May 29, 2025
Sterling Williams’s close friends say aiding a prison escape is out of character for the former maintenance man.
Sterling Williams, the man arrested for allegedly assisting ten New Orleans inmates escape prison has been arrested. Williams’ friend asserts his innocence.
As an employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Williams was arrested May 21. The maintenance worker has been charged with malfeasance and is being held in custody on a $1.1 million bond. While the 33-year-old awaits trial his friends are speaking up on his behalf.
Christina, a close friend of Williams, spoke to WDSU News. She revealed that Williams is a provider for his aging mother. As such, he would not commit a crime that jeopardized himself or his position and provider. Christina also spoke about Willliams’ character, expressing he was raised with good values.
“He’s not a bad person. His mom didn’t raise him like that. I actually know his mom, she didn’t raise him that way. She’s a good person, so is he. Why would he put himself in jeopardy when he is his mom’s caretaker?” Christina said.
Official reports are casting doubt on Christina’s assessment. According to authorities, Williams turned off the water supply to the prison cells. The lack of water allowed inmates to escape through a hole in the wall thtat was initially covered by a toilet. These claims are backed by an affidavit obtained by ABC News.
“During a Mirandized interview with Williams, he explained to Agents that he turned the water off from the outside pipe walk area on the exterior of cell 6 under direction of a light skinned black male with tattoos on his face, whom he named as ‘Massey,’ Antoine Massey, who threatened to shank him if he did not turn the water off,” according to the affidavit.
In a news conference, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill declared that in order to prevent similar crimes in the future he would be addressing all factors. These include the people who may have assisted and the security of the overall facility.
“Our intent is to make sure this never happens again and so we’re going to look at all the things we need to do to change those conditions, and at the same time hold everyone accountable that may have been involved before, during and after,” Murrill said
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson accepted blame for the escape and is working in full cooperation with the district attorney to locate the escapees and hold all parties accountable.
“To date, we have suspended staff, made an arrest, and launched comprehensive internal and external investigations,” she added. “We are also fully cooperating with the independent investigation led by the Louisiana Attorney General, and we have provided full access to all records, surveillance footage, and facility documentation.”
Williams remains in jail with no scheduled court date.
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