TX - Escaped convicted murderer, stabbed guard, 12 May 22; murdered family of 5, Centerville, shot dead near SA, 2 JUNE 2022

[CocoChanel]

Based on the video from Brian Entin, and his report that the Collins house is right on the same Hwy 7 where the prison bus was crashed, I think this MIGHT be the location. It is unbelievably close to I45, and possibly mere yards from where the suspect first escaped. This pic is from Google maps, search for Centerville TX, then look left of I45 and go along HWY 7.

 

[MassGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1532913963746328577

 

[wary]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1532913963746328577

Was there any evidence that he was still in the area?

 

[Seattle1]

Was there any evidence that he was still in the area?

I remember Brian Entin's tweet about GL's escape on May 13, and perhaps it was becoming consumed with the tragic, May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, TX that I truly assumed he'd already been captured!

I also remember weeks later when I saw this thread was showing only 3 pages, that too made me think it was all over.

I certainly can't speak for the murdered Texas family but maybe they too were captured with the horrific news from Uvalde, and were not aware the dangerous convict was still on the loose. JMO.

 

[BeckyF]

I certainly hope there is full transparency during the investigation into how this evil inmate was able to pull this off while on that bus. The public deserves it. Was he searched for shanks before he got on the bus? Just wondering.

 

[airportwoman]

I don't understand why he killed all of them???

Most likely, he just wanted to eliminate all witnesses.

 

[Cryptic]

These murders of the innocent here really hurt my heart and my head. I don't recall if GL was convicted in 2006 or the crime in 2006, regardless, he's been imprisoned for more than 16 years. Unlike vintage Italian mafia days, I'm surprised that GL would still hold any rank and favor. Seems to me that today's gangs are not the type to remember you when you're off the streets and of little value. JMO

I agree, the Mexican Mafia is a glorified alpha street gang whose average member cant look 16 weeks into the future, yet alone, 16 years.

My guess is that with the exception of a few upper echelon leaders, the vast majority of members serve as ubber violent flunkies whose only value to the group is a willingness to employ extreme violence.

Another difference between them and the olde school mafia group is probably their willingness to harm innocents as exemplified by the horrific murder of the family.

Olde school mafia groups restricted violence to "players". Of course, "player" could be broadly defined and include those who had been coerced into "playing". But.... the definition of player never included children.

The olde school mafia groups thought generationally ahead and knew that nothing brought faster police attention than avoidable violence against innocent adults, let alone children. In short, that horrific crime against an innocent family would never of happened with a mafia group. The pick axe murder against an adult "player" could be totally different matter.

 

[WingsOverTX]

Based on the video from Brian Entin, and his report that the Collins house is right on the same Hwy 7 where the prison bus was crashed, I think this MIGHT be the location. It is unbelievably close to I45, and possibly mere yards from where the suspect first escaped. This pic is from Google maps, search for Centerville TX, then look left of I45 and go along HWY 7.

View attachment 347743

You are correct, according to my research via Google Earth. That is the Collin's property on Hwy 7. The bus crashed off Hwy 45 about 2 miles south of Centerville so very close!

He didn't venture far so how did he elude capture, being spotted near there the day before apparently?

This loss of life was so unnecessary! All the homes along Hwy 7 should have been checked more thoroughly. As with the escape, the manhunt was flawed.

This property being usually unoccupied but no doubt outfitted well was an obvious potential resource for Lopez.

Their checks of the property failed. I hope the Texas legislature, which meets in early 2023, holds hearings on this travesty. The loss of lives is completely unacceptable.
MOO

 

[Dotta]

"The Jewett police officer was there and he didn't try to pursue the inmate."

PICTURED: Grandfather and four grandkids killed by prison escapee

Convicted killer Gonzalo Lopez, 46, killed Mark Collins, 66, and his grandsons: Waylon, 18, Carson, 16, and twins Hudson and Bryson, 11, before stealing his car and AR-15.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[worm]

Most likely, he just wanted to eliminate all witnesses.

They could get him caught and sent back so sadly enough their murders were probably not much of a decision.

 

[WingsOverTX]

"The Jewett police officer was there and he didn't try to pursue the inmate."

PICTURED: Grandfather and four grandkids killed by prison escapee

Convicted killer Gonzalo Lopez, 46, killed Mark Collins, 66, and his grandsons: Waylon, 18, Carson, 16, and twins Hudson and Bryson, 11, before stealing his car and AR-15.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

Unfortunately, this DM article gets the facts right but mixes up the timeline.

