About two weeks ago, after ten inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail by cutting through a wall behind a toilet, court documents revealed that at least 15 individuals allegedly assisted in the operation. The aid provided spanned both before and after the breakout, ranging from financial support and transportation to shelter and digital communication.
Records reviewed by The Associated Press indicate that the escape was far from a spontaneous act, with accomplices playing crucial roles in helping the fugitives evade law enforcement. Among those implicated is a former jail employee accused of driving escapee Lenton Vanburen to a family residence and assisting him with a FaceTime call to relatives on the day of the escape. Another associate reportedly offered Vanburen refuge in an apartment he was hired to repaint.
Several individuals allegedly transferred money via payment apps, misled authorities during questioning, and communicated directly with the escapees. Some of the accused are currently detained on bonds exceeding $1 million, facing felony charges of accessory after the fact. While many are named in police reports, not all have been formally charged.
Authorities have underscored the vital role friends and family members play in tracking down the two remaining fugitives: convicted murderer Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, who is facing kidnapping and rape charges. A $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to each fugitive’s capture, and some relatives have already come forward with tips. “They can keep running, but they can’t hide forever,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill in an interview with CBS News on Wednesday.
Former Jail Employee Connected to Escape
Following the early morning jailbreak on May 16, police records describe a woman “associated” with Groves who allegedly transported Vanburen to a relative’s home and arranged a video call with his sisters en route.
This individual, who has not been charged in relation to the escape, shares the same name as a former Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office employee. In 2023, that employee was arrested for attempting to smuggle contraband—including a folding knife and a bag of Cheetos filled with tobacco and marijuana—into the facility. Those charges were later dismissed after she completed a pretrial diversion program due to a clean criminal record, according to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.
In a text message to an AP reporter, the woman denied any involvement in the escape or smuggling contraband into the jail.
In a separate development, authorities also arrested a jail maintenance worker accused of facilitating the escape. Court documents state that Massey persuaded the plumber, Sterling Williams, to shut off the water to a specific cell. Williams admitted doing so and told investigators he acted under threat, according to an affidavit for his arrest. Williams faces two felony charges. His attorney maintains his innocence, claiming he was simply repairing an overflowing toilet reported by another employee. The defense also suggested the inmates may have deliberately clogged the toilet to orchestrate the water shutoff.
Phone and Tech Trails Lead to Arrests
To avoid detection, several escapees—including Massey—allegedly relied on internet-based phone services to communicate without leaving traditional call records, police said.
Escapee Corey Boyd reportedly used such services to solicit funds, access iCloud accounts, and even threatened violence against one contact. Investigators traced months of Boyd’s previous call history while in jail, ultimately identifying a new phone number used shortly after the escape. That number led them to Boyd’s location. Authorities discovered that Boyd’s aunt had been messaging him on Instagram and was helping him acquire food while he hid in an apartment. A SWAT team apprehended him there on May 20.
Abuse Victim Among Those Accused
One woman accused of aiding Massey had a long history of domestic abuse by him, court records reveal. She had previously filed a protective order against Massey after he attempted to strangle her. Despite this, police say she was aware of his escape plan and later misled authorities.
She also exchanged messages with Massey’s 31-year-old sister, expressing hope that he “never gets caught.” Authorities raided the sister’s home six days after the escape but found nothing. However, investigators believe Massey had been there earlier and that his sister deleted and altered evidence on her phone. Police accuse her of lying to investigators, which they say significantly hindered the manhunt.
Vanburen Received Broad Family Support
Authorities report that at least seven of those charged with aiding fugitives had direct ties to Lenton Vanburen Jr. In phone conversations from prison before his escape, Vanburen instructed two of his sisters to contact his girlfriend and provide her with a clean phone for communication.
Though the woman identified as Vanburen’s love interest told the AP she never received the phone and denied involvement, other family members reportedly provided immediate support. Vanburen’s sisters met with him the night of the escape, supplying clean clothes, toiletries, and a place to clean up. Another relative allegedly transported him to a family home in Mississippi.
Vanburen was captured in Baton Rouge on Monday. Two additional men have since been arrested, accused of securing him shelter in a hotel and an apartment under renovation. The court system in Baton Rouge had no records of legal counsel for the men.
In a separate case, a 59-year-old woman is accused of sending money to fugitive Jermaine Donald, described as a family friend, according to her attorney.
Lindsey Hortenstine, communications director for the Orleans Parish Public Defenders’ Office, confirmed that most of the individuals arrested in connection with aiding the fugitives have yet to retain legal representation.
Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert Hodges emphasized the importance of community cooperation. “They’re tired, they’re looking over their shoulder, looking for resources,” Hodges said. “I think the advantage goes to law enforcement and we need the public’s help to ensure that we keep that advantage.”
Jail Conditions Contributed to Escape
State Attorney General Murrill pointed to systemic issues that may have enabled the escape, including inadequate jail staffing, outdated infrastructure, and court backlogs that have led to overcrowding.
At the time of the breakout, no deputy was assigned to the section of the jail where it occurred. According to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, one-third of the facility’s security cameras were non-functional. Surveillance footage later revealed inmates forcing a door open at 12:22 a.m. and escaping through a loading dock around 1 a.m. — but the incident went unnoticed for more than eight hours.
The sheriff’s office also reported that the cell locks in the escape area were defective and under renovation. The inmates had been housed there temporarily due to ongoing maintenance in other parts of the facility. Plumbing issues were also reported in the aftermath of the escape.
“I think that there is hardening that needs to happen at that facility that’s just physical changes to things like light bulbs and locks,” Murrill stated on Wednesday. “But at the end of all this, you really have to be able to efficiently move cases, or you’re still going to have a continuing problem with a violent population that’s there for a very long time, and will continue to beat up and exploit any kind of weakness they can find in that facility.”
