Derrick Groves Appears in Atlanta Court, Says He’s Ready to Head Home
Derrick Groves, the last of 10 inmates who broke out from the Orleans Justice Center back in May, showed up in a Georgia courtroom on Thursday, facing his next move after a wild multi-state chase that kept law enforcement on edge for months.
When asked if he wanted to waive extradition and head back to Louisiana, Groves didn’t hesitate. “I want to return where I’m from,” he told the judge—his tone calm, almost reflective. That one line said it all: a man who knows the storm he’s about to walk back into, but who’s ready to face it.
Groves’ return marks the final chapter in what Louisiana officials called one of the state’s boldest jail breaks in years. For months, authorities tracked sightings, chased tips, and pieced together the puzzle of how ten men managed to vanish from a supposedly secure facility. But in the end, it was a quiet neighborhood in Georgia that brought the manhunt to a close.
SWAT and U.S. Marshals Corner Groves in Atlanta After Crimestoppers Tip
Authorities say Groves’ short-lived freedom ended Wednesday in southwest Atlanta after a tense standoff with U.S. Marshals and the city’s SWAT team. A Crimestoppers tip led investigators to a home on Honeysuckle Lane—an address that had started popping up in local whispers days before the bust.
When the team arrived, they discovered Groves hiding in the basement’s crawl space, holding out just long enough to force a negotiation. Eventually, he surrendered without incident. What they found inside that house made headlines just as fast: nearly 20 pounds of marijuana and multiple firearms, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Office.
The bust painted a picture of a man still connected to the streets, but now cornered by his past. After months on the run, the chase ended not with violence, but with surrender—a small miracle, considering how this could have gone down.
Groves Faces Possible New Charges in Georgia and Federal Court
During Thursday’s hearing, Groves could’ve fought extradition—but chose not to. Instead, he opted to head back to Louisiana, where he’ll face a new Orleans Parish judge before being transferred to Angola, the state’s maximum-security prison. The other nine escapees are already there, locked down and awaiting trial.
Attorney General Liz Murrill confirmed that Groves might face additional charges in Georgia tied to the drugs and weapons found in the home, and federal prosecutors could also step in. That’s on top of Louisiana’s own pending charges for simple escape, a felony carrying an extra two to five years in prison.
Groves’ criminal record already reads like a cautionary tale. Back in 2018, he was convicted for taking the lives of two people and attempting to kill two more during a Mardi Gras block party. That violent past will follow him wherever he goes—even back home.