Officers Seek Escaped Texas Inmates

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (AP) â€” State and federal officers followed ``hundreds of leads'' Tuesday for two escaped Texas prison inmates following a raid on a trailer park that netted the peaceful

Tuesday, January 23rd 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WOODLAND PARK, Colo. (AP) â€” State and federal officers followed ``hundreds of leads'' Tuesday for two escaped Texas prison inmates following a raid on a trailer park that netted the peaceful capture of four others.

The seventh of the men who broke out of a maximum security prison nearly six weeks ago killed himself in a motor home that had been surrounded by authorities Monday in this foothills community about 50 miles southwest of Denver.

Authorities said they had no definite word on the location of the missing inmates, Patrick Murphy Jr., 39, convicted of rape, and armed robber Donald Newbury, 38. They may have been in Woodland Park as recently as Sunday and may have left to get more money.

``We frankly don't know where they are,'' Mark Mershon, the top FBI agent in Denver, said early Tuesday. ``We have law-enforcement agencies not only throughout the state of Colorado but all over the country looking for these individuals.''

``We're covering hundreds of leads,'' he told KUSA-TV in Denver.

Mershon said the men could have left the state.

``The truth is it's pretty hot here in Colorado,'' he said. ``We don't rule out the fact that they could still be here, but we also recognize it's in their interest to go somewhere where it's less intense in terms of the search for them.''

Police in Texas raided a house in El Paso on Monday afternoon after a tip that the two were inside, but there was no trace of the men.

The breakthrough that sent authorities to the Coachlight motel and RV park in Colorado came from tips from residents after the TV show ``America's Most Wanted'' aired Saturday.

Authorities believe all seven escaped convicts had been living in the motor home for up to three weeks.

The heavily armed inmates broke out of the maximum-security prison Connally Unit in Kenedy, southeast of San Antonio, on Dec. 13. Eleven days later, they allegedly shot and killed a policeman during a robbery at a sporting goods store near Dallas. The escape was the largest from a Texas state prison in modern history.

A $500,000 reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the officer's killer, but there was no word yet Tuesday on how or when that money might be distributed.

Three of the inmates left the RV park Monday and drove to a convenience store, where they were arrested by SWAT officers who boxed in the stolen Jeep Cherokee they were driving.

``They were so overwhelmed. They couldn't do anything,'' said SWAT team commander Terry Maketa.

Three of the men had handguns and Maketa braced for the worst while aiming his own pistol at one of the men. ``I thought at one point he was contemplating getting into a gunfight,'' he said.

Captured were suspected ringleader George Rivas, 30, a convicted kidnapper and burglar; and Michael Rodriguez, 38, and Joseph Garcia, 29, both convicted of murder.

They did not resist or draw their weapons, authorities said.

Randy Halprin, 23, walked out of the motor home, unaware of the presence of police. When Halprin realized he was surrounded, he ran to a nearby trailer, then emerged and surrendered, El Paso County Sheriff John Wesley Anderson said.

Authorities said Halprin, who was serving time for beating an infant, had an old wound he may have suffered during the Christmas Eve robbery.

Larry Harper, 37, convicted of aggravated sexual assault, killed himself inside the motor home after Halprin was captured, authorities said.

Inside the motor home, officers found 13 weapons stolen in the Dallas robbery, said Rich Marianos of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Investigators were not sure how the men got the motor home. Anderson said they may have bought it with some of the $70,000 in cash and checks stolen from the sporting goods store.

During the store robbery, Officer Aubrey Hawkins was shot 11 times and run over by a vehicle.

Authorities said Rivas expressed remorse Monday while admitting to the slaying of Hawkins.

``He stated that he had a change of heart, change of life and he wanted this to end,'' said State Patrol Trooper Eric Zachareas.

People who had seen the seven men around Woodland Park said they attracted little attention.

``They just seemed like regular guys,'' said Betty Denn, adding that one of the convicts attended Bible study at a local church.

``It's terrifying. We don't have things like this in Woodland Park,'' said Sharon Coburn, whose house is about 100 yards from the RV park. ``No one up here locks their doors at night. Now I probably would.''

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On the Net:

Texas Department of Criminal Justice: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us

Irving Police Department: http://www.irvingpd.com