The last of 10 inmates who fled from a New Orleans jail in a daring escape has been located after over six months on the run.
Derrick Groves, a convicted killer, was reportedly cornered in a standoff with police in Atlanta on Wednesday.
He is connected to four homicides, and the authorities have issued a warning that he might be aggressive or try to track down witnesses involved in his murder case while he’s evading capture.
Groves was the final inmate to be caught among those who escaped through a wall behind a prison toilet in May.
Their escape drew widespread attention as they mocked the prison staff by writing ‘too easy’ on the wall after exiting through a cell toilet area, with footage capturing them running towards their freedom.
After breaching the wall at the Orleans Justice Center, the escapees scaled another wall and managed to cross the interstate.
The other detainees apprehended before Groves were identified as Corey Boyd, Dkenan Dennis, Jermaine Donald, Antoine Massey, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Gary Price, Leo Tate, and Lenton Vanburen.
While Groves was on the loose, his girlfriend and former prison officer Darriana Burton, 28, faced charges of ‘conspiracy to commit simple escape’ for allegedly assisting their escape.
Derrick Groves, the last of 10 inmates who fled from a New Orleans jail in a daring escape has been located after over six months on the run
Groves was the final inmate to be caught among those who escaped through a wall behind a prison toilet in May
Authorities said the inmates broke through the law behind a toilet, and taunted cops as they wrote ‘too easy lol’ on the hole they escaped through
Groves was accused for attempted second-degree murder at 17, but was eventually found not guilty, according to court records.
Last year, he was found guilty again on two counts of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder for an incident at a 2018 Mardi Gras shooting.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Groves was identified as one of the two shooters who fired AK-47-style rifles at a gathering meant to be a joyful Mardi Gras family event.
He lasted over four months longer on the run than the ninth convict who was caught, Antoine Massey, 33.
During his six weeks on the run, Massey taunted cops as he shared videos to Instagram saying he was ‘let out’ of the jail, and pleaded with President Trump to pardon him.
The ten prisoners were captured on shocking video footage escaping from the Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 16
During Groves’ time on the run, his girlfriend and former prison guard Darriana Burton, 28, was charged with ‘conspiracy to commit simple escape’ after she allegedly helped the group flee
When the 10 inmates escaped, investigators said the men were helped out by prison maintenance worker Sterling Williams who allegedly turned off the water to the cell where they broke out before they unscrewed a toilet to flee.
Williams has said he was forced to do so by the inmates who threatened to ‘shank’ him if he refused.
Williams was among over a dozen alleged accomplices that New Orleans cops have arrested since the escape, also including the grandmother of inmate Jermaine Donald.
Connie Weeden, 59, is accused of helping her grandson flee and allegedly was in regular contact with him before and after the jailbreak.
The investigation uncovered evidence that Weeden was speaking to Donald over the phone in the lead-up to the escape and continued providing assistance even after he had fled the facility.
Police say she even provided cash to the dangerous fugitive through a mobile phone app, potentially helping to fund his life on the run.
