Patrick Henry Murphy Jr. was born on October 3, 1961, in Dallas, Texas. Prior to his involvement with the "Texas 7," Murphy was convicted of aggravated sexual assault after breaking into a woman's home and assaulting her at knifepoint. ​

On December 13, 2000, Murphy and six other inmates, later dubbed the "Texas 7," escaped from the John B. Connally Unit, a maximum-security prison near Kenedy, Texas. During their escape, they overpowered prison workers and guards, stealing firearms and a vehicle. 

On December 24, 2000, the group committed a robbery at an Oshman's Sporting Goods store in Irving, Texas. During the robbery, Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins responded to the scene and was ambushed by the group. Officer Hawkins was shot multiple times and run over, resulting in his death.

Murphy was apprehended in January 2001 and subsequently convicted of capital murder under the Texas "law of parties," which holds accomplices equally responsible for crimes committed by their co-conspirators. In 2003, he was sentenced to death. 

As of March 28, 2025, Murphy remains on death row at the Polunsky Unit in Texas. His execution has been stayed multiple times, including a notable stay in 2019 when the U.S. Supreme Court halted his execution because Texas officials denied his request to have a Buddhist chaplain present in the execution chamber. Murphy has expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I regret it every day."