Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the arrest of a jail employee on Monday in connection with the escape of 10 inmates from a New Orleans facility.
Sterling Williams, 33, is charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office, according to a press release from Murrill’s office. At the time of Friday’s escape, Williams was employed as a maintenance worker at the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Why It Matters
Inmates Gary Price, Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Dkenan Dennis, Antoine Massey, Lenton Vanburen, Jermaine Donald, Leo Tate, Derrick Groves and Corey Boyd escaped from Orleans Justice Center on Friday.
Price, Myles, Moody and Dennis have been captured, but the remaining inmates are still at large.
The inmates escaped through a hole in a jail cell wall behind a toilet at around 1 a.m. They were not discovered missing until around 10:30 a.m.
What To Know
The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division interviewed Williams as part of their investigation into the escape.
Williams admitted to a special agent that one of the inmates advised him to turn the water off in the cell that the inmates later escaped from, according to the attorney general’s office. Williams did not report the inmate and turned the water off in the cell.
Williams said one of the inmates threatened to “shank” him if he did not turn off the water, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the Associated Press. The affidavit states that by turning off the water, Williams “willfully and maliciously assisted with the escape.”
Special agents obtained an arrest warrant for Williams. He was booked without incident into the Orleans Parish Jail and then relocated to a different facility.
What People Are Saying
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, in a statement: “This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. I encourage anyone who knows anything and even those who may have provided assistance to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case.”
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, at a New Orleans City Council meeting on Tuesday: “There were procedural failures and missed notifications, but there were also intentional wrongdoings—this was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law. We are continuing to pursue everyone involved.”
What Happens Next
The attorney general’s office said it is continuing to investigate this incident.
Officials are still searching for six escaped inmates. The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) is asking anyone who spots the inmates to call 911 immediately.
“If you recognize anyone pictured, DO NOT APPROACH — they may be armed & dangerous,” NOPD said on X, formerly Twitter.
Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact [email protected].
Read the full article here
