New Orleans Jailbreak: Timeline and Key Players
- Cassian Creed
- Jul 3
- 6 min read
Timeline of Main Events
May 15, 2025
10:30 p.m. CDT: The Orleans Parish Prison is locked down according to standard nighttime procedures.
May 16, 2025
12:23 a.m. CDT: Ten inmates escape from the Orleans Parish Prison. They manage this by yanking open a faulty cell door when the lone guard is away getting food, then removing a sink-toilet unit to squeeze through a hole cut behind it. Prison officials suspect inside help, as the water to the toilet was off, preventing flooding.
Early morning (exact time unspecified): Dkenan Dennis, Robert Moody, and Kendall Myles are apprehended. They are the first three escapees to be recaptured.
1:01 a.m. CDT: Surveillance video captures the ten men sprinting out of the jail, throwing blankets over a barbed wire fence, scaling it, and some running across an interstate.
Hours after escape: Law enforcement learns of the jailbreak after a significant delay.
May 17, 2025
Ongoing: Manhunt for the remaining seven escapees continues, complicated by a history of mistrust between the community and law enforcement in New Orleans.
May 19, 2025
Date Apprehended: Gary Price is taken into custody in New Orleans, becoming the fourth escapee recaptured.
May 20, 2025
Date Apprehended: Corey Boyd is recaptured, making him the fifth escapee found.
Date Apprehended: Sterling Williams, a jail maintenance worker, is arrested and charged with 10 counts of principle to simple escape and malfeasance in office. He admits to turning off the water in certain cells to aid the escapees, claiming an inmate threatened to "shank" him if he didn't. Three additional jail employees are suspended without pay.
Date Apprehended: Connie Weeden (59), grandmother of escapee Jermaine Donald, is charged with assisting him.
May 21, 2025
Date Apprehended: Cortnie Harris (32) and Corvanntay Baptiste (38) are arrested and charged with being accessories after the fact for aiding escapees. At least one of them was in communication with an escapee prior to the escape. Law enforcement continues to search for the remaining five fugitives.
May 22, 2025
Late in the day: Casey Smith (30) is arrested for being an accomplice and admits her involvement to arresting officers.
May 23, 2025
Date Apprehended: Emmitt Weber is arrested, charged with assisting two unnamed escapees.
As of this date: Seven people have been arrested for aiding the escapees (1 jail employee, 1 jail inmate, and 5 acquaintances).
Date Charged: Trevon Williams, already in custody, is charged with ten counts of simple escape, indicating his role as a jail inmate who assisted.
May 24-25, 2025
Weekend: Four people who were family or acquaintances of Lenton Vanburen are arrested for assisting him.
May 26, 2025
Date Apprehended: Jermaine Donald, Leo Tate, and Lenton Vanburen are recaptured. This brings the total number of apprehended escapees to eight. Two remain at large.
May 27, 2025
Date Apprehended: Lenton Vanburen Sr. (48), Lenika Vanburen (28), Patricia Vanburen (18), Tyshanea Randolph (27), and Angel McKay (41) are arrested. They are all charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen.
Date Apprehended: Diamond White (21) is arrested and charged with "principal to aggravated escape" for assisting Antoine Massey.
May 28, 2025
Date Apprehended: James Randolph and Vi Duc Nguyen are arrested, accused of assisting Lenton Vanburen acquire a hotel room and paying for it, respectively.
June 9, 2025
Date Apprehended: Darriana Burton is arrested, accused of assisting her boyfriend, Derrick Groves.
June 27, 2025
Date Apprehended: Antoine Massey is captured, bringing the total number of recaptured escapees to nine. Derrick Groves remains the only escapee at large.
Ongoing
Plumbing and flooding issues persist at Orleans Parish Justice Center due to "years of deferred maintenance, chronic overcrowding, and a lack of meaningful investment."
Sheriff Hutson expresses concerns that the deteriorating conditions could hamper evacuation efforts during hurricane season.
The manhunt continues for Derrick Groves.
Discussions arise about bringing Project NOLA facial recognition back for New Orleans police.
Cast of Characters
Escapees (10 total; 9 apprehended, 1 at large)
Derrick Groves (age 28): Convicted of second-degree murder. He is the only escapee still at large as of June 27, 2025.
Antoine Massey (age 33): Charged with domestic abuse involving strangulation and automotive theft. Apprehended on June 27, 2025.
