Derrick Groves became widely known after a 2025 New Orleans jail escape brought renewed attention to a long-running criminal case. He had already been convicted in connection with a 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting that killed two men and wounded two others. After escaping from the Orleans Parish Justice Center with nine other inmates in May 2025, Groves remained at large for nearly five months before authorities captured him in Atlanta.
His case has since involved a murder conviction, a high-profile fugitive search, a return to Louisiana custody, and sentencing. This article explains the key events and the current legal status reported by reliable sources.
Who Is Derrick Groves?
Derrick Groves is a New Orleans man who was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder stemming from a shooting on Mardi Gras Day in 2018. The victims who died were Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson. Two additional people were injured.
The case took years to reach its final trial outcome. According to the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office, a jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on October 18, 2024, after a retrial.
The conviction was significant because the underlying shooting had occurred years before the retrial. Court proceedings and legal developments had delayed the final resolution of the case.
The 2018 Mardi Gras Shooting
The underlying crime occurred during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward in 2018. Prosecutors said the shooting resulted in the deaths of Robinson and Jackson and injuries to two other people.
After the retrial, prosecutors announced that Groves had been found guilty on two second-degree murder counts and two attempted second-degree murder counts. The verdict established his criminal liability for the charges in that case under the jury’s findings.
The case also received renewed attention because Groves was still awaiting sentencing when he later escaped from jail.
| Key event | Date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Mardi Gras shooting | 2018 | Two people were killed and two others wounded |
| Retrial verdict | October 18, 2024 | Groves was convicted on four counts |
| Jail escape | May 16, 2025 | He escaped with nine other inmates |
| Capture in Atlanta | October 8, 2025 | Authorities found him hiding in a crawl space |
| Murder-case sentencing | December 12, 2025 | He received two life sentences plus 100 years |
How Did Derrick Groves Escape From Jail?
On May 16, 2025, ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans. Investigators determined that the group got through a hole created behind a toilet and then escaped the facility. The breakout triggered a large-scale search involving local, state and federal agencies.
Groves was the last of the ten escapees to be recaptured. Other inmates were located over the following weeks, while Groves remained missing for months.
Authorities later charged all ten escapees with simple escape. Groves was also separately prosecuted for his earlier convictions, meaning the jail escape became an additional legal matter rather than replacing the underlying murder case.
💡 Pro Tip: When researching a high-profile criminal case, separate the original criminal charges from later escape or fugitive charges. They are different proceedings, and mixing them can create an inaccurate picture of a person’s legal status.
Five-Month Manhunt and Capture
The search for Derrick Groves continued across state lines after the New Orleans jailbreak. Investigators eventually developed information pointing toward the Atlanta area.
On October 8, 2025, U.S. Marshals and Atlanta law enforcement officers located Groves at a home in southwest Atlanta. According to CBS News, a Crime Stoppers tip helped direct investigators toward the area. Officers searched the property and eventually found Groves hiding inside a crawl space.
The operation involved several agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, New Orleans police and Atlanta police.
His capture ended the months-long search for the final remaining escapee from the May 2025 jailbreak.
What Happened After His Capture?
After being apprehended in Georgia, Groves was returned to Louisiana. In October 2025, he was arraigned on the simple escape charge and entered a not-guilty plea in that case.
His murder case proceeded separately. On December 12, 2025, a New Orleans criminal court judge sentenced Groves to two life sentences and an additional 100 years in state prison in connection with the 2018 killings and attempted killings. WDSU reported that the sentences consisted of two life terms and two 50-year sentences.
The sentencing followed his October 2024 convictions for the two murders and two attempted murders.
As reported by local news outlets, the separate escape case remained an additional legal matter after the murder-case sentencing.
Why the Case Received National Attention
Several events converged to make the Groves case nationally prominent. The original conviction involved a double homicide during a major New Orleans celebration. Years later, the defendant became one of ten inmates involved in a highly publicized jail escape.
The subsequent manhunt lasted approximately five months and crossed state lines. The eventual capture in an Atlanta crawl space added another major development to the story. CBS News reported that the investigation involved extensive coordination among multiple law-enforcement agencies.
The jailbreak also prompted scrutiny of security at the Orleans Parish facility. News reports described concerns involving the jail’s physical security and monitoring systems following the escape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was Derrick Groves captured?
Derrick Groves was captured in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, on October 8, 2025. Authorities found him hiding in a crawl space beneath a home after obtaining a search warrant and conducting a multi-agency operation. His capture made him the tenth and final inmate from the May 2025 New Orleans jailbreak to be recaptured.
What was Derrick Groves convicted of?
He was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. The convictions arose from the 2018 Mardi Gras Day shooting that killed Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson and injured two other people. A jury reached the verdicts in October 2024.
How long was Derrick Groves on the run?
Groves remained at large for nearly five months after escaping from the Orleans Parish Justice Center on May 16, 2025. Authorities captured him on October 8, 2025, in Atlanta after following an investigative lead to a residence.
What sentence did Derrick Groves receive?
In December 2025, Groves received two life sentences plus 100 years in state prison for the 2018 murder and attempted-murder convictions. Local reporting stated that the sentences were imposed consecutively.
Does Derrick Groves still face an escape case?
Yes. After his return to Louisiana, Groves was arraigned on a simple escape charge and pleaded not guilty in October 2025. The escape prosecution is separate from the murder convictions and sentencing.
📌 Key Takeaway: Derrick Groves’ case involves two distinct chapters: the 2018 Mardi Gras shooting that resulted in murder and attempted-murder convictions, and the 2025 Orleans Parish jail escape. He was captured in Atlanta in October 2025 and later received two life sentences plus 100 years for the 2018 case.
Conclusion
The story of Derrick Groves spans more than seven years, from the 2018 Mardi Gras shooting through a 2024 retrial conviction, a 2025 jail escape, and his eventual capture in Atlanta. His murder-case sentence was imposed in December 2025, while the separate escape prosecution remained part of his legal record.
For readers following the case, the key distinction is between the convictions arising from the 2018 shooting and the later charges connected with the jail escape. Keeping those proceedings separate provides the clearest picture of his documented legal history.
