NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Officials stated on Thursday that they have started investigating a second social media post within a week that features a man claiming to be Antoine Massey, a fugitive who escaped from a New Orleans jail over two weeks ago and remains at large.
The recent Instagram post, allegedly published on Wednesday, depicts a man in front of a blue car, identifying himself with the hashtag “#AntoineMassey” and sporting identical, notable facial tattoos.
Authorities remain uncertain about the time and location of when the photo, said to be of Massey, was taken. Nonetheless, they “are approaching the post as genuine,” according to a senior law enforcement official. This official provided information to The Associated Press under the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to publicly speak about the investigation into the May 16 escape involving 10 inmates.
The group yanked up a faulty cell door, crawled through a hole in a wall behind a toilet where steel bars had been cut and then scaled a barbed wire fence using blankets for protection. It was one of the largest jailbreaks in recent U.S. history.
State and local officials have heaped criticism on the management of Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, who has largely blamed the jailbreak on poor infrastructure and the inability to make needed improvements at the 10-year-old $150 million facility.
Eight of the escaped men have been apprehended, while Massey and another fugitive, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, remain on the run.
In the Instagram post, the person claiming to be Massey states he is “innocent.” Massey, 32, faces charges of kidnapping, rape, domestic battery involving strangulation and motor vehicle theft.
“We would encourage Mr. Massey to turn himself in and go through proper legal channels for his day in court,” said Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair in an emailed statement. He added it was “unknown at this time” if Massey posted the photo or when it was taken.
Earlier this week, other videos made by Massey surfaced on social media, leading authorities to raid a New Orleans home a little over two miles (three kilometers) from the jail, where they believed the videos were produced. But they said they only found some of the clothing they believed he wore in the videos.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry urged Massey and Groves on Tuesday to “quit the hide-and-seek game” and turn themselves in.
