Overview
- Authorities say three detainees exploited a weakened wall and used sheets to descend the exterior of the St. Landry Parish Jail last week before fleeing.
- Joseph Allen Harrington died by suicide during a police standoff, Johnathan Jevon Joseph surrendered after officers followed a tip, and 24-year-old murder suspect Keith Eli remains at large with a reward offered.
- Sheriff Bobby Guidroz released surveillance video and 13 photos showing damaged locks, leaks and deteriorating brickwork as evidence of unsafe conditions.
- Guidroz asserted that roof-repair crews left cords and rope that aided the escape, while Parish President Jessie Bellard rejected infrastructure as the root issue and emphasized staffing and training shortfalls.
- An outside architect and corrections specialist from Baton Rouge is being brought in to assess fixes, as the sheriff questions the use of a $700,000–$800,000 annual maintenance tax and details planned pay increases for corrections staff.