A significant development occurred in the aftermath of a daring jail break at the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans last week, with authorities announcing the recapture of a fifth inmate. This announcement coincided with the arrest of a maintenance worker at the facility, who has been accused of aiding the escape.
Corey Boyd, aged 19, was apprehended on Tuesday, just days after he and nine other inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center on Friday. This breakout has placed New Orleans on high alert, prompting members of the district attorney's staff to seek safety. Local and state officials are now investigating the circumstances that allowed such an escape to occur.
Earlier on Tuesday, Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker with the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested for allegedly "willfully and maliciously" assisting in the escape. According to a search warrant affidavit, he faces serious charges, including one count of malfeasance in office and ten counts of principal to simple escape. His bond has been set at an astonishing $1.1 million, with $100,000 allocated for each charge, as noted by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in a social media update.
Williams has been appointed a public defender, Michael Kennedy, who stated that he has yet to meet with his client but plans to do so on Wednesday morning. Murrill revealed to Fox News that investigators believe Williams had been involved in the escape plan for several days, indicating a level of premeditation. “We think that it was more than just that night,” she commented, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.
According to the affidavit, Williams initially appeared "evasive and untruthful" when questioned by an agent with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. He later claimed that inmate Antoine Massey threatened him with a shank if he did not turn off the water to the cell used in the escape. Without this action, the escape plan could have failed, potentially flooding the cell and drawing attention to their activities.
Notably, Antoine Massey has a history of escapes, having previously fled from a detention center in North Louisiana in August 2019. Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief James Mardis expressed that he was not surprised by Massey’s actions, as the inmate was known for his escape attempts.
The Orleans Justice Center’s security practices are under scrutiny following this incident. Sheriff Susan Hutson highlighted that the escape was a "coordinated effort, aided by individuals inside our own agency." During a city council meeting, she acknowledged that staff failed to conduct proper security checks and overlooked early warning signs of the escape.
In response to the escape, at least ten experienced auditors from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections will conduct a thorough investigation of the Orleans Justice Center's operations. This audit will focus on overall jail security, staffing, and adherence to policies and procedures. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has emphasized the importance of ensuring the facility operates safely and effectively.
The escape unfolded shortly after midnight on Friday when the Orleans Justice Center went into lockdown at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday. A corrections monitoring technician left briefly for food, during which time several inmates began attempting to break free from Cell Delta 1006. A staff member should have been monitoring the cameras, but the lack of oversight allowed the inmates to pry open the door and escape through a hole behind a metal toilet.
Using blankets to protect themselves from barbed wire, the inmates scaled a fence, crossed Interstate 10, and fled into a nearby neighborhood, discarding their inmate clothing in the process. They even left a taunting message above their escape hole: “To Easy LoL.” The escape was not discovered until a routine headcount revealed that several inmates were missing at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.
As of now, Boyd, along with Dkenan Dennis, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, and Gary Price, has been recaptured and is being held at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a maximum-security facility. However, Massey, Jermaine Donald, Derrick Groves, Leo Tate, and Lenton Vanburen remain at large, raising concerns about public safety and the effectiveness of the jail's security measures.
This incident has highlighted critical vulnerabilities within the Orleans Justice Center, and authorities are determined to prevent any future occurrences of such escapes. The community will be closely watching how the investigation unfolds and what measures will be implemented to enhance jail security in the future.
