### Family of Murder Victim Goes into Hiding After Convicted Killer Escapes

NEW ORLEANS – The family of a murder victim has taken drastic measures to protect themselves as authorities continue to search for Derrick Groves, who recently escaped from the Orleans Justice Center. Groves, convicted of the 2018 Mardi Gras shooting deaths of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, was among ten inmates who managed to break out just after midnight on Friday.

Two of Robinson’s relatives, who requested anonymity, shared their harrowing experience with WWL Louisiana. The family had just commemorated Robinson’s birthday at his gravesite two days before they were informed of Groves’ escape. To their dismay, they learned about the incident from a friend rather than law enforcement. "We didn't know what was going to happen, we didn't know how Derrick Groves felt... whether he was coming for us, we didn't know," one family member explained.

Seeking safety, the worried relatives approached a local NOPD station, where two officers escorted them home to gather their belongings and then to pick up their young children from school. The family subsequently left the city, aware that Groves had already been on the loose for several hours. Their frustration with the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office was evident. "I'm so angry with the Orleans Parish Prison... this prison was just recently built and you mean to tell me the doors were that easy to pull apart," one family member said.

Groves’ criminal proceedings have been complex and prolonged. Initially convicted in 2019 by a non-unanimous jury, his conviction was overturned following a Supreme Court ruling that deemed such verdicts unconstitutional. A new trial in 2023 ended in a mistrial, and another attempt later that year resulted in a deadlocked jury. It was only in October 2024 that Groves was convicted again, with his sentencing set for July 24.

“This entire ordeal feels like a wound that never heals,” noted another family member. They are now struggling to decide their next steps, balancing the immediate concerns of safety with long-term uncertainties. “We are thinking long-term because we don't know which way it's going to go. We don't know how long it's going to be before they capture him. It could be three months, six months, we don't know."

Their future is now in limbo as they await further developments and hope for a swift resolution to this unsettling chapter.