Texas Seven: Bloody escape, police murder, death penalty

Texas Seven: Escape from Connally Unit and odyssey

On December 13, 2000, one of the most daring prison escapes in Texas history unfolded beneath the state's cold winter sky. Seven inmates from the maximum-security John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy overpowered guards and civilian employees, stole uniforms and weapons, and escaped their captivity in a prison truck. The group, which quickly became notorious as the 'Texas Seven,' embarked on a six-week criminal odyssey. This escape tragically culminated in the murder of a police officer and triggered an extensive national manhunt that shook the entire United States.

George Rivas' plan: How they planned the escape

This daring escape was not an impulsive act but the result of months of meticulous planning. The mastermind was George Rivas, an experienced criminal already serving 18 life sentences for armed robbery. The group, later known as the Texas Seven, also included Michael Anthony Rodriguez, convicted of murdering his wife for hire; Donald Keith Newbury, a seasoned criminal with a long rap sheet; Joseph Garcia; and younger members Larry Harper, Randy Halprin, and Patrick Murphy, all serving long sentences. They exploited a temporary security lapse at the John B. Connally Unit, overpowered several prison officers and staff, tied them up, and left them in an electrical cabinet. They then fled in a car that Rodriguez's father had arranged to be waiting outside the prison.

After the escape: Robbery and fatal heist plan

After the successful, albeit extremely risky, prison escape, the Texas Seven headed for San Antonio. Just one day later, they committed their first robbery, an attack on a Radio Shack store in Pearland. There, they stole police radios, among other things, which proved crucial in evading the intense manhunt. In the following days, the group, now operating as a desperate criminal unit, hid out at a motel in Farmers Branch near Dallas. Here, George Rivas planned their next major heist, an armed robbery that would have fatal consequences: an attack on an Oshman's Sporting Goods store in Irving, Texas.

Christmas Eve: Murder of Officer Aubrey Hawkins

On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2000, at 6:29 PM, 29-year-old Irving Police Officer Aubrey Hawkins responded to an alarm for suspicious activity behind the Oshman's Sporting Goods store. Officer Hawkins, who had just celebrated Christmas with his family, arrived alone at the scene in his patrol car. As he approached the back entrance, he was met by a hail of gunfire from the Texas Seven, who were armed with stolen weapons. Hawkins was hit by at least 11 bullets in a brutal attack. The escaped inmates then dragged him out of his car and ran him over as they fled the scene. This brutal police murder led to Aubrey Hawkins being pronounced dead at Parkland Memorial Hospital at 7:06 PM. The violence used was extreme.

Manhunt: Arrests in Colorado and Harper's suicide

The murder of Officer Aubrey Hawkins on Christmas Eve significantly intensified the nationwide manhunt for the Texas Seven. Their faces were shown in media across the United States, including on the popular TV show _America's Most Wanted_. A crucial tip came from the owner of an RV park in Colorado, which led police to the group. On January 22, 2001, a large police force surrounded a trailer park near Woodland Park, Colorado. There, George Rivas, Michael Rodriguez, Donald Newbury, and Joseph Garcia were arrested without resistance. A fifth member, Larry Harper, chose to commit suicide rather than return to captivity. The last two members, Randy Halprin and Patrick Murphy, were apprehended shortly thereafter during a tense hostage standoff at a hotel in Colorado Springs.

Verdict in Texas: Death sentences for four members

The subsequent trials of the six surviving members of the Texas Seven became a protracted and legally complex affair in Texas. Under the state's controversial 'law of parties,' all group members could be held responsible for the murder of Aubrey Hawkins, regardless of who fired the fatal shots. George Rivas, who openly admitted to shooting first at Officer Hawkins, was the first to be sentenced to death for the police murder in 2001. He was executed in Texas in 2012. Before his execution, Rivas stated that what society called the death penalty was, for him, freedom. Michael Rodriguez voluntarily waived his appeals and was executed in 2008. Donald Newbury followed in 2015, and Joseph Garcia was executed in 2018. This high-profile case brought focus to the application of the death penalty.

Randy Halprin's battle: New trial for antisemitism

Two members of the Texas Seven, Patrick Murphy and Randy Halprin, are still on death row at the Polunsky Unit in Texas, but their fate is more uncertain. In 2019, Randy Halprin's scheduled execution was stayed after serious allegations of antisemitism against the judge in his original trial emerged. An appellate court in Texas ordered in November 2024 that Halprin's case be retried, casting doubt on the fairness of the original verdict and the death sentence imposed.

Texas Seven: Aftermath and justice debate

The Texas Seven case has left a deep mark on Texas' justice system and has become a central high-profile case. Aubrey Hawkins' widow, Lori, has tirelessly fought for justice and for changes to Texas' 'law of parties.' While Randy Halprin has reportedly found solace in religion during his imprisonment, Patrick Murphy maintains that his role as a lookout during the fatal robbery in Irving does not justify a death sentence. More than two decades after the brutal escape and subsequent police murder, the Texas Seven case stands as a dark reminder of the consequences of desperate crime, the violence used, and the potential weaknesses in a prison system designed for maximum security. For the Hawkins family, the tragedy is unending, and for the U.S. justice system, the case represents an ongoing complex lesson in the balance between justice, accountability, and the integrity of the legal system, especially in cases involving murder and the death penalty.

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