Eight Men on the Run Following Bold ‘Shawshank’ Jailbreak in the US | US News
Eight inmates could be “literally anywhere” in the US following their escape from a jail in New Orleans. Authorities are left puzzled – how did this happen?
This bold breakout involved 10 men fleeing the facility on Friday through a hole located behind a toilet before climbing a wall, echoing scenes from The Shawshank Redemption.
The escape is believed to have occurred while the sole guard assigned to their cell block was away on a food run.
While two of the men have been caught, eight remain on the loose, including those facing murder charges. Prison officials suspect they may have received assistance from inside.
Surveillance footage captured the fugitives sprinting out of the Orleans Justice Centre, utilizing blankets to climb over a barbed wire fence, then racing across a nearby highway.
Remarkably, the absence of these inmates went unnoticed for over seven hours; officers only discovered their escape the following morning during a standard headcount.
The escape route believed to be used by the inmates. Pic: AP
A photo of the escape route also revealed scrawled messages, including one that read “To Easy LoL” with an arrow directing attention to the gap.
After their escape, the men changed out of their jail uniforms, and officials are still unclear on how some managed to acquire civilian clothes so quickly.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson stated that the escape was facilitated by “defective locks.”
She also suggested there are signs that individuals within her department assisted the fugitives. “It’s nearly impossible, but not entirely, for someone to escape from this facility without help.”
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Photos of the escaped inmates. Top row from left: Keith A Lewis, Dkenan Dennis, Gary C Price; bottom row from left: Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E Boyd. Pic: AP
Who are the escaped individuals?
The group consists of men aged between 19 and 42, most of whom are in their 20s.
One detainee, Derrick Groves, was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shootings.
Another escapee, Corey Boyd, has pled not guilty to a murder charge.
Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams stated that some of these men “have histories of attempting to intimidate witnesses who were courageous enough to come forward.”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill described the escape as “utterly unacceptable,” criticizing local authorities for the delay in informing the public.
She mentioned that she reached out to nearby states to notify them about the escape, stating that the fugitives could have made it to “just about anywhere across the country” by now.
