The Texas Seven prison escape would catch the attention of the Nation and would end with the murder of Aubrey Hawkins
The Texas Seven Prison Escape consisted of a group of inmates who were serving length prison sentences. They include:
- George Rivas – Serving eighteen consecutive fifteen years to life for a series of armed robberies
- Michael Rodriguez – Serving 99 years for the contract killing of his wife
- Joseph Garcia – Serving fifty years for murder
- Larry Harper – Serving fifty years for sexual assault
- Donald Newbury – Serving 99 years for armed robbery
- Patrick Murphy – Serving fifty years for sexual assault
- Randy Halprin – Serving thirty years for injury to a child
The Texas Seven prison break would take place on December 13 2000 after months of planning. The group managed to overpower the guards and civilian workers who would all be stripped with their uniforms and personal belongings seized. The group would be able to take over a guard tower and proceeded to drive out of the prison
The group would soon after switch vehicles, Michael Rodriguez father would provide the vehicle, and the group would disappear
Texas Seven – The Murder Of Aubrey Hawkins
The Texas Seven would be no where to be found until they planned and pulled off a robbery at Oshman’s Sporting Goods in Irving Texas. What the group did not know was that Officer Aubrey Hawkins would respond to a 911 call. When the officer arrived he was immediately overpowered by the group, shot several times and run over.
Officer Hawkins would die at the scene
Texas Seven – Capture
The Texas Seven would make their way to a RV park Coachlight Motel and RV Park in Woodland Park, Colorado where they would pose as a group of missionaries. At the same time the TV show America’s Most Wanted was showcasing the Texas Seven weekly and soon someone would make the connection between the group of escaped prisoners and the group of missionaries.
A SWAT team would show up at the RV park and three of the group would be arrested sitting in a jeep: George Rivas, Joseph Garcia and Michael Rodriguez
Larry Harper and Randy Halprin were inside of the RV when the SWAT team arrived. Randy Halprin would surrender to police and Larry Harper would take his own life
The last two members were at a nearby hotel and after an interview with a local news station would surrender
Texas Seven – Aftermath
The six remaining members of the Texas Seven would be tried separately and all were convicted of the murder of Aubrey Hawkins and sentenced to death.
Michael Rodriguez would be executed on August 14, 2008. George Rivas would be executed on February 29, 2012. Donald Newbury was executed on February 4, 2015. Joseph Garcia was executed on December 4, 2018.
Randy Halprin and Patrick Murphy remain on Texas death row in 2023. The two men insist they were acting as lookouts and were no where near the murder