A dramatic jailbreak from the Orleans Justice Center has triggered a sprawling manhunt across the American South. Ten inmates, many facing serious violent charges, escaped through a hole behind a toilet in their cell in the early hours of 16 May.
But it was a where-effective local who might have turned the tide—one who noticed one of the escapees sleeping on an open bench and notified police, reportedly getting $10,000 in reward money. Six of the escapees were still on the loose as of May 20, 2025, with police cautioning that they were armed and dangerous, leading to increased public alertness and international interest.
The break started about 12:22 a.m. on May 16, 2025, when inmates breached a locked cell door to gain entry into a handicap-accessible cell. They used a pre-cut hole behind one of the toilets, which opened into a loading dock. They used blanket material to slide down behind barbed wire, which surrounded the perimeter of the jail, and made off down Interstate 10, a main highway, discarding orange prison jumpsuits to hide among civilians. Their activity was caught on surveillance cameras, with some of the inmates sighted in New Orleans’ French Quarter as of 9:58 a.m. The escape was not discovered until 8:30 a.m., revealing a considerable delay in detection time. Taunting messages, such as
“Too Easy LOL” and “WE INNOCENT,”
were written over one of the two entry points, indicating the brazenness of the escape.
The escapees, aged 19 to 42, face serious charges, reflecting the high-stakes nature of the manhunt. The inmates and their charges include:
Name Charges Corey Boyd Second-degree murder Gary Price Attempted first-degree murder, simple assault, criminal damage, domestic abuse, battery, assault with a weapon Derrick Groves Second-degree murder (convicted for 2018 Mardi Gras double homicide) Jermaine Donald Second-degree murder, aggravated battery, firearm possession Lenton Vanburen Second-degree murder Leo Tate Second-degree murder Robert Moody Attempted second-degree battery, obstruction Dkenan Dennis Armed robbery with a firearm, illegal weapon carrying during a crime Kendall Myles Intent to conceal a weapon, introducing contraband, possession of contraband Antoine Massey Domestic abuse involving strangulation, car theft
As of May 20, 2025, four inmates—Dkenan Dennis, Kendall Myles, Robert Moody, and Gary Price—have been recaptured. Myles was apprehended in the French Quarter, hiding under a car in a hotel garage, while Moody was caught in the Central City neighborhood. Six others remain at large, considered armed and dangerous.
The FBI-led search features over 200 agents from various agencies like New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, and US Marshals Service. The FBI is offering $10,000 per fugitive, matching $5,000 each from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Crime Stoppers, for $20,000 per arrest The search has been taken outside of Louisiana, as warnings were issued to Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, as escapees could well be outside of state borders. Citizen sightings, like video from Project NOLA, an aggregation of crime cameras within the area, has been used to track down the fugitives.
The escape has exposed systemic failures at the Orleans Justice Center, a facility long plagued by overcrowding, understaffing, and underfunding. Sheriff Susan Hutson, acknowledged defective locks and potential internal assistance, with a civilian guard absent to get food during the breakout. Three individuals were put on administrative leave pending an investigation.
