• They used a gap in the wall and bed sheets to escape
• This is not the first incident the state has witnessed this year

Two inmates, accused of violent crimes including second-degree attempted murder, managed to escape from a prison in southwestern Louisiana after removing parts of a deteriorated interior wall and using bed sheets to climb over the outer wall, authorities announced.

While the two prisoners fled, a third inmate involved in the escape operation ended his life after being tracked by the police.

This incident is the latest in a series of daring escapes in Louisiana; last May, ten inmates successfully fled from a New Orleans prison through a hole behind the toilet, and all were recaptured only after five months of investigation across several states.

The most recent escape occurred Wednesday morning at the Saint Landry Parish Jail in Opelousas.

Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz said the inmates exploited the deterioration of an upper section of the wall, gradually removing cement material and then concrete blocks to pave their way out.

After that, they used bed sheets and other tools to climb the outer wall and reach the roof of the first floor before descending to the ground.

Authorities have not released additional details yet, confirming that the incident is under internal investigation.

The identities of the escapees have been confirmed: Keith Eli (24) and Jonathan Givon Joseph (24), both facing multiple criminal charges.

As for the third inmate, Joseph Allen Harrington (26), he faced serious charges including home invasion and took his own life after police cornered him in a house where his electric bicycle was spotted.

Major Mark LeBlanc, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said the jail had not previously experienced a similar breach, but noted that any inmate might attempt to escape if given the opportunity.

He added, warning county residents to secure their homes and property, emphasizing that there is no evidence so far that the two escapees have left the area.

He stressed that providing any assistance to the fugitives would expose those involved to legal prosecution.