Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has been charged with 30 felonies in connection with the escape of 10 inmates in 2025.
Last escapee from New Orleans jailbreak captured
The last of 10 inmates accused of escaping from a New Orleans jail earlier this year by climbing through a hole behind a toilet has been captured, authorities said.
Nearly a year after 10 inmates escaped from a New Orleans prison through a hole in the wall, a special grand jury has indicted the local sheriff on corruption and obstruction charges in connection with the largest jailbreak in recent American history.
The brazen escape took place in the early morning hours of May 16, 2025, when the inmates broke through the cell wall after ripping off the toilet sink unit. They slipped onto a loading dock and climbed up a wall before disappearing. The massive search that followed spanned several months, multiple states, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Several fugitives were captured within days, while others led authorities on an endless search. The last inmate, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, was not rearrested in Atlanta until October 2025.
The escape brought national attention to the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Susan Hutson has become the face of the investigation, giving updates at press conferences and drawing scrutiny for the jail’s failings. While the search for the escapee was still underway, the same prison mistakenly released another inmate, but the inmate had been on the run for nearly a month.
Hutson said last year that he accepted “full responsibility for this violation that occurred under my leadership.”
It was one of the worst incidents in Louisiana history (though it was not the first at the prison; in 1968, 21 inmates broke into the attic and cut a hole to escape, The New York Times reported at the time).
Attorney General Liz Murrill announced on April 29 that Hutson, whose term ends on May 4, was charged with 30 crimes.
“While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the jail doors for the escapee, his refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and failure to take even minimal precautions in fulfilling his duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape,” Murrill said.
Hutson, 58, was charged with 14 counts of official misconduct, four counts of conspiracy to commit official misconduct, three counts of filing or maintaining false records, three counts of conspiracy to file or maintain false records, three counts of obstruction of justice, and three counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of public office. Murrill’s office said all charges are felonies.
Bond was set at $300,000, Murrill said. USA TODAY has reached out to the sheriff’s office and public defender’s office for comment. Hutson’s attorney is not listed in available court records.
Bianca Brown, chief financial officer for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was also indicted on 20 similar charges. Others previously charged in connection with the escape include a prison maintenance worker, as well as family members and people close to the escapees who allegedly helped them escape or continue their escape.
The Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that Hutson, who did not seek re-election after fleeing, will end his term on May 4.
“Nearly a year ago, I promised the people of New Orleans and our state that those responsible for the Orleans Parish jailbreak would be held accountable,” Murrill said in a statement. “Since that day, with the combined efforts of my office, the Louisiana State Police, and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, all of the fugitives have been behind bars, and others who facilitated and enabled their escapes are now being prosecuted.”
Murrill said he has confidence in Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork, who takes office next week.
“As prosecutors move forward with this case, I continue to have productive conversations with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork about how we can improve our operations, secure our facilities, and incorporate basic financial oversight in compliance with state law,” she said. “I have confidence in her commitment to implementing the difficult changes needed to reform our prisons.”
