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The decision by law enforcement not to immediately treat the jail cell, from which 10 inmates escaped on May 16, as a crime scene could threaten successful legal action against the escapees, according to an expert’s opinion.
“Prosecutors always start by reviewing fundamental crime scene documentation: photographs, evidence logs, and other indicators that law enforcement took the site seriously,” stated Jason Pack, a former FBI supervisory special agent, in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Even if the situation seems clear, neglecting these steps allows defense attorneys to claim the investigation was insufficient or poorly executed.”
On Thursday, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams made what he called a “very unusual” move.
Sheriff Susan Hutson approaches the Council Chambers for a City Council meeting after the jailbreak of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center. The event took place at City Hall in New Orleans, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Sophia Germer /The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)
Noting that Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson had not ordered a crime scene investigation inside the jail cell, he assembled a team of New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) crime scene technicians and personally accompanied them to the jail to collect evidence.
Two hundred local, state and federal law enforcement officers have been involved in a manhunt for the suspects.
As of Tuesday, eight of the suspects have been recaptured, and 14 people have been arrested for aiding them.
Along with Williams, an inmate who did not escape with the group of 10 became the second person from inside the jail to be charged with helping them escape.
Trevon Williams, 23, has been rebooked on 10 counts of principal to simple escape for allegedly giving the escapees a blanket and shirt to help them hop the razor-wire fence during their escape.
Arrests over the weekend included 28-year-old Lenika Vanburen, 18-year-old Patricia Vanburen, 27-year-old Tyshanea “Minnie” Randolph, 47-year-old Lenton Vanburen Sr. and 40-year-old Angel McKey – all accused of aiding the escapees. Lenton Vanburen Sr. is the father of escapee Lenton Vanburen, who has since been caught, a source confirmed to Fox News.
State police said that Diamond White, 21, was also arrested on charges that include principal to aggravated escape and obstruction of justice, USA Today reported.
Emmitt Weber, 28, was also arrested for allegedly helping two of the inmates after the escape. So was Casey Smith, 30, who reportedly admitted to driving some of the inmates around New Orleans after they escaped.
On Thursday night, the Louisiana State Police announced that it had arrested Connie Weeden, 59, who allegedly sent cash to then-fugitive Jermaine Donald via a cellphone app.
Connie Weeden, 59, is believed to have assisted the fugitives and was taken into custody following an investigation that revealed she was in contact via phone before and after the escape with escapee Jermaine Donald. (ST Tammany Parish jail)
Before that, Cortnie Harris, 32, and Corvanntay Baptiste, 38, were arrested for allegedly assisting the fugitives.
Harris is accused of transporting some of the escapees to locations throughout New Orleans after the escape, and Baptiste is accused of being in contact with escapee Corey Boyd and bringing him food after the escape.
Sources close to the investigation told Fox News that Baptiste is the girlfriend of now-recaptured Boyd, who is accused of second-degree murder, and Harris is the girlfriend of Leo Tate, who is still on the run.
On Monday, three more inmates were recaptured.
Vanburen was caught in Baton Rouge, and Tate and Donald were captured by the Texas Department of Public Safety in Walker, Texas, according to the Louisiana State Police.
Lenton Vanburen, an escaped inmate from a New Orleans jail, is ushered by police into a helicopter. (Louisiana State Police)
Groves remains on the run with Antoine Massey, a four-time jail escapee who faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle and a parole violation.
