Louisiana sheriff charged after toilet jailbreak let 10 inmates escape in lockup fiasco

Attorney General Liz Murrill alleges Susan Hutson's poor leadership enabled inmates to escape from behind a toilet

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New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson takes accountability for jailbreak at city council meeting

New Orleans Sheriff Susan Hutson took accountability for a jailbreak that led to 10 inmates escaping the Orleans Justice Center.

A Louisiana sheriff is facing a slew of charges stemming from the infamous New Orleans jailbreak that resulted in one of the largest inmate escape incidents in U.S. history.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson, 59, was handed a sweeping 30-count indictment alleging obstruction of justice, malfeasance and falsifying public records on Wednesday, according to a press release from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.

Chief Financial Officer Bianka Brown was also slapped with 20 felony counts, officials added.

The charges stem from a May 2025 incident in which 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center, Murrill’s office said.

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Sheriff Susan Hutson arrives at the Council Chambers for a City Council meeting after 10 inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center at City Hall in New Orleans on May 20, 2025. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/AP)

"Nearly a year ago, I made a commitment to the people of New Orleans and the people of our state that those responsible for the Orleans Parish Prison break would be held accountable," Murrill said in a statement.

"Since that day, through the hard work of my office, along with the Louisiana State Police and our many federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, every escapee is behind bars, and others who facilitated and enabled the escape are currently being prosecuted."

Murrill also alleges Hutson’s poor leadership played a key role in the escape of nearly a dozen dangerous inmates, including some facing murder charges, after they broke out of jail from behind a toilet.

All 10 inmates were subsequently captured following a nationwide manhunt.

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Surveillance footage shows inmates escaping the Orleans Justice Center during a security breach in New Orleans. (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office)

"While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape," Murrill said.

The charges come just days before Hutson was set to leave office after only receiving 17% of the vote in her re-election bid last October, FOX 8 reported.

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Mugshots show 10 inmates who escaped from Orleans Parish Jail in New Orleans. The escapees are Dkenan Dennis, Gary C. Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E. Boyd, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Antonine T. Massey, Derrick D. Groves, and Leo Tate Sr. (Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office/AP)

Hutson’s term was reportedly plagued by the infamous jailbreak, several controversies and calls for her to resign as sheriff.

She had never worked in a jail when she unseated four-term former Sheriff Marlin Gusman in 2021, and had minimal law enforcement experience after working as the city’s independent police monitor and an attorney specializing in police oversight, according to FOX 8.

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Sheriff Susan Hutson speaks during a City Council meeting at City Hall in New Orleans on May 20, 2025, following the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate/Associated Press)

Additionally, state auditors recently reported nearly $260,000 in suspicious overpayments for security details, with previous scandals involving allegations that Hutson dropped large sums of cash on hotel rooms for her top officials during Mardi Gras, according to FOX 8.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Michelle Woodfork was elected by voters to succeed Hutson, and is expected to be sworn in on Monday, the outlet reported.

A photo of the hole left behind by violent inmates who escaped the Orleans Parish Jail. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office)

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"As my prosecutors move forward with this case, I continue to have productive conversations with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork on how to improve operations, secure the facility, and build in basic financial oversight that complies with state law," Murrill added. "I am confident in her commitment to implement the difficult changes needed to reform the jail."

A judge has set Hutson’s bond at $300,000, and Brown’s bond at $200,000, while also ordering both women to hand over their passports and remain in the state of Louisiana.

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Both Hutson and Brown are set to appear in court for a status hearing on Thursday.

Fox News Digital reached out to Hutson, Brown and the Louisiana Office of the Attorney General for comment.

Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.

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Suspect arrested after mom, pregnant teen, 12-year-old found bound and murdered

William Graham Oliver, 54, was arrested in connection with the April 20 killings in an Alabama home

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Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the brutal murders of an Alabama mother, her pregnant teenage daughter and 12-year-old son, who were found bound in their home on April 20.

Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch said William Graham Oliver, 54, is charged with eight counts of capital murder, according to a report from local outlet WALA. He was booked into jail Tuesday.

Fox News Digital previously reported Mobile County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a home in Wilmer, Alabama, just after 2:30 a.m. April 20, where they found three bodies in separate rooms with their hands tied behind their backs.

The victims were identified as Lisa Gail Fields, 46, who was stabbed; Keziah Arionna Luker, 17, who was shot; and Thomas Cordelle Jr., 12, who had his throat cut and was nearly decapitated.

Lisa Fields, 46, and her two children, 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle and 17-year-old Keziah Luker, were found brutally murder in their Alabama home, authorities said Monday. (WALA)

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Burch described the scene as "brutal" and noted the home was "left in disarray."

Luker's 18-month-old child was found unharmed in the home. Her unborn child, which was seven or eight months along, also died.

The unborn child's father, who works offshore, triggered the discovery after he could not reach Luker when he saw her phone activated on Life 360, the sheriff said. Another family member went to check on her and found the deceased family.

An open field near the home where Lisa Fields, 46, and her two children, 12-year-old Thomas Cordelle and 17-year-old Keziah Luker, were found murdered. (WALA)

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Burch said Oliver knew the family "for quite some time" and was inside the home "looking for something" the night before the bodies were found, according to the report.

"Very very tight timeline," Burch told reporters. "Very solid circumstantial evidence at this point and we feel confident that we have the right man."

Burch said investigators have pinpointed what Oliver was allegedly looking for and his motive, but did not release those details to the public, the outlet reported.

The scene outside the Alabama home where a mother and her two children where brutally murdered. (WALA)

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Shortly after the killings, investigators said they believed more than one person was involved in the killings because the victims had been subdued using zip ties and flex cuffs. It is unclear if any additional suspects have been identified.

Jail records show Oliver was charged with first-degree theft of property in 2020, with other arrests dating back to 1990.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

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