Days after New Orleans jailbreak, half of group still at large

Louisiana State Police on Tuesday apprehended 19-year-old Corey Boyd following a dayslong manhunt. Boyd and nine other inmates escaped the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on Friday. As of Wednesday, authorities had arrested five of the inmates, all of whom were found in New Orleans. Police on Friday located and arrested Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, and Kendall Myles. Law enforcement officers on Monday found Gary Price. Officials on Monday offered $20,000 in reward money for information to help locate any of the five remaining fugitives, up from $15,000 previously offered by Crimestoppers and the FBI.

How did the inmates escape? Police on Monday arrested Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker at the facility, and charged him with 10 counts of helping facilitate the escape. Williams told investigators that an inmate told him to turn off the water to a cell where the inmates were able to remove a toilet and escape through a hole in the wall, according to a statement from Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office. Williams said one of the inmates threatened to hurt him if he did not help them escape, according to an affidavit for his arrest warrant. During the investigation, he did not initially inform authorities about the plan, according to the affidavit. Williams’ bond has been set at $1.1 million.

What else have officials said about the incident? The New Orleans City Council on Tuesday morning questioned law enforcement officials about the jailbreak. During the meeting, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson took accountability for the security breach while adding that procedural failures and miscommunication contributed to the escape. She later suspended her reelection campaign amid increased scrutiny facing her office as a result of the incident.

The department suspended staff and launched internal and external investigations into the escape, Hutson’s office said in a statement released after the meeting. She said the jail had been operating with outdated surveillance equipment, aging infrastructure, and staffing shortages. The jail needs $13 million in urgent improvements, she said.

Meanwhile, state Gov. Jeff Landry said law enforcement officials would not stop until every inmate had been apprehended.

Dig deeper: Read Mary Jackson’s report in WORLD Magazine about how residents in crime-ridden cities are demanding law and order.