On 13 December 2000 (Thursday), after days of selecting members of The Texas Seven and detailed planning, the ring leader and his accomplices executed an escape from a maximum security prison – the John B. Connally Unit located near Kenedy, Texas (southeastern Texas – Karnes County). The 07 escapees are known as The Texas Seven:
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- George Angel Rivas (age 30, serving 18 consecutive 15-years to life)
- Joseph Christopher Garcia (age 29, serving 50-years)
- Randy Ethan Halprin (age 23, serving 30-years)
- Larry James Harper (age 37, serving 50-years)
- Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr. (age 39, serving 50-years)
- Donald Keith Newbury (age ??, serving 99-years)
- Michael Anthony Rodriguez (age 38, serving 99-years to life)
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The John B. Connally Unit Maximum Security Prison stats:
- Opened July 1995
- Land – 813 acres
- Capacity – 2,232 prisoners
- Securing approximately 2,850 male prisoners
- 12-foot fence with razor wire
- Roving vehicle patrol with armed Correction Officers
- 500 Correction Officers assigned
- 100 Correction Officers on duty at any given time
- Dozens of security cameras
- Multiple Guard Towers with armed Correction Officers
In an interview, Rivas stated: “I decided that I was going to escape. When I made up my mind. I opened my eyes to my environment in a way that I was ignoring for years and I didn’t want to think that way. Watching their strength and weaknesses from the whole unit, top to bottom.” “Two-hundred seventy calendar years before I’m eligible for parole.”
After detailed planning, The Texas Seven escape plan was broken down and executed into 02 Objectives:
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Objective 01: Phase 01 was to take over the Maintenance Shop after lunch. This way as the guards and civilians returned to the Maintenance Shop, they’d be ambushed by The Texas Seven. The Maintenance Shop gave the prisoners access to keys, tools, guard uniforms and civilian clothing to further their escape.
The Texas Seven even rehearsed their ‘take-downs’ prior to their multiple assaults.
The first assault was on the Maintenance Shop supervisor who was a good-sized man. It took all The Texas Seven to subdue him with Rodriguez hitting him on the back of his head with a board. And afterwards, one-by-one, members of The Texas Seven assaulted and knocked-out 11 civilian maintenance workers, Correction Officers and 03 inmates.
All hostages were secured (tied-up, gagged and bag put over their heads) in the electrical room. All the assaults took more than an hour to complete. The Texas Seven needed the Maintenance Shop so to proceed to Objective 02 of their planned escape. At the Maintenance Shop they had the props to disguise themselves as maintenance workers (civilian clothing and tools) Correction Officers and a vehicle (white maintenance truck with home-made false bed) to hide fellow prisoners) to depart the prison.
Team 02 Consisting of Garcia, Halprin and Rodriguez would stay behind at the Maintenance Shop and be on stand-by to drive the maintenance truck to the Guard House to pick-up Team 01.
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Objective 02: Once the Maintenance Shop was controlled, Team 01 that included Rivas, Harper, Murphy and Newbury with all their tools, proceeded on a golf-cart vehicle to the Guard House and Guard Tower which were located in the same place at the backside of the prison. But first Rivas disguised himself as the Maintenance Shop supervisor and called the Guard Tower to let them know he’s sending some maintenance workers over to install cameras.
Team 02 members were disguised as maintenance personnel from the stolen clothing from the hostages. Arriving at the Guard House, Team 02 started unloaded all their tools like they were ready to install cameras. Rivas even gave the Correction Officer a box of doughnuts.
Rivas proceeded up the steps to the Guard Tower. At the same time, one of The Texas Seven from the Maintenance Shop called the Guard Tower and asked for the maintenance worker. This was done to insure the Correction Officer in the Guard Tower that everything was legit.
Rivas on the phone used a code word with the work ‘Max’ in it letting everyone know to take down the Guard House (on the phone with the Maintenance Shop) and the members of the The Texas Seven to proceed in the Maintenance truck to the back gate to pick-up Team 02.
Rivas got into the Guard Tower and took the Correction Officer’s pistol that was laying on the table and ordered him to show him how to open the back gate or Rivas would kill him.
