Overview

• Ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center on May 16, 2025, exploiting a hole behind a dismounted toilet, with five still at large.
• Sterling Williams, a maintenance worker, was arrested for allegedly shutting off water to the escape cell under threat from inmates.
• Five civilians, including Connie Weeden and Casey Smith, face accessory charges for aiding escapees with transportation, funds, and other support.
• Law enforcement has increased rewards to $20,000 per fugitive and deployed over 200 officers in an ongoing manhunt for the remaining escapees.
• The incident has prompted audits of jail operations and intensified scrutiny over systemic security failures and staff complicity.