Escaped New Orleans inmate Derrick Groves was tracked down in a cramped basement crawl space in southwest Atlanta Wednesday (October 8), ending a nearly five-month search for the last of 10 inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail in May, according to New Orleans Fox 8 Live.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair said the 28-year-old fugitive was discovered hiding in a crawl space beneath a home after officers deployed gas inside the property several times. Groves was seen blowing a kiss towards the camera as he filmed being led into custody, signaling defiance even in defeat.
Groves had been serving a life sentence for second-degree murder following his 2024 conviction for a deadly shooting at a 2018 Mardi Gras block party that killed Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson and injured several others.
Groves also had two separate manslaughter convictions on his record. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office labeled him a “cold-blooded killer” with a violent criminal history dating back to 2014.
The jailbreak occurred on May 16 when Groves and nine other inmates slipped through a hole carved behind a toilet inside the Orleans Parish Justice Center.
They then scaled a wall while the guard assigned to their pod was reportedly away getting food. Most of the escapees were rounded up within weeks, but Groves managed to evade capture for months.
The U.S. Marshal’s Office in New Orleans, the Southeast Regional Fugitive Taskforce and tips from Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans played key roles in locating Groves.
During the manhunt, another escapee, Antoine Massey drew attention with a video plea posted to Instagram.
In the nearly 10-minute clip, Massey called on celebrities for help, saying, “I’m asking please for help — YoungBoy, Meek Mills. People that been through the system that know it’s corrupt. Lil Wayne, Donald Trump. When I get back in custody, I’m asking y’all, please come help.”
He also claimed, “I didn’t break out, I was let out,” suggesting internal corruption. The video was later deleted, but it helped authorities track him down in June.
Groves’ mother told reporters she learned of her son’s capture online and had not been in contact with him during his time on the run.
“I’m all messed up, I’m just trying to talk to him. I’m just seeing it on the internet, I woke up to it on the internet,” she said. “It’s just been a mess, and I’m just glad it’s over with. Of course he was going to get caught.”
She said she had urged him to turn himself in and was worried about his well-being. She also said she didn’t know why he went to Atlanta.
Federal agents believe Groves had help staying hidden. His ex-girlfriend, Darriana Burton, a former jail employee, was arrested and charged with aiding the escape.
She remains in custody on a $2.5 million bond. The jailbreak has intensified scrutiny on the Orleans Parish Justice Center’s security protocols.
“Groves’ escape represented a serious breach of public safety and a historic failure of custodial security,” New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement. “His capture brings long-awaited calm to victims, their families, the witnesses who testified, the assistant district attorneys who prosecuted him and the people of New Orleans who were rightly concerned that a convicted violent offender had escaped so easily and evaded justice for so long.”
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