2000 Seven dangerous convicts
escape from a Kenedy, Texas, prison.
They are Michael Anthony Rodriguez,
38 (Life/Capital Murder) — George Rivas, 30 (Life: Aggravated
Robbery, Aggravated Kidnapping) — Joseph C. Garcia, 29
(50 yrs/Murder) — Larry Jame Harper, 37 (50 yrs/ Aggravated
Sexual Assault), Randy Ethan Halprin, 23 (30 yrs/Injury to a
Child: beating an infant), Patrick Henry Murphy, Jr, 39 (50
yrs/Aggravated sexual assault, 6 yrs/Burglary), Donald Keith
Newbury, 38 (99 years/Aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon).
They overpower guards, take their
clothes and speed away in a prison vehicle. On 24 December,
they would rob an Oshman's sporting goods store in Irving, Texas,
and gun down police officer Aubrey Hawkins who came on the scene.
On 22 January 2001, the gang's
suspected ringleader, George Rivas, with Michael Rodriguez and
Joseph Garcia would be taken into custody shortly after leaving
a campground in Woodland Park, Colorado, Randy Halprin would
give himself up from the surrounded trailer. The last man in
the trailer, Larry Harper, would fatally shoot himself in the
chest after barricading himself in.
[Official
report on the “incident” PDF]-->
On December 13, 2000, at approximately
1120 hours, seven offenders assigned to the Connally Unit, a
maximum-security facility, overpowered and restrained nine maintenance
supervisors, four correctional officers and three uninvolved
offenders, and escaped from the facility.
On December 13, 2000, at approximately
1120, the employees of the Connally Unit Maintenance Department
returned 20 offenders that were assigned to the Maintenance
Department to their housing areas and went to lunch. Patrick
Moczygemba, Maintenance Supervisor V, arranged for a group of
five offenders, Joseph Garcia #774391, Randy Halprin #786259,
Larry Harper #861910, Donald Newbury #824631, and George Rivas
#702267, to stay in the Maintenance Department to seal the floor
in the warehouse. It was not uncommon for these offenders to
be assigned to special projects in the Maintenance Department.
Mark Burgess, Maintenance Supervisor IV also gave permission
for one of his offenders, Patrick Murphy #386888, to stay in
for lunch to complete an ongoing project. Mr. P. Moczygemba
agreed to stay and supervise the offenders.
At approximately 1130, Mr. P.
Moczygemba was working in the office when Offender Rivas asked
him to come back into the warehouse. Offender Harper asked him
to look at a motor that was under a table. The offenders were
clearing the floor to begin sealing and claimed that they were
unsure of what they should do with the motor. As Mr. P. Moczygemba
leaned down to look at the motor, one of the offenders struck
him in the head with what was later discovered to be an axe
handle, and he was rendered unconscious. When he regained consciousness
he began to struggle with the offenders. Offender Garcia held
a hand-made knife to Mr. P. Moczygemba’s neck and told him that
a few more years wouldn’t mean anything to their sentences and
they would kill one of the employees if they needed to. The
offenders removed Mr. P. Moczygemba’s pants and shirt, tied
his hands and legs, and placed a gag in his mouth. A pillowcase
was placed over his head and he was carried to the electrical
room at the back of the warehouse where he was forced to lie
face down on the floor.
Offender Michael Rodriguez #698074,
was assigned to the inside yard squad on the day of the incident.
Due to inclement weather conditions, the inside yard squad offenders
did not turn out for work. Possibly in anticipation of the weather
related work restriction, Offender Rodriguez had an appointment
to visit the unit law library on the morning of the incident.
The law library check-in log confirmed that Offender Rodriguez
attended his appointment and checked out at 0940. Although we
cannot verify the exact time Offender Rodriguez gained access
to the maintenance area, it is the opinion of the review team
that Offender Rodriguez was inadvertently allowed through the
gate at A Turnout. Several employees report seeing Offender
Rodriguez sitting on a bench in front of the Maintenance Department
at various times that morning. After Mr. P. Moczygemba was subdued,
Offender Rodriguez entered the Maintenance Department where
he became an active participant in the escape.
At approximately 1145, Alan Camber,
Maintenance Supervisor IV, and Alejandro Marroquin, Correctional
Officer III, entered the maintenance office and each sat down
at a desk in the office as they began talking. Offenders Rivas,
Halprin, Harper, Murphy, and Newbury came into the office and
began talking with them. Offender Rivas walked behind Officer
Marroquin and grabbed him in a bear hug from behind. Officer
Marroquin began struggling as Offenders Halprin, Harper and
Newbury helped Offender Rivas force Officer Marroquin to the
floor. The offenders bound Officer Marroquin’s hands and legs
with plastic ties and duct tape and attempted to place a gag
in his mouth. Officer Marroquin refused to open his mouth to
be gagged and Offender Newbury struck him in the nose with a
closed fist forcing Officer Marroquin to allow the offenders
to gag him. Officer Marroquin was then carried to the electrical
room where he was placed on the floor next to Mr. P. Moczygemba.
