Texas 7 Mastermind To Be Put To Death

The mastermind of the notorious “Texas 7” gang that pulled off an escape from prison in 2000 will be executed at the end of February.

George Rivas, 41, faces lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas on Feb. 29.

Over the last nine months, Charlie Hess, special investigator for Colorado Springs police, has been in-contact with the convicted man through letters and a face-to-face meeting.

Hess said everyone knows about the escape and the capture, but he wanted to know more about what happened during the time they were free.

“I wrote them all a letter, all wrote back to me… I probably have well over 100 pages from the five guys left,” he said.

Hess plans on attending Rivas’ execution. He said he hopes to be able to speak with him one more time.

“Even though we had a good relationship… he killed a cop, he killed a cop,” said Hess.

Hess also said Rivas acted remorseful when talking about the police officer who was killed during a robbery at a sporting goods store. “When he talked about it, he had tears in his eyes,” he said.

The “Texas 7” fugitives were on the run for more than a month, making national headlines for their violent jailbreak.

During the escape, the seven overpowered workers at a Texas prison near San Antonio and fled in a prison truck.

Then, the fugitives robbed two businesses and on Christmas Eve, shot Aubrey Hawkins, a Irving Police officer when he responded during their robbery of a sporting goods store.

The group eventually found their way to Woodland Park. They were rounded up by police and federal agents.

One member killed himself. The six others went to Texas death row after separate trials.

Hess said one of them, Michael Rodriguez, has already been executed.