Jermaine Donald (age 43): Charged with second-degree murder, aggravated battery, and illegal possession of a firearm. Apprehended on May 26, 2025.
Leo Tate (age 32): Charged with second-degree murder. Apprehended on May 26, 2025.
Lenton Vanburen (age 27): Charged with second-degree murder. Apprehended on May 26, 2025.
Corey Boyd (age 20): Charged with second-degree murder. Apprehended on May 20, 2025.
Gary Price (age 21): Charged with attempted first-degree murder, simple assault, criminal damage, domestic abuse, battery, and assault with a weapon. Apprehended on May 19, 2025.
Dkenan Dennis (age 24): Charged with armed robbery with a firearm and illegal carrying of a weapon during a crime of violence. Apprehended on May 16, 2025.
Robert Moody (age 22): Charged with attempted second-degree battery and obstruction. Apprehended on May 16, 2025.
Kendall Myles (age 21): Charged with intention to conceal a weapon, introducing contraband into a prison, and possession of contraband. Apprehended on May 16, 2025.
Individuals Charged as Accessories
Sterling Williams (age 33): Jail plumber charged with 10 counts of principle to simple escape and malfeasance in office. He admitted to turning off the water to the cell toilet used by the inmates, claiming an inmate threatened to "shank" him. Apprehended on May 19, 2025.
Darriana Burton: Accused of assisting her boyfriend, Derrick Groves. Apprehended on June 9, 2025.
James Randolph: Cousin of Lenton Vanburen, accused of assisting him in acquiring a hotel room. Apprehended on May 28, 2025.
Vi Duc Nguyen: Accused of paying for the Baton Rouge hotel room where Lenton Vanburen was arrested. Apprehended on May 28, 2025.
Lenton Vanburen Sr. (age 48): Father of Lenton Vanburen. Charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Lenika Vanburen (age 28): Relative of Lenton Vanburen. Charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Patricia Vanburen (age 18): Relative of Lenton Vanburen. Charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Tyshanea Randolph (age 27): Charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Angel McKay (age 41): Charged with assisting Lenton Vanburen. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Diamond White (age 21): Charged with "principal to aggravated escape" for assisting Antoine Massey. Apprehended on May 27, 2025.
Trevon Williams: An inmate already in custody who was charged on May 24, 2025, with ten counts of simple escape, indicating he aided the jailbreak from the inside.
Emmitt Weber: Charged with assisting two unnamed escapees. Apprehended on May 23, 2025.
Casey Smith (age 30): Arrested for being an accomplice and admitted her involvement. Apprehended on May 22, 2025.
Cortnie Harris (age 32): Accused of being in phone contact with one of the escapees and driving two others around the city. Charged with accessory after the fact to simple escape. Apprehended on May 21, 2025.
Corvanntay Baptiste (age 38): Charged with accessory after the fact to simple escape. Apprehended on May 21, 2025.
Connie Weeden (age 59): Grandmother of Jermaine Donald, charged with assisting him. Apprehended on May 20, 2025.
Law Enforcement and Oversight Personnel
Sheriff Susan Hutson: Sheriff of Orleans Parish, responsible for running the jail. She believes the jailbreak was an inside job and acknowledges plumbing and flooding issues stemming from "years of deferred maintenance, chronic overcrowding, and a lack of meaningful investment." Committed to restoring trust in the justice system.
Lt. Jared Sandifer: Spokesperson for Louisiana State Police. Stated that the agency "continues to work diligently on improving our relationship with our communities" and encouraged residents to cooperate.
Stella Cziment: Independent police monitor of New Orleans. Noted the "bad blood and history of bad blood toward Orleans Parish incarceration systems."
Community Members
Mario Westbrook (age 48): Resident of New Orleans East. Expressed the community's long-standing negative experiences and mistrust with law enforcement, noting that police often show "no respect for us as human beings."
Tyler Cross: Resident of the St. Roch neighborhood. Views the jailbreak as indicative of "significant systemic issues" with the city’s law enforcement and criminal justice system, describing the situation as "ridiculous."
Toni Jones: Chair of New Orleans for Community Oversight of Police, a grassroots police accountability network. Advised people to "think twice before putting themselves in a situation where they are unnecessarily interacting with police because our civil liberties may not be respected."
Comments