The group, described by authorities as violent offenders, was found in multiple locations less than 24 hours after the breakout.
LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA — Louisiana authorities said eight inmates who escaped from the Riverbend Detention Center early Friday were back in custody by shortly after midnight Saturday following a rapid manhunt that stretched into Mississippi and drew help from local, state and federal agencies.
Officials said the escape was reported at 1:20 a.m. Friday from the parish-run facility in East Carroll Parish, a rural corner bordering Arkansas and Mississippi. The Louisiana State Police coordinated the search, which intensified through the day as teams canvassed roads and neighborhoods and checked tips. By late afternoon, arrests were underway in stages; the final three captures were announced soon after midnight. Authorities did not immediately explain how the men got out or provide a full timeline of where each was caught, but said the group included defendants facing murder and other violent charges. The jail remains under review as investigators work to reconstruct the breach.
The inmates were identified as Savion Wheeler, 31; Hugo Molina, 27; Trenton Taplin, 29; Kolin Loney, 21; Kevin Slaughter Jr., 25; Destin Brogan, 22; Krisean Salinas, 21; and Kopelon Vicknair, 19. State police called them “violent offenders” and said the recaptures followed a coordinated sweep involving the agency’s Critical Response Emergency Search Team, the East Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and several partner departments. One arrest occurred in Yazoo City, Miss., roughly a two-hour drive from the jail. “All subjects are in custody,” state police said in an overnight update. Officials have not detailed whether anyone aided the escape or whether weapons were recovered during the arrests. No injuries to officers or bystanders were reported.
Authorities have not publicly described the method of escape. Records show the men were being held on counts including second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, robbery, domestic abuse battery and drug possession. Investigators were interviewing jail staff and reviewing security camera footage Saturday, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the operation. The Sheriff’s Office said multiple tips came in as power outages persisted in the parish after a deadly winter storm, complicating communications and patrols in some areas. The parish utility tracker showed more than a quarter of local customers remained without electricity Saturday morning, a factor police said did not prevent the search but required additional coordination.
Louisiana has seen a series of jailbreaks over the past year that have put pressure on local lockups and regional transport hubs. In New Orleans last year, 10 inmates slipped out through a hole behind a toilet and were captured only after months of searching across several states. In December, three inmates escaped a different parish facility by removing concrete blocks in a deteriorating wall. State auditors and parish officials have warned about aging infrastructure, staffing shortages and transport bottlenecks that can leave detainees in temporary housing longer than planned. Riverbend, which houses a mix of parish detainees and out-of-parish inmates under contract, has handled overflow during court backlogs and storm disruptions, according to officials.
With all eight men back in custody, prosecutors will review case files and arrest reports tied to the escape and recaptures. Authorities did not immediately say what new counts the men could face or when first appearances on any added charges would be scheduled. The Sheriff’s Office said the criminal investigation into the breakout is ongoing, and jail administrators have begun an internal review of doors, locks, cameras and overnight staffing rosters. State police said they would assist with a security assessment at Riverbend and share findings with parish leaders. Any disciplinary actions, repair contracts or policy changes at the jail are expected to be handled at the parish level once investigators finish their reports.
By Saturday morning, patrol cruisers rolled past shuttered storefronts in Lake Providence as residents compared notes about roadblocks and helicopter passes. Outside the courthouse square, a hardware store manager said crews kept flashlights and generators near the register during the search. In Yazoo City, officers said the out-of-state capture unfolded without incident after a caller reported suspicious activity. “We had a lot of help, and the public’s eyes helped us close the loop,” a law enforcement official said. Families of detainees waited for updates by phone, while volunteers with local churches brought coffee to deputies staged near the detention center’s perimeter.
As of early Saturday, all eight recaptured inmates were being processed for return to secure housing and transport to courts where their original cases are pending. Officials said the next public update would come after investigators finish preliminary interviews and a facility review. No timeline for that release was given.
Author note: Last updated February 1, 2026.