Search for Marksville escapee extends to Lake Charles

Victim's family questions notification; newspaper seeks officials' response

The search for an inmate who escaped from Detention Center 1 has extended to Lake Charles, where deputies found an unoccupied truck believed connected to him.

Artavien Lowayne Darnell Green, 20, of Lake Charles, escaped at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, according to the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Calcasieu Parish deputies located the truck near Third Avenue and Third Street on Nov. 8.

Green was serving a nine-year sentence following a guilty plea in connection with a 2023 Halloween party shooting that wounded six teenagers, according to KPLC.

The latest public reporting reviewed by the newspaper Nov. 10 described an ongoing search. His apprehension had not been independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, the family of shooting victim Dereka Bell is questioning how victims were notified of the escape.

In a Nov. 9 KPLC report, her parents, Beulah and T.J. Bell, said they learned through friends and social media rather than an official notification.

“No one contacted us. A friend called us to let us know,” Beulah Bell told KPLC.

The Avoyelles Weekly contacted Sheriff David Dauzat and the Louisiana Victim Outreach Program about notification responsibilities, when alerts were issued and Green’s custody status. Neither had responded as of this writing. The information available does not establish whether the family was registered for alerts, whether notification was attempted or which agency handled notifications in this case.

Louisiana corrections officials encourage victims to register with Louisiana Victim Outreach for notifications, including escapes and apprehensions.

Authorities advised residents not to approach Green. Anyone with information should call the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-253-4000 or 911 in an emergency.

For victim notification information, contact Louisiana Victim Outreach at 225-342-1056 or victimservices@la.gov.