Texas Convicts Avoid Capture With Savvy

Jan. 6 -- Hundreds of Texas police officers and FBI investigators are looking for them. They’ve been featured on America’s Most Wanted, their photos broadcast on nationwide television and even attached to Domino’s Pizza boxes in Texas.

But still, the seven “armed and dangerous” convicts who escaped prison more than three weeks ago and allegedly killed a Texas police officer during a robbery have eluded authorities. How? Experts say they are using something escaped prisoners rarely do: their brains and a well-executed plan.

“It’s important to point out that these guys are in the 1 percent of prison population — they’re using their intelligence,” said Tory Caeti, an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of North Texas.

“They’ve been smart enough to lay low, except during the instances they’ve committed robberies since their escape … The key is that their escape was obviously well-planned. To have been out this long, they must be getting some outside help. They’ve made a pact to stay together, and, given the weapons they’ve stolen, they’ve made a plan not to go back to prison.”

Officials say the “Texas Seven” stole a heavy arsenal of more than 40 weapons, including at least one automatic rifle, 14 .357 Magnum pistols, 238 rounds of ammunition, during and after their escape from a prison in Kenedy, Texas, on Dec. 13 and are accused of killing Irving, Texas police officer Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery.

The men — George Rivas, Joseph Garcia, Michael Rodriguez, Randy Halprin, Patrick Murphy, Jr., Larry Harper, and Donald Newbury — have also commandeered and abandoned vehicles during their prison escape and alleged robberies.

Since then, Texas police have received thousands of tips on the gang’s whereabouts but none have proved fruitful. In the latest reported sighting, witnesses said they saw at least two of the men outside a San Marcos, Texas, bank. But Larry Todd, spokesman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, downplayed the tip because there were other simultaneous sightings reported as far away as Colorado, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

“The truth of the matter is we don’t know where they are,” said Todd. “There was a sighting reported in San Marcos, but we still have no concrete proof yet that they were even there. We know they have switched cars a few times, but we don’t even know what car they’re driving. We must follow all leads.”

“Very frankly, our leads are very, very limited,” Todd told ABCNEWS. “What we need are good solid leads. We need license plate numbers and better descriptions.”

Scanning Their Pursuers?

A band of seven escaped convicts may seem conspicuous, but law enforcement experts say it’s not quite that simple.

“It’s highly unlikely you will find all these guys eating together somewhere at a McDonalds,” said Caeti. “If the intelligence reports are correct, these guys have broken off in smaller groups at times. They would look conspicuous if they traveled together, and they know it.”

And there is a possibility the convicts may be using stolen police equipment to help them evade authorities. Officials believe they stole police radio scanners from a Radio Shack store near Houston on Dec. 15 and that the scanners may have helped them in the fatal Christmas Eve robbery.

“Scanners sold in places like Radio Shack, a booklet comes with the scanner that tells you the radio frequencies used by the local police agencies,” said Lt. Ken Stewart of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association. “And that information is provided under the Freedom of Information Act.”

Stewart also noted that the stolen police scanners would be useless to the escapees outside of Texas — unless they are able to learn the frequencies used by police officers in other states — information is public in some states, and sometimes found on various Web sites.

The Potential Curse of Tips

Still, Texas officials say they believe the convicts are still in Texas, armed, dangerous and willing to kill to avoid a return to prison and perhaps the death penalty for the officer’s slaying. Law enforcement is continuing to receive hundreds of tips a day from residents, which can be both a great help and a hindrance.

“Most of the time, when convicts are captured, it’s through the help of well-meaning citizens or someone who’s really in the know of their activities,” said Caeti. “Police never want to deter people from phoning in tips. But that means they have to weed through the ones sent by psychics, pranksters and others before they come across a real fruitful lead.”

Caeti also pointed out that the prison pictures and recently released sketches of the men may not be too helpful. Prison pictures, he said, tend to be dated, taken when the suspects have just had their hair cut and taken to prison. And he said, it seems likely that they have changed their appearances since their escape.

But Texas officials remain confident they will eventually capture the fugitives. One thing that may work in their favor is that there is evidence that at least two of the convicts may have been injured during the Christmas Eve robbery. Texas police said Friday that they found blood in the getaway car the escapees apparently used and abandoned. But they admit they don’t know how seriously the men may be injured or said some of the blood came from slain officer Hawkins.

Investigators just want the ordeal to end without bloodshed.

“Our worst fear is that this will end in bloodshed … that’s what we donot want to happen,” said Todd. “But we will get these men back.”