Simultaneously, Offender Murphy
was asking Mr. Camber about a part for a vacuum cleaner, when
Offender Garcia attacked him from behind. After subduing Officer
Marroquin, Offender Rivas assisted Offender Garcia in forcing
Mr. Camber to the floor. Offender Garcia placed a pointed object
in Mr. Camber’s left ear, threatening to apply force. Mr. Camber,
in fear of his life, stopped struggling. The offenders bound
Mr. Camber’s hands with plastic ties and duct tape and removed
his boots and jeans. He was then dragged into the electrical
room where the offenders struck his head against the electrical
conduit on the wall causing him to lose consciousness. The offenders
then placed a gag in his mouth, a pillowcase over his head and
wrapped duct tape around his eyes outside of the pillowcase.
At approximately 12:00, Mr. Manuel
Segura, Maintenance Supervisor IV, and Mr. Mr. Mark Burgess,
Maintenance Supervisor IV returned to the Maintenance Department.
Offender Rivas came into the office and told Mr. Burgess that
Mr. P. Moczygemba was in the warehouse. Mr. Burgess entered
the warehouse but did not see Mr. P. Moczygemba. Offender Halprin
followed Mr. Burgess into the warehouse and knelt down beside
a box and asked Mr. Burgess to come look at a motor. As Mr.
Burgess approached Offender Halprin, he was struck in the back
of the head by one of the offenders. As he regained consciousness,
Mr. Burgess felt a sharp point at the back of his neck, another
in his back, and one below his right armpit. Offender Rivas
stated “This is no joke, we go home and you go home, or not,
it’s up to you.” Offender Halprin removed Mr. Burgess’ clothing,
bound his feet and hands with tie straps and duct tape, placed
a gag in his mouth, and placed duct tape over his eyes. Offenders
Rivas and Halprin then carried him to the electrical room and
forced him to the floor. Offender Garcia then placed a sharp
object in Mr. Burgess’ left ear and threatened to apply force.
A pillowcase was then placed over Mr. Burgess’ head and secured
with duct tape.
Immediately after Mr. Burgess
was subdued, Offender Rivas called Mr. Segura into the warehouse
and told him that Mr. P. Moczygemba needed him at the back dock.
As he walked into the warehouse, Offenders Newbury and Rivas
grabbed him from behind and forced him to the floor. The offenders
bound his wrists with plastic ties and placed a gag in his mouth.
Offender Newbury then removed Mr. Segura’s boots and jeans and
then taped his ankles together with duct tape. He was carried
to the electrical room where a pillowcase was placed over his
head. Offender Rivas told him that if he calmed down and stayed
quiet, nothing would happen to him.
At approximately 12:20, Mr. Jerry
McDowell, Recreational Program Specialist IV, entered the Maintenance
Department. Offenders Rivas, Halprin and Murphy were sitting
in the office. Mr. McDowell asked the offenders why they were
alone. Offender Rivas told him that Mr. P. Moczygemba went to
18 Dorm. Mr. McDowell then requested to check-out the 3 Gym
toolbox. Offender Murphy went into the warehouse and brought
back the toolbox and the check-out log. Offender Murphy handed
the tool box and the log to Offender Halprin, who in turn handed
it to Mr. McDowell. After signing the check-out log, Mr. McDowell
turned and walked out of the Maintenance Department. Offender
Rivas followed him and asked him to come back into the shop,
but Mr. McDowell refused and left the area.
At approximately 12:25, Mr. Mark
Garza, Maintenance Supervisor IV, Mr. Martin Gilley, Maintenance
Supervisor IV, and Mr. Ronny Haun, Maintenance Supervisor IV
returned to the Maintenance Department. Mr. Gilley went into
the electrical shop and Mr. Garza sat down at a desk in the
office. Mr. Haun walked into the warehouse where Offender Newbury
asked him to come and look at something on the shelf. As Mr.
