New Orleans Jailbreak Sparks DA-Sheriff Feud as Dangerous Fugitives Evade Capture

In a dramatic clash in New Orleans, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and Sheriff Susan Hutson are locked in a heated dispute over a shocking 10-man jailbreak from the Orleans Justice Center on May 16. The escape, involving a four-time killer and a serial escapee, has exposed deep tensions and raised questions about the jail's security.

Williams didn’t mince words, slamming the sheriff’s office as "compromised" for its handling of the breakout. He argued that an independent investigation should have been launched immediately to process the scene, pointing to systemic failures or potential misconduct. Meanwhile, Sheriff Hutson fired back, filing a lawsuit to block Williams from the probe, accusing him of political bias and noting his support for her opponent in an upcoming reelection bid.

The feud was settled out of court on Thursday, with Orleans Parish Criminal Judge Nandi Campbell mediating. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has taken charge of the investigation, vowing to uncover how the inmates, including notorious figures like Derrick Groves—convicted of a 2018 Mardi Gras double-homicide—and Antoine Massey, a repeat escape artist, breached barbed-wire fences to flee.

Two weeks on, eight of the escapees have been recaptured, but Groves and Massey remain at large, with $50,000 bounties each offered by Crime Stoppers and the FBI. Fourteen others have been arrested for aiding the escapees. As the manhunt intensifies, New Orleans grapples with the fallout of a jailbreak that’s as bold as it is troubling.