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| Escapee sentenced to die in officer's killing |
| By Star-Telegram |
| Published: 12/01/2003 |
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The last of the seven-man gang that broke out of the Connally Unit in Texas was sentenced to death Nov. 20 for his role in the robbery spree that left Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins dead. "Aubrey faced each one of you, and I've faced each one of you," the officer's mother, Jayne Hawkins, said after the jury returned the verdict. Patrick Murphy Jr. was about 15 months from being paroled when he joined the largest prison break in recent history and became the subject of one of the most massive manhunts in the nation. The inmates broke out of the maximum-security prison near Kenedy on Dec. 13, 2000, stole 16 guns from the prison armory and began a string of robberies that ended on Christmas Eve. Hawkins left dinner with his mother and 9-year-old son to respond to a report of suspicious activity at the Oshman's SuperSports USA in Irving. He arrived as the inmates were loading bags of stolen guns into a car and was shot 11 times, according to testimony. The convicts stayed on the run until January, when they were captured in Colorado. One killed himself rather than surrender. Murphy, who was the lookout the night of the robbery, was the only surviving inmate who could credibly claim he didn't shoot at Hawkins. Defense attorneys Brook Busbee and Juan Sanchez argued that Murphy played a small part in the escape and didn't want to rob Oshman's. But, Murphy confessed after he was captured that he was waiting outside the store with a loaded AR-15, ready to shoot at the police if there was a standoff. He also monitored a police radio scanner and warned the other robbers that Hawkins was driving around the side of the store. Prosecutor Toby Shook said that made Murphy a crucial part of the robbery and just as culpable as the men who shot Hawkins. |
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