Haun approached the shelf, Offender Newbury grabbed him and
placed him in a headlock. Offender Rivas assisted Offender Newbury
in forcing Mr. Haun to the floor and attempted to place a gag
in his mouth. As Mr. Haun struggled with the offenders, Rivas
struck him in the nose twice with a closed fist and forced the
gag into his mouth. An unknown offender approached them and
put a plexiglas knife to the back of Mr. Haun’s left ear. The
offenders secured Mr. Haun’s legs and arms with duct tape and
placed a pillowcase over his head and wrapped it with duct tape.
Mr. Haun was dragged to the electrical room where the offenders
unbound his legs, removed his boots and jeans, and then rebound
his legs using plastic zip ties.
As this was occurring, Mr. Garza
was sitting in the maintenance office. Offender Harper came
into the office and asked Mr. Garza to come into the warehouse
to look at a motor. Offender Rivas approached Mr. Garza from
behind and put a sharp object to the front of his neck. Mr.
Garza pushed the object away from his neck as Offenders Halprin
and Harper attacked him forcing him to the floor. The offenders
placed plastic ties around Mr. Garza’s arms and legs and dragged
him to the electrical room. A gag was placed in Mr. Garza’a
mouth and a pillowcase was placed over his head and taped. After
Mr. Garza was subdued, Offender Garcia walked into the electrical
shop and asked Mr. Gilley if he wanted something to eat. Mr.
Gilley declined the offer and Offender Garcia left the shop.
Offender Murphy entered the electrical shop and told Mr. Gilley
that Mr. P. Moczygemba wanted to see him in the warehouse. Mr.
Gilley entered the warehouse were he was attacked by Offenders
Garcia, Halprin, Newbury and Rodriguez. Offender Halprin told
Mr. Gilley not to resist and that he would not be hurt. Offenders
Newbury and Garcia held hand-made knives behind each of Mr.
Gilley’s ears. The offenders removed his pants and bound his
legs using plastic straps. A pillowcase was placed over Mr.
Gilley's head and taped. The offenders forced Mr. Gilley into
the electrical room where they placed a gag in his mouth and
tied his hands behind his back using plastic ties.
At approximately 12:40, Mr. Terry
Schmidt, Maintenance Supervisor IV, returned from lunch escorting
two offenders, David Cook #435179 and Roger Fishwick #604792,
from 18 Dorm to the Maintenance Department. Mr. Schmidt was
leaving maintenance with Offenders Fishwick and Cook, when Offender
Rivas told him that Mr. P. Moczygemba wanted to talk to him
in the shop. Mr. Schmidt went into the maintenance warehouse
where several offenders attacked him from behind. One of the
offenders held a hand-made knife to Mr. Schmidt’s head and told
him to shut up. The offenders pushed Mr. Schmidt to the floor
and tied his hands and feet with plastic straps. They placed
a gag in his mouth and a pillowcase over his head and dragged
him to the electrical room. Offenders Fishwick and Cook entered
the maintenance office where Offender Murphy approached them.
Offender Murphy told them that they were having a food spread
in the back and to fix themselves a plate. Offender Cook immediately
went to the back of the warehouse. Offender Cook was struck
in the face by Offender Rivas as he approached the back of the
warehouse. Offender Cook swung back at Offender Rivas striking
him in the face. An unknown offender approached Offender Cook
from behind and struck him in the back of the head with an axe
handle. The offenders then bound Offender Cook’s arms and legs
and dragged him into the electrical room.
Offender Fishwick at first declined
the offer to eat with the other offenders, but Offender Rivas
insisted that he join them. As he was walking toward the warehouse
door, Offender Murphy began pushing him inside the warehouse.
Offender Rivas grabbed Offender Fishwick and pulled him into
the warehouse. Offender Fishwick was struck in the back of the
head with an axe handle. Offender Fishwick was forced to the
floor where he saw Offender Cook lying on the floor at the back
of the warehouse. The offenders bound Offender Fishwick's hands
and feet with plastic ties and covered his face with duct tape.
A pillowcase was placed over his head and he was taken to the
electrical room.
At approximately 12:45, Randy
Albert, Correctional Officer III, entered the maintenance office
to get a hitch for the unit’s utility vehicle (Gator). He was
assigned to the field force and was supervising the trash crew
that day, and wanted to use the Gator to haul some lumber. Officer
Albert entered the office and saw only offenders. He asked where
Mr. P. Moczygemba was and was told that he was in the warehouse.
Officer Albert walked into the warehouse where he again saw
only offenders. He noticed a handheld radio and a set of keys
on the floor and knew something was wrong, but was then attacked
from behind by three offenders and forced to the floor. One
of the offenders placed a knife to Officer Albert’s face and
told him not to move. Officer Albert grabbed the knife with
his left hand and was able to bend the blade. One of the offenders
then struck him in the head with an axe handle. The offenders
handcuffed him with the handcuffs he was carrying and bound
his legs with rope and tape and dragged him to the electrical
room.
