The Tragic Victims And Shocking Family History Of Convicted Murderer Derrick Groves

The name Derrick Groves is inextricably linked to a brutal double homicide, a daring jailbreak, and a tragic, decades-old case of police corruption in New Orleans. As of late 2025, Groves, a convicted murderer, is serving two life sentences for the fatal shootings that shook the city's Mardi Gras celebrations in 2018, a final judicial resolution that followed a dramatic five-month period where he was the last fugitive at large from a mass jail escape. The core question—*who did Derrick Groves kill*—reveals not only the names of two young victims but also a complex narrative of violence that spans generations. The victims of Derrick Groves’ crime were Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, two men whose lives were violently cut short during a shooting incident that also injured two other individuals. Groves’ conviction and subsequent sentencing to two life terms closed a painful chapter for the victims' families, a process complicated by a necessary retrial and the high-profile disruption caused by his escape from the Orleans Justice Center.

Derrick Groves: A Biographical Profile and Timeline of Crime

The life and criminal timeline of Derrick Groves are marked by a series of violent acts and a family history that is tragically intertwined with one of New Orleans' most infamous cases of police corruption.

• Full Name: Derrick Groves
• Age: 28 (as of his 2025 sentencing)
• Place of Residence: New Orleans, Louisiana
• The Crime: Double murder and attempted murder during a 2018 Mardi Gras shooting.
• Victims: Jamar Robinson (26) and Byron Jackson (21).
• Conviction: Two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
• Sentencing: Two consecutive life sentences, handed down in late 2025 following his recapture.
• Notorious Incident: Was the last remaining fugitive after a mass escape from the Orleans Justice Center in May 2025, remaining at large for nearly five months until his capture in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 8, 2025.
• Family Connection: Groves is the grandson of Kim Groves, a woman murdered in 1994 on the orders of a corrupt New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer, Len Davis.

The 2018 Mardi Gras Double Homicide: Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson

The tragic event that led to Derrick Groves' life sentences occurred on Mardi Gras Day in 2018. The shooting took place outside a party in the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The victims of the fatal attack were 26-year-old Jamar Robinson and 21-year-old Byron Jackson. Both men were killed in the violence. Groves was also charged with the attempted second-degree murder of two other individuals who were injured during the same incident. The case against Groves was initially tried, but due to a new state law requiring unanimous jury verdicts for felony convictions, a retrial was necessitated. A jury delivered a guilty verdict on two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in 2024. The conviction brought a measure of justice for the families of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, whose lives were stolen during a day meant for celebration. The subsequent events surrounding Groves’ escape, however, reignited the pain and fear for the victims’ relatives.

The High-Profile Escape and Recapture in 2025

Derrick Groves gained national attention not just for the murders but for his involvement in a mass jailbreak. In May 2025, Groves was one of ten inmates who escaped from the Orleans Justice Center. The inmates reportedly crawled through a hole behind a toilet to make their escape, a detail that highlighted severe security lapses at the facility. While the other nine inmates were quickly apprehended, Groves remained on the run for nearly five months. His status as the last fugitive intensified the manhunt involving the U.S. Marshals Service and numerous law enforcement agencies. The extensive search finally culminated on October 8, 2025, when Groves was taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia. His recapture was a major relief for the New Orleans community and, most importantly, for the families of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, who had expressed fear for their safety while Groves was at large.

The Tragic Family Connection to Kim Groves and Corrupt NOPD

One of the most compelling and tragic details of the Derrick Groves case is his family's historical connection to violence and police corruption in New Orleans. Derrick Groves is the grandson of Kim Groves. Kim Groves was a 32-year-old woman who was shot and killed in 1994. Her murder was not a random act; it was a hit ordered by a corrupt New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer named Len Davis. The motive was chilling: Kim Groves had witnessed Davis beating a teenager and had filed a complaint against him with the police department. Davis, fearing the consequences, ordered a hit on her to silence the witness. The murder of Kim Groves became a foundational case exposing systemic corruption within the NOPD in the 1990s. The fact that Derrick Groves, whose grandmother was murdered on the orders of a corrupt cop, would later become a convicted murderer himself has been noted by observers as a profound and painful cyclical tragedy for the Groves family and the city of New Orleans.

The Final Sentencing and Judicial Resolution

Following his recapture, the final legal proceedings against Derrick Groves were swiftly completed. In late 2025, a Louisiana judge delivered the final sentence. Derrick Groves, then 28, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the second-degree murders of Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson. The judge, in delivering the sentence, reportedly rebuked Groves for the significant disruption and fear his escape had caused the community and the victims' families. The two life terms ensure that Groves will spend the rest of his life in prison, finally bringing a definitive close to the 2018 double murder case and the subsequent 2025 manhunt. The case of Derrick Groves, spanning a violent Mardi Gras night, a dramatic jailbreak, and a deep-seated connection to the city's dark history of police corruption, serves as a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact of violence on families and communities in New Orleans. The victims, Jamar Robinson and Byron Jackson, are the central tragedy of this modern case, while the shadow of Kim Groves' murder adds a layer of intergenerational trauma to the narrative.