Authorities Warn Public as 5 ‘Violent Offenders’ Remain at Large After Jail Escape

Louisiana is on high alert after eight inmates — including men charged with murder — vanished from a rural detention center in the dead of night, triggering one of the state’s largest manhunts in recent years.

The escape unfolded around 1:20 a.m. Friday at the River Bend Detention Center in East Carroll Parish. The jail, long criticized for staffing shortages and aging infrastructure, became the center of a statewide emergency after officers discovered multiple cells empty.

Five fugitives are still on the run:
• Destin Brogan, 22
• Kelin Looney, 21
• Krisean Salinas, 21
• Kevin Slaughter, 25
• Koplelon Vicknair, 19

State Police said all eight escapees are classified as violent offenders. Three — Hugo Molino, 27; Trenton Taplin, 29; and Savon Wheeler, 31 — were captured hours later during an intense search that swept through fields, forests, and rural backroads.

Taplin is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. Brogan and Looney face second-degree murder charges. Vicknair is awaiting sentencing for a 2023 homicide.

“These are not opportunistic thieves,” one law enforcement official said. “These are men with serious violent histories. Public safety is our absolute priority.”

Authorities have released few details about how the escape happened, adding to public unease. Several state and parish sources confirmed the facility has struggled with equipment failures and guard shortages, but investigators have not disclosed whether those issues played a role.

Eight inmates fleeing at once is “beyond unusual,” a former Louisiana corrections supervisor told a local reporter. “That kind of breach signals either catastrophic breakdown or deliberate inside help.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she immediately connected with East Carroll Parish Sheriff Wydette Williams and Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association President Kevin Cobb.

“My office is providing full support,” Murrill said. “Our Fugitive Apprehension Unit is ready to deploy. We are tracking developments by the minute.”

Louisiana State Police Detectives from the Monroe Field Office have taken command of the manhunt, while the sheriff’s office focuses on uncovering how eight inmates slipped past secured perimeters.

State Police issued a blunt warning:

“Do not approach under any circumstances. If you have any information, call law enforcement immediately.”

Residents reported helicopters circling over farmland. Deputies set up roadblocks on rural highways. Doorbell footage is being reviewed house by house.

“It’s unsettling,” said Sandra Rowe, who lives two miles from the jail. “You wake up and hear eight violent inmates are out there. Nobody sleeps after that.”

The escape comes as Louisiana intensifies its crackdown on criminal migrants under President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda. Gov. Jeff Landry recently highlighted a surge of arrests tied to illegal immigration in New Orleans, calling the effort a “restoration of law and order.”

Although none of the fugitives have been publicly tied to immigration cases, the breakout has already sparked debate over jail security, staffing failures, and the state’s ability to contain high-risk offenders.

Former federal marshal Greg Landon said the timing is “nothing short of disastrous.”

“When facilities are overstretched, things like this happen,” Landon said. “But eight inmates escaping together is a level of failure you normally only see in movies.”

Investigators said the fugitives may have split up soon after fleeing the jail. Police have asked hunters, farmers, and truck drivers to stay alert.

“We will not stop,” State Police Captain Mark Talbert said. “These men will be found.”