Atlanta, Georgia — A months-long dragnet came to a dramatic close Wednesday when law enforcement officials arrested Derrick Groves, the final fugitive from a notorious May 2025 jailbreak in New Orleans. Groves was found hiding in a crawl space beneath a basement in a southwest Atlanta home, bringing to an end a manhunt that stretched across state lines and captivated nationwide attention.
What follows is a full look at how Groves escaped, how investigators tracked him down, the tactical and legal dynamics involved in his capture, and the implications for law enforcement and public safety.
Background: The New Orleans Jailbreak and Groves’ Crimes
The Escape of May 2025
On the night of May 16, 2025, ten inmates broke free from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in one of the most audacious jail escapes in recent U.S. history. According to investigators, the inmates exploited a hole behind a toilet, which had apparently been cut or loosened, then climbed through it and scaled a barbed-wire fence to flee.
When the breakout was discovered the next morning, officials were stunned. The cell where they escaped had a crudely drawn arrow pointing at the opening, with the message “To Easy LoL” written above it — a mocking taunt of the jail’s security.
Nine of the escapees were captured within about six weeks. But Groves eluded capture for nearly five months, making him the focus of intense investigations, multiple tip lines, interstate coordination, and, ultimately, a reward of $50,000 for information leading to his arrest.
Who Is Derrick Groves?
At the time of his escape, Groves was 28 years old and had recently been convicted in Louisiana for violent crimes, including second-degree murder. He had also faced manslaughter charges in a separate case.
His case stood out among the escapees because of the severity of his convictions and the risk he posed. Authorities have described him as having one of the most violent criminal records in that group.
Groves was serving a life sentence following his 2024 conviction for opening fire at a Mardi Gras block party, which killed two people and wounded several others. He was also convicted on two counts of manslaughter in another case.
Given his background, law enforcement fully expected Groves to attempt to find hidden refuge, rely on outside help, and stay under the radar. It was never going to be easy to bring him back.
The Manhunt: Strategies, Leads, and Challenges
Multi-Jurisdictional Coordination & Tips
From the start, the search for Groves involved coordination between local, state, and federal agencies. The U.S. Marshals, New Orleans authorities, Atlanta law enforcement, and Crimestoppers Greater New Orleans were among the key players.
A steady stream of anonymous tips proved crucial. One tip through Crimestoppers eventually led agents to the southwest Atlanta home where Groves was hiding.
Throughout the months, investigators re-examined phone records, financial traces, patterns of travel, and possible networks of support. The logic: someone had to be helping him — passing food, money, shelter, or intelligence. Dozens of suspects, including family, friends, and former jail employees, were interviewed or arrested on related charges.
Security Gaps & Suspected Inside Help
Part of what made this escape so alarming was the perceived breakdown in jail security. Arguments have been made that the cell door that the inmates exploited was faulty. Officials also suspected inside assistance — possibly from a maintenance worker who is accused of disabling plumbing or tampering with systems.
Groves’ girlfriend has also been implicated in aiding his flight, accused of helping coordinate his escape or providing resources
These aspects of inside complicity complicated the investigation, requiring deeper forensic scrutiny of the facility, personnel records, and internal communications.
The Adaptive Fugitive
For months, Groves seemed to vanish. He avoided established safe houses, didn’t make contact with known associates (at least not in detectable ways), and changed his movements frequently. Investigators believe he may have been lying low, hoping to fade from attention. Some reports suggest he moved in small increments, periodically shifting locations.
That kind of elusiveness demands adaptability, local knowledge, and support — all of which implied a network behind him. But even with that advantage, staying hidden for nearly five months is no small feat.
The Atlanta Operation: How the Capture Unfolded
The Location & Setting
The house where Groves was found is located in a residential neighborhood in southwest Atlanta, near Honeysuckle Street. It lies near Tyler Perry Studios, making it a part of a zone that blends residential and commercial development.
Officers reported that the garage door was partially collapsed inward, suggesting prior tampering or forced entry.
The home appeared to be chosen for concealment — surrounded by trees, offering shade and cover, and perhaps low visibility from neighboring houses. That made it a reasonable hideout for someone trying to stay invisible.
Warrant, SWAT & Gas Deployment
Before the raid, authorities obtained a search warrant backed by sponsor agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and local police. A Southeast Regional Fugitive Taskforce was involved along with New Orleans marshals.
