OAN Staff Sophia Flores
9:05 PM – Wednesday, October 8, 2025
The five-month search for the final inmate who escaped from a New Orleans jail on May 16th has come to an end, after the last prisoner was captured in Georgia.
Escaped Louisiana inmate Derrick Groves was captured on Wednesday, after authorities found him hiding in a crawl space beneath a home in southwest Atlanta after a tip was called in to Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans.
According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair, 28-year-old Groves engaged in a standoff with Atlanta Police and U.S. Marshals.
“It took almost three hours to locate him in the house, gas had to be deployed into the house multiple times by (the) Atlanta Police Department’s SWAT team, and he was ultimately located hiding in a crawl space,” Fair told CNN.
Videos released by Atlanta police show the criminal blowing kisses as officers led him to a patrol car.
Groves and nine other inmates, all of whom have since been recaptured, escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center on May 16, 2025. The group broke out by squeezing through a hole behind a toilet, climbing over a barbed-wire fence, and vanishing into the night.
At the time of his escape, Groves was in custody awaiting sentencing for his conviction in the 2018 Mardi Gras murders of two men. He was one of the gunmen who opened fire with AK-47 rifles during what should have been a joyful family celebration. Groves was found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder — charges that carry a mandatory life sentence, according to the district attorney.
Groves is scheduled to appear in court in Georgia on Thursday, where he can either waive extradition to Louisiana or refuse. If he chooses not to waive extradition, the state will begin legal proceedings to have him returned to Louisiana.
“We will pursue every available legal avenue to ensure that Derrick Groves answers for every crime he has committed and every consequence he has sought to avoid,” New Orleans district attorney Jason Williams stated.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
What do YOU think? Click here to jump to the comments!