“Catch us when you can,” read graffiti scrawled behind a removed toilet in the Orleans Justice Center—part of the escape route used by ten inmates, described as violent offenders, who broke out of the facility early Friday morning, May 16. The escape began around midnight but wasn’t discovered until a morning headcount—more than eight hours later. The inmates yanked open a cell door, dismantled a toilet, and moved through a maintenance area. From there, they exited through a supply door, scaled a perimeter wall, and crossed Interstate 10. Some of their orange jumpsuits were later recovered in a nearby neighbourhood. Surveillance footage shows New Orleans inmates escaping from jail and running across the highway 👀 pic.twitter.com/PaQFu2xU67 — FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 17, 2025 The letter was left near a hole in the wall the group used to flee, exposing serious security gaps and raising questions about possible inside help. "We have indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department," Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson said at an afternoon press conference. A jail employee monitoring the surveillance feed saw the inmates escaping but failed to notify deputies, Hutson said, though she did not elaborate on what assistance the escapees may have received. Hutson urged the public to remain vigilant as multiple law enforcement agencies continue the manhunt. One of the escapees, Kendell Myles, was recaptured hiding under a car in a hotel garage in New Orleans’ French Quarter, according to Louisiana State Police. The others remain at large, including Derrick Groves, convicted in a 2018 Mardi Gras mass shooting, and Corey Boyd, charged with second-degree murder in a 2023 car burglary killing. Several escapees have histories of violence, gun charges, and previous jailbreaks. Adding insult to injury, as per a report by Fox News, photos of the escape route showed the wall hole surrounded by taunts such as “Too Easy LOL” and “Most Hated 9,” pointing the inmates’ defiance and apparent confidence. A delayed response further heightened scrutiny. Officials were first alerted during the morning count, but the public wasn’t notified until nearly 11 am, prompting criticism from New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick over the hours-long information gap. Kirkpatrick said her department wasn’t informed of the jailbreak until about two hours after it was discovered, despite some of the fugitives facing serious charges, including murder. “It’s concerning that we were not notified sooner,” Kirkpatrick said. She added that officers had contacted some of the victims connected to the escapees' cases, and in at least one instance, police evacuated a family believed to be at risk.
