‘To easy lol’: 10 inmates including murder convicts use blankets to escape through hole in New Orleans jail - watch video

Ten men executed a daring escape from the Orleans Justice Centerin New Orleans early on Friday, slipping out through a hole behind a toilet in their cell before climbing over a wall and fleeing the facility. The breakout occurred while the only guard assigned to their cell pod was absent, having left to get food.Authorities believe the escape may have been aided by insiders within the sheriff’s department, highlighting serious security failings. Above the hole, messages are scrawled, including "To Easy LoL" with an arrow pointing at the gap.Surveillance footage released by the sheriff’s office captured the inmates running out of the jail, some still in their orange uniforms, others in white. They climbed over a fence, using blankets to shield themselves from barbed wire, and several were seen sprinting across a nearby interstate. A photograph obtained by law enforcement showed the hole behind a toilet where the men escaped, with graffiti above it mocking the ease of their exit.The absence of the escapees went unnoticed for more than seven hours. Officials only realised something was wrong during a routine headcount at 8:30 a.m. that morning. No deputy was physically present in the cell pod at the time; a civilian technician assigned to observe the area had stepped away for food, unaware of the breakout.Sheriff Susan Hutson blamed defective locks for the breach, explaining she had repeatedly warned officials about the failing infrastructure and recently pushed for funding to fix the locks. She also confirmed there are strong indications that the inmates received assistance from within the department. “It’s almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” she said.Once out, the men shed their jail uniforms, though it remains unclear how some acquired civilian clothes so quickly. Ten men escaped, though initial reports that 11 fled were corrected when one man was found to be housed in a different cell.Two of the fugitives have since been caught. Kendall Myles, 20, was arrested after a brief chase through the French Quarter, hiding beneath a car in a hotel garage. He had previously escaped twice from juvenile detention centres. Robert Moody was captured later that day following a tip to Crimestoppers.The eight remaining men are considered armed and dangerous. Several face serious charges, including second-degree murder. Among them is Derrick Groves, convicted last year for Mardi Gras Day shootings in 2018, and Corey Boyd, who had pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.The escape has drawn sharp criticism from local and state officials. Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams condemned the delayed public notification, saying the failure endangered lives. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill called the escape “beyond unacceptable” and warned the fugitives could be anywhere across the country by now.New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick described a “full court effort” to track down the escapees and protect potential witnesses, with at least one family already relocated for safety. She also warned anyone harbouring the fugitives would face prosecution.The Orleans Justice Center has struggled for years with understaffing and outdated facilities. Sheriff Hutson said staffing is at around 60% capacity, and the office lacks funds for maintenance contracts to repair doors and locks. Federal monitoring and court orders have sought to improve conditions, but security lapses have persisted, culminating in this alarming breakout.