Manhunt Intensifies in Louisiana as Dangerous Inmate Remains at Large After Jailbreak
OPLAOUSAS, La. — Louisiana authorities continue an intense manhunt for Keith Eli, the last of three inmates who escaped from the St. Landry Parish jail on December 4, 2025. The inmates, all charged with serious felonies, used sheets and other materials to scale the deteriorating outer wall of the facility, dropping onto the roof of the first floor before lowering themselves to the ground, according to the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. The escape has triggered a widespread search effort across the region, with law enforcement officials urging the public to remain vigilant.
The three men involved in the daring escape were identified as Keith Eli, 24, of Opelousas; Johnathan Jevon Joseph, 24, also from Opelousas; and Joseph Allen Harrington, 26, from Melville. Each faces a litany of charges, including attempted second-degree murder against Eli, and multiple felonies for the others. Harrington, who was charged with nine felonies including home invasion and aggravated assault with a firearm, died by suicide Thursday following a standoff with police in Port Barre, The Associated Press reported.
Joseph was apprehended the following day after a tip led deputies to a home where he was hiding. After a foot chase, he surrendered near a storage shed. Joseph’s criminal record includes convictions for principal first-degree rape and offenses involving drugs and firearms. Authorities described both Joseph and Eli as dangerous felons, with Eli still at large and considered armed and dangerous. Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz emphasized the urgency of the search, stating, “We would prefer that he surrender himself peaceably, but we will not rest until he is captured.”
This jailbreak adds to a troubling pattern of security breaches in Louisiana correctional facilities. Earlier this year, ten prisoners escaped a minimum-custody jail in New Orleans by removing a toilet from a cell wall and crawling through the opening. Surveillance footage showed the inmates scaling fences, protecting themselves from barbed wire with blankets, and fleeing across an interstate before changing clothes in a nearby neighborhood. The last fugitive from that incident was captured five months later after a standoff in Atlanta.
The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office has placed three jail employees on administrative leave as an internal investigation into the circumstances of the escape proceeds. The deteriorating condition of the jail’s infrastructure, including compromised walls, has raised concerns about facility maintenance and inmate security. The Federal Bureau of Prisons and local authorities are reportedly cooperating to review security protocols to prevent future incidents.
Residents in the area have been advised to report any suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement. The ongoing search for Eli involves multiple agencies, including the Louisiana State Police and local sheriff’s deputies, who are combing rural and urban areas surrounding Opelousas and Port Barre. The Louisiana State Police have also issued warnings about Eli’s dangerousness, urging the public not to approach him if spotted.
This incident underscores the challenges faced by correctional institutions nationwide in managing inmate populations amid aging infrastructure and staffing shortages. The Office of Justice Programs has noted that such escapes, while rare, pose significant risks to public safety and require coordinated responses between agencies.
As the search continues, authorities remain committed to bringing Eli into custody safely and swiftly. The community remains on alert as law enforcement intensifies efforts to end the manhunt for the inmate charged with attempted murder, whose escape has unsettled the region and highlighted critical concerns about jail security in Louisiana.
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