It was Mardi Gras Day in 2018. New Orleans was doing what it does best—celebrating, laughing, and filling the streets with music. But on the 5400 block of St. Claude Avenue, the party stopped. For the families of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, that Tuesday didn't end with beads and king cake. It ended with an AK-style rifle and a scene so chaotic that investigators are still talking about the shell casings today.
Enter Derrick Groves.
If you’ve been following the news lately, you know the name. But the legal saga surrounding the Derrick Groves New Orleans charges is way more than just a simple crime-and-punishment story. It’s a messy, years-long journey through trials, retrials, a "Too Easy" jailbreak, and a capture that felt more like a movie scene than real life. Honestly, it’s one of the most wild legal timelines the city has seen in a generation.
The Long Road to a Conviction
Let’s get the facts straight. Groves wasn't just some guy caught in the wrong place. Prosecutors painted a picture of a man who terrorized the Lower Ninth Ward for over a decade. Back in 2019, he and his co-defendant, Kendall Barnes, were actually convicted for those 2018 murders.
Then things got complicated.
Because of a major shift in Louisiana law—specifically the requirement for unanimous jury verdicts—the old conviction was tossed out. It’s kinda frustrating if you’re looking for closure, right? Imagine being the family of a victim and being told you have to go through the whole trial again because of a legal technicality. That led to a 2023 retrial that ended in a mistrial because a juror read some news clips they shouldn't have. Then came another trial that ended in a deadlocked jury.
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Finally, in October 2024, a jury finally reached a unanimous decision. They found Groves guilty of:
- Two counts of second-degree murder.
- Two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
He also pleaded guilty to manslaughter in two other separate fatal shootings (the deaths of Tyrone Smith and Woodrow Smith). So, we aren't just talking about one bad afternoon; we're talking about four lives taken.
The Jailbreak Heard 'Round the State
You’d think that would be the end of it, but in May 2025, while awaiting his sentencing, Groves decided he wasn't done. He and nine other inmates pulled off what some call the largest jailbreak in Louisiana history.
They literally crawled through a hole behind a toilet in the Orleans Parish Justice Center.
They even left a message behind: "To Easy LoL."
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For five months, the city was on edge. While nine of the other guys were caught pretty quickly, Groves stayed in the wind. He was the last one out there. The U.S. Marshals eventually tracked him down in October 2025. Where was he? Atlanta. Specifically, hiding in a crawl space under a house. The capture involved a SWAT team and multiple rounds of gas. When he was finally being led away, cameras caught him smiling and blowing kisses to onlookers. Judge Dennis Waldron later called it a "final act of defiance."
The Final Sentence
Just about a month ago, on December 12, 2025, the hammer finally dropped.
Groves sat in that courtroom in an orange jumpsuit, shackled. He didn't look remorseful. In fact, reports say he was smirking and making faces at the victims' families while they gave their statements. Kadijah Jackson, Byron’s sister, talked about how she has to show her niece photos of her dad just so the girl knows she once had one.
The judge didn't hold back.
He sentenced Groves to two consecutive life terms plus an additional 100 years for the attempted murders. Because he was on the run for five months, the court had zero interest in leniency.
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Why This Case Hits Different
There’s a weird, tragic irony to this whole story. Derrick’s own grandmother, Kim Groves, was a local hero in her own way. Back in 1994, she was murdered by a hitman on the orders of a corrupt New Orleans police officer because she reported police misconduct.
The judge actually brought this up during sentencing. He noted that instead of honoring his grandmother’s legacy and the injustice she faced, Derrick chose to become the very thing she fought against—a source of violence in the Ninth Ward.
Basically, the community that his grandmother tried to protect was the one he spent years "bullying and brutalizing," according to FBI Special Agent Lyonel Myrthil.
What’s Next?
While the murder cases are largely wrapped up with those life sentences, the legal system isn't totally finished with him. There are still separate charges pending related specifically to the jailbreak.
Actionable Steps for the Public:
- Monitor the Escape Cases: Keep an eye on the upcoming proceedings for the other nine escapees and the staff members accused of helping them. This will tell us a lot about the security of the Orleans Parish Justice Center moving forward.
- Support Victim Advocacy: If you want to help, local organizations like SilenceIsViolence or the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights often work with families impacted by this kind of long-term legal trauma.
- Check Public Records: For those who want the raw data, the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court’s website is where you can track the status of the remaining escape charges.
The reign of terror is over, but for the families in the Lower Ninth Ward, the healing is only just beginning. It took seven years, multiple trials, and a multi-state manhunt, but the books are finally closing on the most serious of the Derrick Groves New Orleans charges.