Last 2 Texas fugitives surrender

Wednesday, January 24th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The last two "Texas Seven" fugitives still on the loose from a prison break last month surrendered peacefully Wednesday after police allowed them to be interviewed by CNN affiliate KKTV in Colorado Springs.

Patrick Murphy Jr. and Donald Newbury complained about the Texas prison system, which they said is ruining the lives of young inmates. "Hopefully, maybe this will open the eyes of some people that the penal system does have some problems," Murphy said.

Murphy, a 39-year-old rapist, and Newbury, a 38-year-old robber, walked out of a Holiday Inn hotel room where they had been holed up after about five hours of negotiations with police and an interview with KKTV anchor Eric Singer.

Potentially dangerous situation

The men spoke for five minutes each, via telephone, before giving themselves up at 3:45 a.m. The two, both shirtless, were handcuffed in the chilly pre-dawn temperatures and put into separate patrol cars to be taken away to jail.

"We knew it was a potentially dangerous situation but we also knew that we certainly were in a position of advantage here," said Colorado Springs Police Lt. Skip Arms. "Over the course of several hours, we were able to establish a strong degree of trust and credibility with them," he told CNN.

On Tuesday, Newbury's wife had pleaded for him to surrender. "Donald, please come home, or give yourself up," Jacqueline Newbury said. "We don't need any more hurt. The kids have been hurt through all of this. I've been hurt, your mom, your sister. Your grandchildren."

System is as corrupt as we are

During his interview with KKTV, Newbury said the breakout was a statement against the judicial system in Texas. "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," he said.

Newbury complained that he had to "threaten to beat up" his attorney so he could get another one who would see him in prison.

Singer, in a very calm voice, reminded both men of their promise to surrender.

Cohorts in custody

The seven heavily armed convicts escaped December 13 from a maximum security prison in south Texas.

Three of them were arrested peacefully Monday at a convenience store in Woodland Park, Colorado, about 20 miles northwest of Colorado Springs. A fourth man gave up at a nearby motor home. Authorities say the fifth escapee killed himself in the motor home as police closed in.

Authorities believe Murphy and Newbury split from the other five men last weekend.

The arrests brought to an end a frustrating multistate hunt for the seven convicts, including murderers, rapists and armed robbers, who bluffed their way out of a maximum-security prison in Kenedy, Texas, southeast of San Antonio.

Authorities have said the men robbed a Dallas-area sporting good store and killed a police officer at the scene, which heightened fears the men would not surrender peacefully.

Police believe the group of seven arrived in Colorado the last week in December, spending time in Pueblo, about 100 miles south of Denver, before renting a space for their motor home in the Coachlight Motel and RV Park in Woodland Park around January 1.

They led the park manager and neighbors to believe they were missionaries en route from Texas to California, while keeping as many as three dozen weapons, loaded and cocked, in the cramped motor home.

"We joked about it often, but it really was just by downplaying ourselves and changing our hair color and such," Murphy said during his interview with KKTV.

After the four were arrested Monday, police and FBI agents began to close the net around Murphy and Newbury.

On Tuesday, they found the two missing fugitives' van abandoned in a motel parking lot two blocks from the Holiday Inn. Since no vehicles had been reported stolen, officers went door to door in the area in search of the men.

They received a tip the two were at the Holiday Inn and surrounded the hotel, opening negotiations via telephone at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.

It was a weekend airing of the prison escapees' story on the television show "America's Most Wanted" that finally broke the case for authorities.

The show prompted several tips from residents that the fugitives may be in Woodland Park.

At the convenience store, authorities arrested suspected ringleader George Rivas, 30, serving a life sentence for aggravated robbery and kidnapping; and Michael Rodriguez, 38, and Joseph Garcia, 29, both murderers.

At the same time, authorities surrounded the fugitives' motor home, leading Randy Halprin, 23, to surrender. He had been serving time for beating an infant. Larry Harper, 37, convicted of aggravated sexual assault, shot himself to death inside the motor home, authorities said.

CNN Correspondent Frank Buckley and The Associated Press contributed to this report.