The Texas 7
Dec. 13, 2000 - Seven convicts, the "Texas 7," escaped from Connally Unit in Kenedy, TX, southeast of San Antonio, by overpowering civilian workers and prison employees. They fled with stolen clothing, pickup truck and 16 guns and ammunition.
Dec. 24, 2000 - The "Texas 7," seven convicts that had escaped a Texas prison, robbed a sports store in Irving, TX. The suspects killed Officer Aubrey Hawkins, stole $70,000, 25 weapons and clothing. The men had escaped on December 13.
Jan. 1, 2001 - The "Texas 7," rented space in an RV park in Woodland Park, CO.
Jan. 3, 2001 - The ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) charged the "Texas 7" with weapons violations. An autopsy showed that Office Aubrey Hawkins, killed by the convicts, had been shot 11 times and run over with a vehicle.
Jan. 4, 2001 - FBI agents in the Dallas area charged the "Texas 7" of unlawful flight to avoid federal prosecution for capital murder, broadening the manhunt nationwide.
Jan. 11, 2001 - The Texas Board of Criminal Justice released a review of the escape of the "Texas 7". It stated that prison staff missed critical opportunities to prevent the escape by ignoring a fire alarm, not reporting unsupervised inmates and not demanding proper identification from inmates.
Jan. 19, 2001 - Texas officials demoted a warden and suspended three other prison workers in the wake of the escape of the "Texas 7."
Jan. 22, 2001 - Acting on a tip, authorities captured four of the "Texas 7" in Woodland Park, CO, at a convenience store. A fifth convict killed himself inside a motor home.
The TV show "America's Most Wanted" was credited with generating the tip.
Jan. 23, 2001 - A van used by the remaining two fugitives of the "Texas 7" was recovered in Colorado Springs, CO. A few hours later police surrounded a hotel where the convicts were hiding. Patrick Murphy Jr. and Donald Newbury were taken into custody the next morning without incident.
Jan. 24, 2001 - In Colorado Springs, CO, Patrick Murphy Jr. and Donald Newbury were taken into custody after a 5-minute phone interview was granted with a TV station. They were the remaining fugitives of the "Texas 7."
Aug. 13, 2001 - George Rivas' trial began for the murder of Officer Aubrey Hawkins on December 24, 2000.
Aug. 29, 2001 - George Rivas was sentenced to death for the murder of Office Aubrey Hawkins.
Jan. 14, 2002 - Donald Newbury's trial began for the murder of Office Aubrey Hawkins on December 24, 2000.
Feb. 28, 2002 - Donald Newbury was sentenced to death.



"Texas 7" Biographical Information
George Rivas, 30, was the alleged ringleader of the convicts. He was serving 99 years for kidnapping and burglary. Described as fearless, shrewd and cold-blooded. He and two other men robbed a sporting goods store in El Paso in 1993. More than a month later, they robbed a Toys R Us but got caught. He was captured at a convenience store on Jan. 22, 2001.
Randy Halprin, 23, was serving 30 years for injury to a child. He beat up a baby because, he said, the infant would not stop crying. He had met the mother in a homeless shelter in 1996 and moved in with the family. The baby suffered broken arms and legs and a fractured skull. He surrendered at a motor home on Jan. 22, 2001.
Joseph Garcia, 29, was serving 50 years for murder. He stabbed Miguel Luna, 19, after the two men went on a drive and Luna gave bad directions. Garcia claimed self-defense. He was captured at a convenience store on Jan. 22, 2001.
Michael Rodriguez, 38, was serving a life sentence for capital murder. He had been convicted of paying a man $2,000 to kill his wife so he could collect $400,000 in life insurance. Rodriguez's wife was shot in head after she and her husband came home from movie. She died on their garage floor. He was captured at a convenience store on Jan. 22, 2001.
Larry Harper, 37, was serving 50 years for aggravated sexual assault. He raped three women over six months in 1993 and 1994. He surprised the women at their home and tied them up. The victims lived near University of Texas at El Paso, where he took marketing classes. He killed himself on Jan. 22, 2001, inside a motor home.
Patrick Murphy Jr., 39, was serving 50 years for aggravated sexual assault with deadly weapon. He entered the home of 23-year-old woman he had known since high school, put a knife to her throat, covered her head with a pillowcase, cut off her nightgown and raped her. He was captured on Jan. 24, 2001.
In an interview granted before being taken into custody he said:
"What forced me to do this was the penal institution and such. The way Texas has things set up ... I'd eventually become an outlaw again anyway because of parole stipulations and such."
"I hope that maybe what we're doing here will open the eyes of people."
"We had to drive out of the Texas snow storm that hit right at Christmas Eve in the Amarillo area and we had to drive through the blizzard for hours and literally, Colorado was just a random pick."
"We joked about it often, but it really was just by downplaying ourselves and changing our hair color and such. We attempted to be as friendly and neighborly as we could."
Donald Newbury, 38, was serving 99 years for aggravated robbery. He robbed a woman at a hotel in 1997 while armed with sawed-off shotgun. He had two previous convictions for armed robbery and was suspected in about a dozen other holdups in Austin area in 1986-87. He was captured on Jan. 24, 2001.
In an interview granted before being taken into custody he said:
"We had a statement to make that the system is as corrupt as we are. You going to do something about us, well, do something about that system, too."