4 of 7 Texas Prison Escapees Are Captured

Four of the so-called Texas Seven--convicts whose daring prison break last month led to a nationwide manhunt--were captured Monday in a quiet mountain town at the foot of Pikes Peak.

A fifth fugitive took his own life after barricading himself inside a motor home; two were still at large and thought to be heavily armed.

Acting on a tip, a huge contingent of police officers, sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents arrested the escapees near the Coachlight--a motel and RV park in Woodland Park, Colo., about 50 miles southwest of Denver. They apparently had been staying there since Jan. 1.

The men had been under surveillance since early Monday. By midmorning, authorities moved in--capturing three convicts as they left a nearby convenience store and another as he left the motor home.

The Texas Seven have left a trail of violence since escaping from the maximum-security Connally Unit in Kenedy, Texas.

They are charged with killing Officer Aubrey Hawkins, who on Christmas Eve went to investigate a sporting goods store robbery in Irving, Texas. He was shot 11 times. With about $70,000 in stolen money and checks, a cache of weapons and police scanners, the men had managed to evade capture.

Teller County Undersheriff Kevin Dougherty said that among those arrested Monday was George Rivas, the suspected mastermind of the Dec. 13 jailbreak--the biggest escape from a Texas state prison in modern history. Texas officials called Rivas “one of the most dangerous men in Texas.” Also captured were Michael Rodriguez, Randy Halprin and Joseph Garcia.

Larry Harper held SWAT teams at bay for hours Monday while holed up inside the large recreational vehicle. He had asked to speak to his father, but did not respond to FBI negotiators who used bullhorns to try to coax him out. Teller County Sheriff Frank Fehn said a weapon was fired in the motor home about 12:40 p.m. Two hours later, when authorities entered the vehicle, they found that Harper had shot himself in the chest.

The convicts still at large--who officials termed “very violent killers”--are Patrick Murphy Jr. and Donald Newbury. They reportedly were traveling in a brown van and had a head start of at least several hours. An all-points bulletin was ordered throughout Colorado.

Authorities warned residents that the fugitives were dangerous and desperate.

“The story is by no means over,” said FBI Special Agent Mark Mershon. “It is very important for the public to listen: We have two subjects still on the loose, heavily armed.”

Mershon said the four convicts in custody were providing some information to authorities. But he said it was not yet known how or why the men had made their way more than 800 miles from southern Texas to the rural community in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

News that the fugitives had been apprehended shocked Woodland Park, a town of 7,500 people. Residents near the mobile home park awoke to find SWAT teams swarming up the hillsides. Many were told to stay in and lock their doors. As information emerged that at least two convicts were still on the loose, more precautions were taken. A half-mile swath near the RV park was evacuated, the road leading into town was closed, and six schools were put on lock-down.

Since the breakout, tipsters had reported spotting the convicts all over the country. Texas officials had pursued about 2,500 leads. Still, the gang eluded authorities, despite a massive manhunt and exposure of their photographs on television and in newspapers.

There was a $500,000 reward, and authorities said a tip prompted by the show “America’s Most Wanted” led to the capture. The show had featured the convicts four times since the escape, including the last three Saturday nights.

A Colorado state trooper said Rivas had expressed remorse for killing Hawkins, telling authorities that the officer’s death was a “life-changing event” and had caused him and the four others to abandon further criminal plans. Murphy and Newbury, said Trooper Eric Zachareas, were breaking away from the group in search of more money.

Zachareas said that Rivas had dyed his hair blond and that another convict had dyed his hair orange in an apparent attempt to disguise their identities.

The seven inmates had executed a meticulously planned escape from the prison southeast of San Antonio. They overpowered 13 workers, took advantage of employee mistakes and used a prison truck for their getaway. The inmates made off with 14 revolvers, a shotgun, a rifle and more than 200 rounds of ammunition.

The escape led to an investigation that revealed that the prison was short-staffed by about 22 guards at the time. A state review blamed prison employees for allowing the inmates, who impersonated prison guards, to move about unchallenged. The warden has been demoted, and other employees disciplined.

Until this breakout, Texas had recaptured all but one of the 143 inmates who had escaped from its state prisons in the last 10 years. Most were inmates who walked away from work duty or escaped alone or in small groups.