Saturday, May 16, marks one year since 10 inmates escaped through a hole behind a toilet at the Orleans Parish jail.
The jailbreak sparked a monthslong manhunt.
The inmates broke out in the dead of night, darting across the interstate after shimmying through a hole behind a toilet in one of the cells.
Many of them were jailed on serious charges, including murder and assault.
In the days, weeks and months following the escape, the inmates were tracked down across the state, from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, and even into Texas.
The final escapee, Derrick Groves, was arrested nearly five months later in Atlanta. He was found hiding in the crawl space of a home after a Crime Stoppers tip led to his capture.
Eight of the inmates are set to appear in court in September to face simple escape charges.
Two of the escapees, Kendall Myles and Corey Boyd, have been deemed incompetent for trial and are receiving treatment at Angola.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork issued the following statement regarding jail security one year after the jailbreak.
“As the Orleans Justice Center marks one year since the May 16 jail escape incident, the facility will operate under heightened security protocols throughout the weekend as a proactive precaution to ensure the continued safety and security of all those within our care and custody.
“During this period, enhanced security measures will be implemented across the facility to reinforce accountability, operational readiness, and institutional stability. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to strengthening procedures, supporting our personnel, and maintaining a secure environment for staff, inmates, and the residents of Orleans Parish.
“The safety of our deputies, civilian staff, inmates, and the community remains our highest priority,” said Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle M. Woodfork. “While we continue to move forward as an agency, we recognize the importance of remaining vigilant and prepared.”
Below is a timeline of when each inmate was arrested and how they broke out of the jail.
Kendell Myles:
Kendell Myles was arrested by state police near the New Orleans French Quarter the day of the jailbreak, May 16.
Myles escaped from the Bridge City Center for Youth and is accused of robbing and carjacking Scott Toups, 59, in Uptown New Orleans in July 2022.
Myles was indicted on attempted murder and carjacking charges in the case.
Myles is accused of shooting the victim twice and then taking his car.
Robert Moody:
Robert Moody was captured May 16 in the 3500 block of Second Street around 7:32 p.m.
Moody was booked on weapons and drug charges.
DKenan Dennis:
DKenan Dennis was captured near Chef Menteur Highway and Dale Street on May 16, the day of the jailbreak.
Dennis is facing multiple illegal weapons charges and extortion, kidnapping, armed robbery and theft charges.
Gary Price:
Gary Price was arrested May 20 in New Orleans East.
He was jailed on charges of aggravated battery, aggravated assault with a firearm and false imprisonment with a weapon.
Corey Boyd:
Corey Boyd was arrested May 21 at an apartment in Treme.
WDSU obtained exclusive video from the moment he was arrested.
Boyd was originally charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and threatening a public official.
Lenton VanBuren:
Lenton VanBuren was captured in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 26.
VanBuren was originally facing charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice and introducing contraband into a prison.
Leo Tate and Jermaine Donald:
Jermaine Donald and Leo Tate were arrested in Texas on May 26.
Police say Tate and Donald led law enforcement officers from several agencies on a high-speed chase through the area.
Tate was facing charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, simple burglary of a dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon and illegal carrying of a weapon.
Donald was jailed on illegal weapons charges.
Antoine Massey:
Massey was the ninth inmate captured after the May 16 jailbreak.
He turned himself in after he was surrounded at a home in Hollygrove in New Orleans on June 27.
Massey has a criminal background and escape history that dates back to 2007.
He escaped a juvenile detention center that is now known as the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center.
In 2019, he escaped the Morehouse Parish Detention Center and was found the same day in Texas.
Massey was being held on domestic abuse charges in St. Tammany before going to the Orleans Justice Center, where he was being held on domestic abuse and car theft charges when he escaped in mid-May.
How they escaped:
According to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, jail officials discovered the inmates were missing during a routine head count at 8:30 a.m. May 16.
The inmates dug a hole inside the jail behind a toilet to make their escape.
According to Sheriff Susan Hutson, the escape by the inmates was an inside job, and three employees have been suspended and one maintenance worker has been arrested in connection with the investigation so far.
According to Hutson, around 12:23 a.m., the inmates began tampering with a locked cell and were able to break in. That cell was where the hole was cut behind a toilet.
According to Hutson, a correctional monitoring technician in the control module was present. This person is considered a civilian employee.
The inmates were able to escape the jail through a door at 1:01 a.m.
Video surveillance confirms that they exited through a door in the docks where supplies are brought into the jail, according to Hutson.
The United States Marshals Service, Louisiana State Police, and Probation and Parole were notified by 9:30 a.m., and the New Orleans Police Department was alerted immediately afterward through the Fusion Center, according to Hutson.
The person who was in the center monitoring the pod from which the inmates escaped was a civilian employee. The employee stepped away to get food when the inmates broke into the cell they escaped from, according to the sheriff’s office.
An investigation into the jailbreak is ongoing.
READ MORE:One year ago, 10 inmates escaped the Orleans Parish jail. Here’s the latest in the investigation