The operation lasted multiple hours. According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fair, when teams entered, they couldn’t immediately locate Groves. They deployed gas canisters in an effort to flush him from hiding, particularly in the basement and crawl spaces.
Deputy Chief Kelly Collier of the Atlanta Police confirmed that after using gas, a K-9 unit was sent in, and the dog eventually located Groves curled in a basement crawl space.
That he survived in such a confined, low-airspace environment — potentially without immediate access to food, water, or fresh air — underscores how determined and prepared he was to stay hidden.
Surrender, Arrest, and Behavior
When law enforcement finally extracted him, Groves was shirtless, shoeless, and both wrist- and ankle-shackled. In video released by authorities, he seemed almost nonchalant — blowing a kiss and grinning at someone filming him as he was led out.
That composure is not uncommon in hardened fugitives — part bravado, part psychological posture. He showed no violent resistance during the capture, and no one else was found inside the house.
The capture operation was considered a success, but not without risk. The use of gas, the confined spaces, the prolonged standoff all introduced danger to officers, residents, and the fugitive himself.
Legal, Political & Security Fallout
Charges & Legal Path Forward
With Groves finally back in custody, the legal consequences will multiply. In addition to the convictions he’d already been serving, he now faces escape charges, which typically carry 2 to 5 years in addition to existing sentences.
Given the severity of his original crimes and his record, prosecutors are likely to seek maximum sentences if he is convicted on escape-related counts.
He will first be transferred to Louisiana — presumably the Central District of Louisiana or Orleans Parish jurisdiction — to face proceedings there, including arraignment, plea negotiations, motions, and, possibly, trial.
His defense may argue on procedural grounds: the legality of the search warrant, the use of gas, the chain of custody, or suppression of evidence, though such challenges are often difficult in high-profile cases.
Political Reactions & Accountability
Officials in Louisiana and New Orleans wasted no time responding. The District Attorney Jason Williams issued a statement emphasizing that Groves’ escape was a severe lapse in public safety and law enforcement accountability. He promised to pursue “every available legal avenue” to hold him responsible.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry applauded law enforcement efforts to recapture all 10 escapees, posting that they were now “back where they belong: BEHIND BARS.”
Criticism, however, has mounted over the jail’s security, sheriffs’ oversight, guard staffing, maintenance practices, and possible collusion. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has come under fire for systemic issues at the facility.
In many ways, Groves’ capture points to broader tensions: the need for better correctional infrastructure, oversight of internal facility staff, and stronger coordination across jurisdictions.
Public Safety & Community Impact
For the victims, their families, and community members, Groves’ recapture offers some closure. His months on the run loomed as a threat — not just in theory, but in real fear that he could re-offend or return to violence.
His capture also serves as a reminder of how mobile and resilient criminal actors can be, and how critical it is to maintain robust fugitive task forces, tip lines, and interagency cooperation.
Still, critics may argue that had the escape never happened, the stress and danger to public safety might have been avoided altogether. The security vulnerabilities exposed by this case will likely trigger legislative reviews, audits, and reforms.
What It All Teaches Us
Long-term fugitives require perseverance and patience. Groves’ capture took months of dogged investigation, tip follow-up, coordination, and tactical risk.
Multiagency work is essential. No single department could have brought this off alone. Marshals, local police, K-9 teams, SWAT units, and intelligence units all played roles.
Prisons must guard against inside help. Whether from maintenance staff, personnel, or outside contacts, infiltration remains a weak point in institutional security.
Tactical operations in confined spaces are dangerous. Basement crawl spaces offer hiding places but also risk to both suspect and officers in arrest operations.
Public accountability matters. When failures are exposed, communities demand answers — to prevent the next escape, the next breach.
Epilogue: The Fugitive’s Last Stand
Derrick Groves’ five-month run ended in a cramped, dimly lit crawl space — not a dramatic breakaway or a desperate charge. That impromptu hideout was his final resting point as a fugitive.
His capture marks the conclusion of one of the more audacious jailbreak sagas in recent memory. But the reverberations will carry longer: through Louisiana’s correctional policy, through the families of victims, and through the eyes of public safety agencies across the country.
For now, Groves is back in custody. The next chapters will come in courtrooms, not in hidden crawl spaces. And the questions raised about how he escaped — and how he hid — may force changes far beyond his case.
