By Charles Pemu 
New Orleans, May 16, 2025 — A major security breach rocked the Orleans Parish Jail early Friday morning as ten inmates escaped through a hole in the wall behind a toilet, triggering an urgent manhunt and raising serious concerns about facility security and possible insider involvement.
According to officials from the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, the escape began around 12:22 a.m., when the inmates tampered with a cell door before entering another compromised cell. Surveillance footage revealed the men slipping through a hole behind the toilet, making their way out via a loading dock, scaling a barbed-wire fence using blankets, and disappearing into the night near nearby railroad tracks and Interstate 10.
The breach went undetected until a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m., more than eight hours later. Sheriff Susan Hutson later confirmed that initial reports of 11 escapees were inaccurate, clarifying that one inmate had been transferred to a different cell before the incident.
As of Friday evening, three of the ten escapees have been recaptured.
Kendell Myles, facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, was discovered hiding beneath a vehicle in a hotel garage in the French Quarter.
Robert Moody was also taken into custody later in the day, though details of his arrest have not been disclosed.
Dkenan Dennis was apprehended near Chef Menteur Highway.
Eight inmates remain at large, including four individuals charged with second-degree murder: Corey Boyd, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, and Derrick Groves. Authorities have not yet released the names of the other four fugitives.
Discarded orange jail uniforms were found in a nearby neighborhood, suggesting the escapees changed clothes shortly after fleeing the facility. Law enforcement suspects the jailbreak may have been aided from the inside.
“It’s almost impossible to escape from this facility without assistance,” Sheriff Hutson stated. Investigators are also looking into whether faulty cell locks played a role in the incident.
New Orleans Police were alerted around 10:30 a.m., two hours after the escape was discovered. Federal and state law enforcement agencies are now involved in the search as the investigation intensifies.
Orleans Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick expressed optimism despite the ongoing search: “We have made progress. But the fact that eight individuals remain at large is deeply concerning.”
The public is being urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious behavior to the authorities. Tips can be submitted anonymously, and officials are offering assistance to nearby communities as the search expands.