After nearly five months on the run, Derrick Groves, the final fugitive from the daring New Orleans jailbreak, has been captured in Atlanta, ending a massive, multistate manhunt that gripped the nation.
Authorities say Groves, 28, was discovered hiding in a crawl space beneath a southwest Atlanta home after an intense operation involving the U.S. Marshals Service, Atlanta SWAT, and New Orleans police. Officers deployed gas canisters to flush him out before a K-9 unit located him wedged beneath the floorboards.
“All ten escapees are back where they belong — behind bars,” Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced shortly after the arrest, praising the collaboration of law enforcement agencies.
How the Capture Unfolded
The tip that led to Groves’ capture came through Crimestoppers, directing officials to the Atlanta neighborhood where he had allegedly been hiding for several weeks. When agents entered the home, Groves reportedly resisted before surrendering without gunfire. Witnesses described the fugitive as “calm but defiant,” even smirking as he was led away in shackles.
Groves, already serving multiple life sentences for murder, now faces additional felony charges for escape and obstruction. He is expected to be extradited back to Louisiana within days.
The Daring Jailbreak
The May 2025 Orleans Parish jailbreak was one of the most embarrassing security failures in Louisiana’s recent history. Ten inmates — including Groves — managed to flee through a hole hidden behind a toilet, exploiting decayed infrastructure and weak supervision. The group then scaled a barbed-wire fence and vanished into the surrounding neighborhoods.
Within weeks, nine of the escapees were captured across Louisiana and Mississippi. But Groves, the most dangerous among them, evaded authorities for nearly five months.
Investigators later uncovered evidence suggesting inside assistance, including a maintenance worker accused of tampering with the jail’s water system and a former employee suspected of aiding Groves’s escape plan. Sheriff Susan Hutson, under mounting political pressure, pledged to implement stricter oversight and review facility protocols.
Political and Public Fallout
The jailbreak — and Groves’s months-long evasion — reignited debate over Louisiana’s prison system, which critics say is plagued by underfunding, outdated infrastructure, and chronic staff shortages. Local officials have since promised a “complete security overhaul” of the Orleans Parish Justice Center.
Meanwhile, the capture has brought relief to communities across Louisiana. “We can finally breathe easier,” said one resident near the jail. “He’s been a ghost for too long.”
As Groves returns to the same facility from which he escaped, the case stands as both a triumph for law enforcement and a stark warning about systemic failures still haunting Louisiana’s correctional system.
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