Chaos erupted at the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans on Friday, May 16, 2025, when 10 inmates pulled off a daring escape, crawling through a hole they’d dug behind a toilet. Three have been caught, but seven remain on the run, sparking a massive manhunt across Louisiana and beyond.

“They took advantage of a structural flaw,” said Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, describing how the inmates slipped through a gap no wider than a foot.

With four of the fugitives facing murder charges and suspicions of an inside job swirling, the breakout has gripped the city, raising tough questions about jail security and who might’ve helped them vanish.

The escape unfolded in the dead of night, a bold move that stunned authorities. The inmates, all held in a temporary lockup, used tools—possibly smuggled—to carve out their path.

“There was a structural issue with the facility, and these inmates were able to get out through a very small space.”

By Saturday, May 17, the FBI, ATF, and local police were combing the region, offering $20,000 per inmate for tips leading to their capture.

“We’re pursuing leads on each one,” a sheriff’s office spokesperson told reporters, underscoring the urgency as the search stretched into its third day.

The seven still at large are no small-time crooks: Jermaine Donald, 42; Antoine Massey, 33; Leo Tate, 31; Lenton Vanburen, 27; Derrick Groves, 27; Gary Turner, 26; and John Carter, 29.

Four—Donald, Massey, Tate, and Vanburen—are charged with murder, making the stakes sky-high. Kendell Myles, 20, accused of attempted murder, was nabbed Saturday, along with Robert Moody and Dkenan Dennis, both 20 and facing murder counts.

Myles didn’t go quietly, posting a taunting video online before his capture, though authorities haven’t released it. “We’re not stopping until they’re all back in custody,” the sheriff’s spokesperson vowed, as tips flooded in.

Suspicion of an inside job has turned heads. Sources close to the investigation pointed to “suspicious circumstances,” like how the inmates got tools and knew the jail’s weak spots.

“There’s a strong belief this wasn’t just a lucky break,” a law enforcement official said. Sheriff Hutson didn’t confirm but didn’t deny it either, saying only that the investigation is “looking at all angles.”

The jail, a patchwork of old and temporary facilities, has been a sore spot for years, with critics slamming its crumbling infrastructure. “This was a failure waiting to happen,” a local councilmember told Fox News, demanding a full review.

New Orleans is on edge as the manhunt widens. Residents are locking doors, and police are urging vigilance. “If you see something, say something,” the sheriff’s office pleaded, sharing photos of the fugitives across billboards and social media.

The breakout’s timing—days after a high-profile prison reform debate in the city—has fueled political heat, with calls for Sheriff Hutson to explain how this happened under her watch.

“We’re focused on getting these guys back, not pointing fingers,” her spokesperson countered, but pressure’s mounting.

The three recaptured inmates are back behind bars, but the seven others are ghosts, possibly scattered far beyond New Orleans. Authorities suspect some may try crossing state lines or even the border, though no firm leads have surfaced. “We’re chasing every tip, every sighting,” the FBI’s New Orleans field office said in a statement. For now, the city holds its breath, waiting for the next break in a story that’s as wild as it is unsettling.

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