A major security breach at a New Orleans jail early Friday morning has led to the escape of ten inmates, triggering a citywide manhunt and raising serious questions about internal oversight and facility conditions.
According to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the escape began around 12:22 a.m. when inmates tampered with a cell door and accessed a neighboring cell. Surveillance footage revealed the escapees slipping through a hole in the wall behind a toilet, exiting via a loading dock, and scaling a barbed-wire fence using blankets. They were last seen fleeing toward nearby railroad tracks and Interstate 10.
As of now, three of the escapees have been captured. Kendell Myles, who faces attempted second-degree murder charges, was found hiding under a vehicle in a French Quarter hotel garage. Robert Moody was apprehended later the same day, though details of his arrest remain undisclosed. Dkenan Dennis was located near Chef Menteur Highway.
Eight inmates remain on the run, including four charged with second-degree murder: Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, and Derrick Groves. Initial reports suggested 11 inmates had escaped, but authorities later clarified that one had been transferred to another cell prior to the incident.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson acknowledged that the escape wasn’t discovered until a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m.—more than eight hours after it began. Federal and state law enforcement agencies were notified shortly afterward, with the New Orleans Police Department being alerted by 10:30 a.m.
Hutson suggested internal assistance may have played a role in the jailbreak. “It’s almost impossible to escape from this facility without help,” she said, adding that malfunctioning cell locks may have contributed to the breach.
Discarded orange jail uniforms were later discovered in a nearby neighborhood, indicating the fugitives may have changed clothes to avoid detection.
Authorities are continuing their search and are urging the public to remain alert and report any suspicious activity as the investigation intensifies.
