New Orleans jail escapee Antoine Massey alleges "I Was Let Out" in social media appeal as manhunt continues

The manhunt for escaped inmate Antoine Massey is now in its third week as law enforcement goes all out to recapture him and accomplice Derrick Groves. The two escaped in a dramatic May 16 jailbreak from New Orleans' Justice Center and since then have been on the run.

While the manhunt continues, a now-deleted Instagram video allegedly showing Massey has appeared, in which he asserts that he was "let out" of the center instead of breaking free himself, contrary to law enforcement reports.

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In the video, a facially tattooed man who bears a resemblance to Massey affirms, "I didn't break out. I was let out.” He denies he was the mastermind behind the escape, which included 10 prisoners slipping through a hole in a wall behind a toilet, crawling through a pipe chase, and making their way out of the jail through a loading dock.

“They’re trying to make me out to be the mastermind. That’s not the truth,” the man is heard saying in the video. He also begs to be helped and represented by an attorney, stating he was wrongly jailed on false charges. Law enforcement officials are now investigating the credibility of the video, with federal agencies confirming they are taking the issue seriously.

Massey, 32, was initially arrested in March on charges of motor vehicle theft and domestic abuse battery and was also sought in St. Tammany Parish for suspicion of rape and kidnapping. He had not yet entered a plea prior to the escape. The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office has called Massey to turn himself in and is placing a $50,000 reward on his arrest.

The manhunt resulted in the arrest of over a dozen people believed to have assisted the escapees, including a maintenance employee at the jail who is accused of assisting the prisoners by cutting off plumbing. Two other escapees were recently arrested in Texas and extradited to Louisiana.

As the search goes on, the case has gained widespread attention, with law enforcement authorities and the public keeping a close watch on events in this big-ticket jailbreak story.