Authorities across Louisiana are on high alert after two inmates… both facing serious violent-crime charges… staged a dramatic escape from the St. Landry Parish Jail by exploiting a deteriorating section of the facility’s upper wall. A third inmate who fled with them died by suicide after police tracked him down, officials confirmed.
The breakout happened early Wednesday and marks yet another major security failure in the state’s troubled jail system. Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said the inmates slowly removed crumbling mortar and loosened concrete blocks to carve out an exit point.
Once outside the compromised wall section, they fashioned makeshift ropes out of bedsheets, scaled an exterior barrier, climbed onto a roof, and dropped to the ground before taking off.
The sheriff’s office said an internal investigation is underway to determine how long the inmates had been working on the escape route… and why the structural damage went unnoticed.
The fugitives have been identified as:
- Keith Eli, 24, of Opelousas… charged with second-degree attempted murder
- Johnathan Jevon Joseph, 24, of Opelousas… facing multiple charges, including principal to first-degree rape
Authorities describe both men as extremely dangerous and are urging the public to report any sightings immediately. The third escapee, Joseph Allen Harrington, 26, who was awaiting trial for several felonies including home invasion, was located Thursday after a tipster reported seeing him pushing a black e-bike. Officers traced the bike to a nearby residence and issued commands over a loudspeaker for Harrington to surrender.
Moments later, police heard a gunshot. Harrington was discovered dead inside the home from a self-inflicted wound using a hunting rifle, Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux confirmed.
