Fugitive Antoine Massey Posts Social Media Videos While Evading Capture After New Orleans Jail Escape

Left to right: Antoine Massey, Derrick Groves and Grant Hardin

A man identifying himself as Antoine Massey, one of the ten inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail on May 16, appeared in videos posted to social media while still on the run, prompting a failed police raid at a suspected hideout.

Authorities were alerted to the videos on Sunday after relatives recognized the interior of the residence where Massey appeared to be filming. Based on the tip, law enforcement searched a New Orleans home late Monday that they believed to be the filming location. Although Massey was not found at the scene, investigators discovered clothing believed to have been worn in the videos.

The videos, since removed from Instagram, showed a man resembling Massey—with matching facial tattoos—speaking from what appeared to be a kitchen. In one video, he made a plea for help, addressing former President Donald Trump and New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne. “Please, I’m asking for help. When I get back in custody I’m asking y’all please to come and help,” he said.

A still from surveillance video released by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office shows inmates escaping a New Orleans jail.

Law enforcement officials have not confirmed the man’s identity in the videos. Louisiana State Police, which is leading the manhunt, has not commented on the verification of the footage, and the New Orleans Police Department said it could not confirm its authenticity. Still, the senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said authorities were confident enough to conduct the raid based on the video's details.

The escape has captured national attention. Massey, 32, was being held on charges including rape, kidnapping, domestic abuse involving strangulation, and violation of a protective order, related to a November 2024 incident in St. Tammany Parish. In Orleans Parish, he also faced charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic battery. Massey has declared his innocence.

A surveillance image shows Grant Hardin escaping from the North Central Unit in Calico Rock, Arkansas

Authorities have said the woman identified as Massey’s partner was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and as a principal to aggravated escape. Police allege she was aware of his escape plans, communicated with him afterward, and provided false information to investigators.

Surveillance footage released by authorities showed how the escape unfolded: inmates pried open a faulty cell door, removed a toilet, crawled through a hole where steel bars had been sawed off, and scaled a barbed wire fence using blankets. Eight of the ten escapees have since been recaptured, while Massey and Derrick Groves, a convicted murderer, remain at large.

A maintenance worker accused of assisting in the escape has denied knowingly helping the inmates, according to his legal representation.

Ten inmates escaped through a hole in a cell wall at the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans. Note

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson urged Massey to surrender. “Cooperating with law enforcement is in his best interest and may help avoid additional charges,” Hutson said. “It is important that justice is served appropriately and that due process is followed.”

Authorities continue to investigate the escape and the social media footage as the search intensifies for the two remaining fugitives.