Once the Control Tower was under their control, the back gate was opened and The Texas Seven departed the prison. But to insure their escape, in-case any Correction Officers were looking from a distance, Halprin dressed a Correction Officer uniform, took a mirror and did a 360-degree check around the stolen maintenance vehicle. This is routine by Correction Officers to check for hiding prisoners.
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The Texas Seven Evasion!
Team 02 loaded the stolen maintenance vehicle and The Texas Seven departed the maximum security prison. They were now evading. Once on the outside, The Texas Seven were aided by the father of Rodriguez & female accomplice with another getaway vehicle. The two were later convicted of their crimes.
George Angel Rivas, the ring leader is reported to have dyed his hair blonde to disguise himself and another evader dyed his hair orange.
Immediately after The Texas Seven escape from the John B. Connally Unit, ground and air searches were in-place but John B. Connally Unit evaded through the net.
The Texas Seven evaded, constantly moving, going from one hotel room to another but they were running out of money.
On 19 December 2000 (Tuesday), 04 of The Texas Seven using false identities checked into a Econo Lodge motel located in Farmers Branch, Texas – in the Dallas – Fort Worth area. Running low on money, they started their planning to rob Oshman’s Sporting Goods in nearby Irving, Texas.
On 24 December 2000 (Sunday), The Texas Seven located in Irving, Texas, robbed Oshman’s Sporting Goods. Two of The Texas Seven went into the Sporting Goods store disguised as Security Officers. They showed one of the staff members a Wanted Poster of several youths and wanted to know if any of the staff had seen any of the alleged criminals. All the staff were called to the counter where they were held at gunpoint and escorted back to the breakroom and bound & gagged.
The Texas Seven robbed Oshman’s Sporting Goods of:
- 40 weapons
- Ammunition
- Police scanners
- $70,000.00 in cash & checks
An off duty Oshman’s Sporting Goods employee outside the store noticed something suspicious and called the police. Irving Police Officer Aubrey Hawkins, arrived on the scene and was shot 11 times and run over by The Texas Seven’s getaway vehicle as they sped away returning to their motel room.
In their motel room, The Texas Seven were arguing with each other and pistols were drawn pointing at each other – a Mexian stand-off. Rivas also drew his own pistol, shouted at everyone and finally got control of the group. The Texas Seven immediately packed all their gear and evaded again. The Texas Seven are now in their 5th week of continued evasion and hiding.
At the killing of Police Officer’s Aubrey Hawking and the brutality behind it (shot 11 times and ran over in their get-away vehicle), The Texas Seven manhunt not only exploded nationwide but also on an international level. The famous television show “America’s Most Wanted” assisted in the search for The Texas Seven which brought in valuable leads.
A REWARD of $100,000.00 was announced for the capture of The Texas Seven. The REWARD climbed to $500,000.000.
The Texas Seven were now seriously fearing for their lives. As George Rivas, the leader of The Texas Seven put it: “Now there’s going to be a blood hunt. If they cornered us in Texas, they would kill us.” The Texas Seven evaded northward.
On 20 January 2001, tips of led law enforcement to Woodland Park, Colorado. Tips deployed SWAT Teams and local law enforcement to the Coachlight Motel and a RV (Recreational Vehicle) Park.
On 22 January 2001, at the RV Park, Halprin surrendered and Harper committed suicide inside the RV.
A Denver SWAT Team surrounded Rivas, Rodriguez and Garcia at gas station where there were arrested and taken into custody.
On 23 January 2001, the FBI got a tip on the location of the remaining 02 members of The Texas Seven. They were hiding at a Holiday Inn, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Both were captured and taken into custody.
The Texas Seven evaded capture for 43-days. Their evasion was successful because of the initial help from outside family members, their continuous movement, robberies for money to pay for motel rooms and their disguises as travelling Christians.
Here’s the current status on The Texas Seven:
- Larry James Harper – committed suicide at the RV Park on 22 January 2001.
- Michael Anthony Rodriguez – executed on 14 August 2008.
- George Angel Rivas – executed on 29 February 2012.
- Donald Keith Newbury – executed on 04 February 2015.
- Joseph Christopher Garcia – executed on 04 December 2018.
- Randy Ethan Halprin – on Death Row awaiting execution. Granted ‘Stay Of Execution.’
- Patrick Henry Murphy – on Death Row awaiting execution. Granted ‘Stay Of Execution.’
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