New dispute emerges over execution date for Texas Seven member

A new legal dispute is unfolding regarding the execution date for Patrick Murphy, one of the last two surviving members of the notorious Texas Seven. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office is pushing to schedule Murphy’s execution for early next year.

Murphy, who remains on death row, was sentenced to death for the 2000 murder of Irving police Ofc. Aubrey Hawkins. His execution has been postponed twice, including in 2019 after the Texas Department of Criminal Justice refused to allow a Buddhist monk into the death chamber, a matter that has since been resolved.

Paxton's office has requested that a Dallas County judge set a new execution date. The office proposed eight potential dates in January and March. However, Murphy's defense team plans to challenge Paxton's authority to request a new execution date, which could delay the process further.

Among the Texas Seven, four members have already been executed, one died by suicide, and one inmate remains involved in ongoing appeals.

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