New Orleans residents say the sheriff “failed us” after the prison escaped.
Rakisha Catching, a New Orleans resident, lives near the location where one of the 10 prisoners was arrested. She says the sheriff could not protect the city.
Authorities searching for two prisoners who fled from a New Orleans prison last month may have still had their biggest break.
On May 16, a group of 10 inmates fled the Orleans Parish Prison through a hole behind the toilet, officials said. Since then, law enforcement has captured eight men, leaving only Antoine Massey, 32, and 27-year-old Derrick Groves.
A video posted to Instagram on June 1 shows a man identifying himself as Massey in what appears to be an apartment. The man in the video claims he is the mastermind behind the prison escape and says, “I didn’t break out. I’ve been let go.” He also declared his innocence and said he sought help from many celebrities, including President Donald Trump and rapper Meek Mill, and ran away to avoid being charged with crimes he didn’t commit.
Experts who reviewed the video told USA Today there was a break that investigators were looking for. The Instagram post, they said, could guide authorities to where Massey is being drilled or to whom he is helping. The video itself provides law enforcement with insight into his current framework of mind by looking at his latest appearance.
“Postling videos is great for law enforcement,” said Scott Duffy, co-director of Wilmington University’s Criminal Justice Institute and a retired FBI agent. “It helps whenever a fugitive in Ram places his head on the water at any time.”
How can videos help law enforcement?
Duffy said the first thing law enforcement does is to investigate whether the video is authentic. This is an increasingly common challenge in the age of artificial intelligence. Once its validity is confirmed, there are many intelligence authorities that the intelligence authorities can gather.
On June 2, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office issued a statement saying it was aware of the video, urging Massey to hand over herself. Authorities have not publicly confirmed whether Massey is the man in the video. They have not denied that either.
But what information can researchers get from deleted Instagram? Much said Donald Lane, a former US Secret Service agent with decades of experience in the fugitive manhunt.
Lane said investigators would try to determine who the account belongs to. If the account that posted the video is linked to a real person, law enforcement will either interview them or try to obtain a search warrant. If a dummy account was created to upload a video, that is, it means there is no account information to tie it to Massey or Associates.
For example, electronic crime experts can track the use of social media apps to their IP addresses, such as the action to sign up for an account. Once the investigator finds a computer network, the devices are tied together and the physical address can be quickly checked.
“Whenever there’s someone doing something like this, it’s a break in the investigation,” Lane said.
Does Massy feel the heat?
Both Duffy and Lane said Massey “difficult to prove his case” and apparently anticipated his final capture.
“He knows he’s going to get caught,” Lane said. “He’s suing his case on a public forum…. It shows a bit of a hopelessness.”
Certainly there is against Massey, who is being charged with domestic abuse, including strangulation, as well as car theft. Bryce Peterson, an adjunct professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said that despite extensive research into inmate escape, more than 90% of escaped prisoners will be recaptured.
This is because the lives of fugitives are unsustainable for most people. “It’s very difficult,” Duffy said. “You’re always overlooking your shoulder.”
The eight other fugitives who fled alongside Massey and Groves were arrested following high-speed pursuits, facial recognition techniques and tips from the public. More than dozens have also been arrested and accused of helping them escape. Authorities are currently offering $50,000 for tips leading to Massey and Grove’s arrest.
Citing the video, Duffy said there may be an opportunity for law enforcement to open a series of communications and encourage Massey’s surrender.
“He hasn’t seen life in prison, so there’s room for him to play together,” Duffy said. “Law enforcement could have him hand over himself to fight his case in custody. That’s good for him and good for law enforcement.”
Search continues for the escaped “Ozarks Devil” murderer Grant Hardin
Meanwhile, in Arkansas, authorities are searching for escaped murderer Grant Hardin.
Hardin, 56, came out of the gate more than a week ago, wearing makeshift outfit that looked like a prison guard, court records show. According to the Arkansas Department of Corrections, authorities tracked several leads and used drones, aircraft and dogs to hunt him.
The convicted murderer and rapist are known as “The Devil of the Ozark,” the name of the television documentary program created about his case in 2023. Hardin is the Arkansas Gateway police chief and has experience in law enforcement, officials say.
He pleaded guilty to the 2017 murder of James Appleton, a Gateway Department of Water worker, and to the rape of a school teacher in 1997 in Rogers, near Rogers, Arkansas.
Authorities are offering rewards of up to $20,000 for information that leads to his capture.
Contribution: Johnine Santucci