At approximately 13:00, Mr. Lester
Moczygemba, Maintenance Supervisor IV, returned from the boiler
room with Offender Ambrosio Martinez #648556, to dispose of
a piece of metal. Mr. L. Moczygemba noticed that the maintenance
truck was pulled into the shop and the overhead door was closed
behind it and locked. Offender Newbury approached Mr. L. Moczygemba
and brandished a flat piece of metal, approximately 10-12 inches
in length, and sharpened on both sides. Mr. L. Moczygemba pushed
Offender Newbury’s hand away and told him to stop. Mr. L. Moczygemba
turned toward Offender Martinez. As he turned, Offender Newbury
came up behind him and put the hand-made knife to his throat.
Offender Newbury told him that he was serious and he did not
want to hurt him, but he would if he did not lie down. Mr. L.
Moczygemba laid down on the floor and Offender Halprin and Offender
Newbury tied his hands and feet with plastic ties and duct tape
and placed a sheet over his head. The offenders then took Mr.
L. Moczygemba to the electrical room. As this was occurring,
Offender Martinez was attacked by Offender Murphy, who stabbed
him on his left ring finger. Offenders Rivas and Garcia placed
Offender Martinez’s hands behind his back and bound his arms
and legs with plastic straps and duct tape. One of the assailants
then dragged Offender Martinez to the electrical room.
After the last victim was taken
to the electrical room, the offenders secured the door from
the outside. Mr. Schmidt was able to free himself of his restraints
and began helping the others. Mr. Garza carried a pocketknife
that was not discovered by the assailants. Mr. Schmidt was able
to use the pocketknife to free the hostages’ arms and legs from
the restraints, except for Officer Albert who was handcuffed.
The victims began to prepare themselves in case their assailants
returned. They began tearing electrical conduit from the walls
using it to barricade the door and potentially for their own
defense. When the assailants realized that the victims had removed
their restraints, one of the offenders attempted to regain entry
into the room. When his attempt was unsuccessful, he tried to
seal the door so that the victims could not exit. He secured
the door using a hand-operated winch (come-a-long) to winch
the door closed.
At approximately 13:05, Officer
Perez who was assigned to Central Control, telephoned the Maintenance
Department and asked to speak with a supervisor. Offender Rivas,
who answered the call, instructed another offender to come to
the phone and impersonate Mr. P. Moczygemba. Officer Perez informed
them that it was count time. The offender impersonating Mr.
P. Moczygemba returned the phone call to Lieutenant Carr and
advised that there were ten offenders in the Maintenance Department.
To ensure that the count would balance, the offenders were careful
to include the three offenders who were subdued in the electrical
room and Offender Rodriguez who did not work in the department.
Lieutenant Carr had no reason to believe that the person providing
the count was an inmate and believed that the count he was given
was accurate. Earlier during the incident, an offender, now
believed to be Offender Rivas, impersonated a supervisor and
called the A Turnout officer, the 3 Building desk officer, and
the 18-19 Turnout officer. He notified them that only a skeleton
crew of offenders would return to their job assignments after
lunch. At approximately 1315, Lou Gips, Correctional Officer
IV, was working the backgate picket (B-Radio Tower). Officer
Gips received a call from a person claiming to be from the Maintenance
Department, informing him that maintenance employees were coming
to install monitors in the picket. The telephone call and the
description of the work order seemed legitimate to Officer Gips,
because a similar installation was recently made on one of the
other pickets.
At approximately 13:20, Vernon
Janssen, Correctional Officer IV, who was working the backgate
sallyport, received a similar call. He was also informed that
a crew of maintenance employees would be installing monitors
at the back gate. Meanwhile, in attempt to call for help, Mr.
Camber was able to set off the fire alarm from within the electrical
room.
At approximately 13:35, Central
Control was alerted by a flashing light on the control panel
that the fire alarms were activated in the Maintenance Department.
Officer Perez attempted to contact the department by telephone,
but there was no answer.
At approximately 13:40, two males
wearing civilian clothing and two males in offender clothing
approached the backgate in the Gator. The two males in offender
clothing got out of the vehicle and walked to the pedestrian
gate. The offenders knew that they were not allowed to exit
through the vehicle gate and complied to keep the situation
from seeming suspicious. Officer Gips, convinced by the earlier
telephone call and expecting maintenance workers, opened the
walk-through gate allowing the offenders into the fenced area
behind the gatehouse. Officer Gips then opened the vehicle gate
to allow the Gator into the vehicle area. Officer Janssen was
inside the gatehouse and not aware that Officer Gips had opened
the gate allowing the offenders into the vehicle area. The males
dressed as civilians carried monitors and electrical wire with
them as they exited the vehicle and walked into the gatehouse.
