[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----TEXAS

[Rick Halperin]

December 11



TEXAS----new execution date

2nd-to-last 'Texas 7' escapee gets March execution date



The 2nd-to-last surviving 'Texas 7' escapee now has a date with death.

Patrick Murphy, who was convicted under the controversial law of parties after 
playing lookout during a deadly store robbery, is scheduled for execution March 
28, according to Texas prison spokesman Jeremy Desel.

News of the grim date comes less than a week after the Lone Star State put to 
death Joseph Garcia, another member of the break-out crew.

After months of planning, on Dec. 13, 2000, the 7 men banded together to pull 
off the biggest prison escape in Texas history.

George Rivas, a charismatic thief already serving 17 life sentences, was the 
ringleader who plotted the break-out from the unit just 60 miles south of San 
Antonio.

Together, they overpowered a maintenance supervisor and tied up civilian 
workers as hostages. 2 of the gang dressed up as prison workers to sneak into 
the armory where they took down another employee and seized control of the 
guard tower.

Then, they loaded up with weapons and supplies and drove out the gate of the 
Connally Unit in a stolen prison truck.

After orchestrating 2 robberies in Houston, they headed up to the Dallas area.

There, on Christmas Eve, the men held up an Oshman's sporting goods store in 
Irving and made off with $70,000 and 44 guns. But before they left, they ran 
into a cop.

In a chaotic scene, 5 of the men started firing. When it was over, Officer 
Aubrey Hawkins lay dead in the Oshman's parking lot, shot 11 times and dragged 
10 feet by an SUV as the panicked prisoners fled.

Rivas later admitted to shooting the officer. But Murphy was on the other side 
of the building as the lookout and, while he warned the others when Hawkins 
arrived, there was no indication he ever fired a shot.

After a 6-figure reward and a spot on "America's Most Wanted," the wanted men 
were finally captured in Colorado more than a month later, living in a trailer 
park and posing as Christian pilgrims.

1 of the escapees - Larry Harper - killed himself before police could get him. 
The rest were sent to death row, where 4 have since been executed.

Only Randy Halprin is still alive on death row with Murphy, who was serving a 
50-year-sentence for aggravated sexual assault at the time of the break-out.

In the years since his conviction, Murphy has lobbed appeals raising claims of 
sub-par lawyering and challenging his conviction under the law of parties, 
which can hold non-shooters as responsible as the triggerman.

The Lone Star State has executed 12 men this year, and 1 more - Alvin Braziel - 
is scheduled to die Tuesday. Including Murphy's death date, there are 6 
executions scheduled so far for 2019.

(source: Houston Chronicle)

*********************

Executions under Greg Abbott, Jan. 21, 2015-present----39

Executions in Texas: Dec. 7, 1982----present-----557

Abbott#--------scheduled execution date-----name------------Tx. #

40---------Dec. 11----------------Alvin Braziel, Jr.------558

41---------Jan. 15----------------Blaine Milam------------559

42---------Jan. 30----------------Robert Jennings---------560

43---------Feb. 28----------------Billy Wayne Coble-------561

44---------Apr. 11----------------Mark Robertson----------562

45---------Mar. 28----------------Patrick Murphy----------563

46---------May 2------------------Dexter Johnson----------564

(sources: TDCJ & Rick Halperin)