuals, you will be charged,” Kirkpatrick said.
As the manhunt continues, officials face mounting scrutiny over how such a brazen escape could occur—and who might have enabled it.