A massive manhunt is underway in Louisiana after a 24-year-old inmate escaped from St. Landry Parish Jail in Opelousas, Louisiana by removing concrete blocks from a wall. Keith Eli remains on the run three days after breaking out on Wednesday, Dec. 3, alongside two other inmates.
Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said authorities will not rest until Eli is captured. “We would prefer that he surrender himself peaceably,” Guidroz said. Eli had been jailed on a charge of second-degree murder.
The escape also involved 24-year-old Johnathan Jevon Joseph, who was captured Friday, Dec. 5, after investigators received a tip, and 26-year-old Joseph Allen Harrington, who was found dead by suicide with a hunting rifle on Thursday, Dec. 4. Harrington faced multiple felony charges, including home invasion and burglary.
Police say the inmates removed blocks from a deteriorating wall in the prison to create a hole, then used sheets to climb down and escape. Sheriff Guidroz confirmed an internal investigation has been launched, and the jail supervisory staff will provide a comprehensive report.
The St. Landry Parish Jail has had previous escapes. Another inmate fled in October before being recaptured by Opelousas police. Parish President Jessie Bellard disputed claims about the jail’s structural integrity, saying in a Facebook post that “the Parish Jail does not have these structural issues” and challenging the sheriff to provide documentation.
Louisiana has seen other high-profile jail breaks in recent years. In May, 10 inmates escaped from Orleans Parish through a hole behind a toilet, leaving a taunting message on the wall that read, “To Easy LOL.” Officials alleged a maintenance worker helped disable plumbing, allowing inmates to remove pipes and escape. The last escapee, Derrick Groves, was eventually found hiding in a crawl space in an Atlanta residence after a three-hour U.S. Marshals operation.
The manhunt for Keith Eli continues, with detectives and SWAT teams searching the area. Authorities are urging the public to stay vigilant and report any tips immediately.
Are the guards spending too much time on their phones.. Someone needs to be fired for this.g