They opened the back door of the gatehouse allowing the two
dressed in prison whites to enter. Before Officer Janssen could
ask for identification, a civilian dressed offender began examining
an electrical outlet that was near the desk in the office area.
The telephone that was on the desk rang and the civilian dressed
offender answered it. The caller, impersonating an employee,
was one of the offenders who remained in the Maintenance Department,
calling to verify that the offenders had arrived to their destination
at the b
ack gate. The offender that answered the telephone,
then handed the telephone receiver to Officer Janssen telling
him that the call was for him. As Officer Janssen leaned over
to take the receiver, one of the civilian dressed offenders
grabbed him from behind putting his arm around Officer Janssen’s
throat and forcing him to the floor. The offenders removed Janssen’s
uniform pants and shoes, bound his arms and legs, and taped
his mouth with duct tape. They placed Officer Janssen in the
restroom in the gatehouse and secured the door.
At approximately 13:45, one of
the offenders, dressed in civilian clothing, exited the gatehouse,
walked up to the exterior gate, and identified himself as “Maintenance.”
Officer Gips remembered seeing the maintenance supervisor earlier
that day, wearing the clothes and the hat that were now worn
by the offender, and from his vantage point, thought that it
was the same person. Officer Gips looked around to make sure
that there were no offenders in the area and opened the outside
gate allowing this person to exit the compound. He subsequently
opened the picket door allowing him to enter the tower. As the
offender was coming up the stairs, the picket telephone rang.
The caller identified himself as a maintenance supervisor and
asked if Area Maintenance staff had arrived. The offender reached
the top of the stairs and took the telephone call. He then removed
his jacket and placed it on the chair in the picket, grabbing
a .357 revolver that was lying on the desk. The offender, who
was later identified to be Offender Halprin, held Officer Gips
at gunpoint and told him that it was an escape.
One of the offenders, still in
offender clothing, later discovered to be Offender Murphy, yelled
from the ground to open the gate. Offender Halprin, not familiar
with the picket controls, threatened Officer Gips’ life and
forced him to provide instructions on how to open the picket
door and the vehicle gate. Offender Halprin asked Officer Gips
what kind of guns were in the picket and their whereabouts.
The field force’s guns and the transportation officer’s guns
were stored in the bottom of the picket. This was not the unit
armory. After collecting the guns, Offender Murphy instructed
Officer Gips to go downstairs. When they got to the bottom of
the stairs, Offender Halprin used Gips’ belt and one of his
shoestrings to bind his hands and tie him to a structure within
the picket.
The offenders then exited the
tower with the guns. Immediately after the offenders exited
the picket, Officer Gips freed himself and ran up the stairs
to the top of the picket. The three offenders that had remained
in the Maintenance Department drove the maintenance truck through
the open vehicle gate where they picked up the weapons and their
four accomplices and exited the compound. The maintenance truck
had been brought inside the compound earlier that day in anticipation
of an afternoon trip for supplies. At approximately 13:58, Officer
Gips used his handheld radio to request assistance. Officer
Gips reported at that time that he could see the maintenance
truck driving past 19 Building outside of the compound.
Warden Keith was in the company
of a local law enforcement officer on the compound, when he
heard the distress call. The officer immediately notified other
local law enforcement to be on the lookout for a white TDCJ
truck. While returning to the unit at approximately 1400, Officer
Barton Olsen, assigned to the community work squad, reported
seeing the white maintenance truck in the downtown area of Kenedy,
in the vicinity of City Hall. Immediately after seeing the vehicle,
Officer Olsen heard a call on the hand held radio and responded
with directions to where he had seen the vehicle.
As an intensive search continued,
at approximately 1600, a white TDCJ pickup was found abandoned
behind the Wal-Mart in Kenedy. Based on film footage recorded
by an automated teller machine camera in the Wal-Mart parking
lot, it is believed that the escapees left the area in one or
possibly two vehicles that were left in the parking lot by an
unknown accomplice on the morning of the incident.
Captured on 22 January 2001 at
a convenience store near an RV park in Woodland Park, Colorado,
were ringleader Rivas, with Rodriguez and Garcia. Halprin surrendered
as police surrounded the motor home. Harper shot himself dead.
Murphy and Newbury were arrested
on 24 January 2001 at a hotel in Colorado Springs. |