Halprin denies shooting Irving officer - 'Texas Seven' murder trial

The Dallas Morning News ^ | June 5, 2003 | By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News

[MeekOneGOP]

Halprin denies shooting Irving officer

06/05/2003

By ROBERT THARP / The Dallas Morning News

On the fourth day of his capital murder trial for the death of an Irving police officer, prison escapee Randy Halprin denied taking part in the officer’s shooting death during a botched robbery Christmas Eve 2000.

Mr. Halprin, 25, briefly described the Dec. 13, 2000, escape of seven inmates from the Connally Unit prison near San Antonio. When the trial resumes Thursday afternoon, Mr. Halprin is expected to continue testimony, including greater detail of his role in the gang and involvement in the robbery. Prosecutors will also have the opportunity to cross-examine the defendant.

Defense attorneys have suggested that Mr. Halprin played only a minor role in the robbery of the Oshman’s SuperSports USA store in Irving and did not participate in the shooting.

Earlier in his trial, witnesses for the prosecution testified that Officer Hawkins, 29, was shot at least 11 times, and bullets recovered from the scene have been linked to five different weapons.

If convicted of capital murder, Mr. Halprin faces life in prison or the death penalty. Four other escapees have already been convicted and sentenced to death, and another is awaiting trial later this year. The seventh member of the gang committed suicide before his arrest.

Mr. Halprin detailed a turbulent adolescence that included being expelled from reform school and a felony conviction at age 18 for severely beating an 18-month-old baby.

The former Arlington resident said he was adopted when he was 5 years old but was sent to a reform school in Kentucky when he was in seventh grade. He was expelled his senior year after he carved into a bench what school administrators thought was a suicide note. After that, his parents refused to take him back into their home, he said.

At one point during his testimony, Mr. Halprin turned to District Judge Vickers Cunningham and asked the judge to order three prosecutors to stop "making strange faces" at him while he testified.

"Can you make them stop staring at me?" he asked the judge, who said he had not noticed anything.

Outside the jury’s presence, Prosecutors Toby Shook, Tom D’Amore and Bill Wirskye denied trying to provoke Mr. Halprin.

"I can speak only for myself," Mr. Shook said. "I wasn’t making any funny faces."

Watch WFAA-TV (Ch. 8) and TXCN (Cable Ch. 38 in Dallas area) for news updates throughout the day and read more in tomorrow's Dallas Morning News .

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/060503dnmethalprin.8befb878.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Making faces ???:

At one point during his testimony, Mr. Halprin turned to District Judge Vickers Cunningham and asked the judge to order three prosecutors to stop "making strange faces" at him while he testified.

"Can you make them stop staring at me?" he asked the judge, who said he had not noticed anything.

Outside the jury’s presence, Prosecutors Toby Shook, Tom D’Amore and Bill Wirskye denied trying to provoke Mr. Halprin.

"I can speak only for myself," Mr. Shook said. "I wasn’t making any funny faces."

Previous article posted:

Trial starts for prison escapee - Randy Halprin:
Texas Seven member faces death penalty

[Reelect President Dubya]

On the fourth day of his capital murder trial for the death of an Irving police officer, prison escapee Randy Halprin denied taking part in the officer’s shooting death during a botched robbery Christmas Eve 2000.

I don't think it matters since Texas law makes it a capital offense to participate in a crime where someone is murdered, whether you did the murdering or not.

[MeekOneGOP]

Bu-bye, Randy!

[Catspaw]

I don't think it matters since Texas law makes it a capital offense to participate in a crime where someone is murdered, whether you did the murdering or not.

Yup, he's a party to the crime. He'll be joining his buddies on death row shortly.

[sticker]

Sound like Randy's trying to play the "I'm insane and had a bad childhood" card.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yeah, it sounded to me like the defense is trying to avoid the death penalty for this creep.

[Poohbah]

Sound like Randy's trying to play the "I'm insane and had a bad childhood" card.

He should change his name to Wayne Early Ray Wayne IV for that to work

[hchutch]

Smarter move would have been to pin shooting the cop on the dead member of that gang.

[SwinneySwitch]

"...and a felony conviction at age 18 for severely beating an 18-month-old baby."

And this POS is still alive!

[Poohbah]

Smarter move would have been to pin shooting the cop on the dead member of that gang.

Still wouldn't help him. The murder was committed pursuant to a felony that Halprin was committing.

[wimpycat]

I was on a jury where 4 guys robbed a cabdriver at gunpoint. During jury instructions, we were specifically referred to a law that says if one member of the group did it, they all did it, meaning it didn't matter which one actually had the gun.

[Poohbah]

Murder committed in furtherance of a felony.

[wimpycat]

Well, yes, of course...only in my case the cabdriver wasn't murdered, but still, they've got this guy in Texas coming and going.

[Poohbah]

They've got this guy so dead to rights that they'll have to give him a lethal injection while he's hanging in the electric chair in front of a firing squad.

[wimpycat]

Is that before or after the beheading?

[Poohbah]

Concurrent with the beheading, in the gas chamber.

[wimpycat]

And after he's drawn and quartered, they burn what's left at the stake...

[Poohbah]

And put the ashes in a burlap sack, toss the sack into the river.

[wimpycat]

...along with a badger and a wolverine...

[Poohbah]

Make sure the firing squad has silver bullets...and have someone drive a wooden stake through his heart.

You want to be SURE he's dead.