The months-long manhunt for the last remaining escapee from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans is finally over.
Authorities confirmed that Derrick Groves, the tenth and final inmate from the group that broke out of the facility earlier this year, was captured in Atlanta on Wednesday after an intense standoff involving U.S. Marshals and Atlanta Police.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair told reporters that Groves was tracked to a residence in Southwest Atlanta, where law enforcement surrounded the property before safely taking him into custody.
The end of a massive manhunt
Groves had been on the run since May 16, when he and nine other inmates staged a daring early-morning escape from the Orleans Justice Center — sparking one of Louisiana’s most extensive fugitive searches in years.
Authorities say Groves will now be extradited back to Louisiana, where he will be transferred to Angola State Prison to serve the remainder of his sentence and face new charges related to the jailbreak.
The nine other escapees — Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Gary Price, D’Kenan Dennis, Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Leo Tate, and Antoine Massey — were all captured over the summer and are currently back in custody.
Investigation still ongoing
While officials have successfully recaptured all ten fugitives, investigators are still working to determine how the coordinated breakout was planned and executed. Early reports suggest the group may have received help from someone inside the jail, though no arrests have been made in connection to that theory.
For now, officials are calling the operation a major success and confirming that all escapees are back behind bars.
“This brings closure to one of the most extensive manhunts in recent Louisiana history,” said Deputy Marshal Fair.
