Authorities in Louisiana are hunting for two inmates accused of serious violent crimes after they engineered a bold escape from a parish jail by exploiting a weakened section of wall.
The Method of Escape
The breakout occurred on Wednesday morning at the St. Landry Parish Jail in Opelousas, located roughly 130 miles northwest of New Orleans. According to Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz, the three inmates involved identified a degrading part of an upper wall. Over a period of time, they reportedly worked to remove the mortar, allowing them to take out concrete blocks and create an opening.
Once through the wall, the escapees used sheets and other items to scale the facility's outer wall. They then dropped onto a first-floor roof before lowering themselves to the ground and fleeing. Sheriff Guidroz stated that an internal investigation into the incident will be conducted.
The Fugitives and a Fatal Outcome
The two inmates still at large have been identified as Keith Eli, 24, and Johnathan Jevon Joseph, 24, both from Opelousas. Eli was being held on a charge of second-degree attempted murder, while Joseph faced multiple charges, including being a principal to first-degree rape.
A third escapee, 26-year-old Joseph Allen Harrington of Melville, was tracked down by police on Thursday following a tip from the public. After officers surrounded a home where he was believed to be hiding and used a loudspeaker to call for his surrender, a gunshot was heard inside. Harrington was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a hunting rifle, according to Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux. Harrington had been facing felony charges, including home invasion.
A Pattern of Audacious Escapes
This incident marks the latest in a series of daring jailbreaks in Louisiana. Earlier this year, ten inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail by crawling through a hole behind a toilet. Their recapture took five months and involved a multi-state search, amid official finger-pointing over responsibility for the security lapse.
Maj. Mark LeBlanc, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department, noted that while he was not aware of the St. Landry Parish Jail being breached in this specific manner before, the desire to escape is constant. "These three were just a little more creative than in years past," he remarked.
Authorities currently have no credible indications that the two remaining fugitives have left the parish. Consequently, residents have been urged to secure their homes and vehicles. "They're charged with violent felonies and we know they're desperate to get away," Maj. LeBlanc warned, adding that anyone found assisting the escapees will be prosecuted.