The day the Jewett officer was seen by a witness "not responding" was right after the bus wreck and escape along I-45. That witness took the video showing GL running toward the nearby woods. The officer is briefly shown in the video (see below).

The article also doesn't make it clear the killings happened this week, three weeks into GL's escape.

As far as I know, the conduct of this officer at that time has never been addressed or explained.

Video shows Texas inmate Gonzalo Lopez’s dramatic escape before going on to kill family of 5

Gonzalo Lopez, an escaped convicted murderer suspected of killing a family of five in rural Texas Thursday, was gunned down in a police shootout.

nypost.com

Opinions are my own

ETA: The DM articles also says the 11-year-old boys killed are twins. They are cousins.

 

[WingsOverTX]

They could get him caught and sent back so sadly enough their murders were probably not much of a decision.

In my opinion, he did it just because he could. He simply behaved as the depraved killer that he is.

Lopez knew his time on the run was running out. It's hard to believe he couldn't steal a vehicle before taking this one, though.

We don't know if he ambushed them or encountered resistance from them.

As his last act on earth against innocent victims, it is completely & utterly despicable.

JMO

 

[zecats]

Unfortunately, this DM article gets the facts right but mixes up the timeline.

The day the Jewett officer was seen by a witness "not responding" was right after the bus wreck and escape along I-45. That witness took the video showing GL running toward the nearby woods. The officer is briefly shown in the video (see below).

The article also doesn't make it clear the killings happened this week, three weeks into GL's escape.

As far as I know, the conduct of this officer at that time has never been addressed or explained.

Video shows Texas inmate Gonzalo Lopez’s dramatic escape before going on to kill family of 5

Gonzalo Lopez, an escaped convicted murderer suspected of killing a family of five in rural Texas Thursday, was gunned down in a police shootout.

nypost.com

Opinions are my own

ETA: The DM articles also says the 11-year-old boys killed are twins. They are cousins.

The Daily Mail. Sigh. Maybe they should get their info from other media sources. Does anyone ever fact check?

 

[wendybtn]

I am relieved the escapee is dead so the family won't hear all the stuff that would be said at trial. Horrible, horrible crimes.

 

[Dotta]

The sad fact is, they were killed by their own weapon - AR 15.

The reports say, the perp took it from residence.
This weapon is becoming notorious - first Uvalde school shooting and now this

 

[Seattle1]

Is MSM made up of toddlers??? After reading about an "elderly" man and four children murdered, I was surprised to see Michael Collins, the grandfather, was 66! Jerry Seinfeld turned 68 in April! Elderly?

 

[WingsOverTX]

Is MSM made up of toddlers??? After reading about an "elderly" man and four children murdered, I was surprised to see Michael Collins, the grandfather, was 66! Jerry Seinfeld turned 68 in April! Elderly?

Yep. Anyone over 50 is "elderly" to the news and headline writers, it seems.

Now that I'm 59.5, I think back on my own biases and/or assumptions toward people over 50 when I was in my 20's. Having been an elderly caregiver for people mostly late 70s+ some of that has been mitigated by wider experience (and getting old myself - ha!)

We have to keep pushing back against perceptions that those over 50 are a monolith, as AARP might have us believe.

If you ask anyone 85 years old, they are likely to say 66 is still the prime of life. And that is true for many "baby boomers" - don't look through us, look at us.

Because someday, you will BE US

MOO

 

[beandawgs]

My preference would be that these 5 family members, and all of the other victims he killed before, were still alive. I have mixed feelings about him, as he appears to have been a completely heartless, cold-blooded killer. Part of me thinks, 'Good riddance. At least he will not have the opportunity to kill again.' However, I feel like I want/need to know how he survived for the weeks he was on the run. I agree with those who think he found this empty house a while ago, broke in, and hid out there for most of the time he was missing. Will we ever know for sure?

He had burglarized a home adjacent to the Collins house on Monday took food and camouflage clothes. I think he was moving about trying to stay under the radar and something happened… did the Collins family surprise him ? Was it their truck he was after ?

 

[Fairy1]

My heart breaks for the family of these innocent victims. Really wish LE had done better. May they all RIP.

 

[narmrn]

The sad fact is, they were killed by their own weapon - AR 15.

The reports say, the perp took it from residence.
This weapon is becoming notorious - first Uvalde school shooting and now this

The infamous AR 15 dates back to the early 1970s and was widely known as a ranch rifle. There is nothing about this rifle that is new or notorios aside from the evil intentions that have permeated our society. We always kept several ranch rifles on our cattle ranch and to date they have never even been pointed at a human target, let alone killed anyone.