The brothers had never had a “home father.” They referred to Gary as their “prison father,” since

4.2.12 WC: 191694 The brothers had never had a “home father.” They referred to Gary as their “prison father,” since he had spent most of his adult life behind bars, having been convicted of armed robbery and other predatory crimes. On the way back to prison from a court appearance, Gary had overpowered the guard, killed him, took his gun and escaped. He was soon recaptured, sentenced to life imprisonment and soon began to plan his next escape—this time across the border to Mexico, which was only a two hour drive from the prison. Before he could escape, Gary had to get himself removed from the “escape risk” list and maximum security—to establish a sense of trust in him by the prison officials. When some young prisoners acted up, Gary worked with the prison officials and helped to control them. He worked on the newspaper, television, and entertainment committee, earning him the right to have visits with his family in the outdoor recreation area. Gary used his time with his family to persuade them to help him escape. After much prodding, the boys agreed. On a summer visiting day in July of 1978, the three Tison brothers arrived at the Florence State Prison with their perennial picnic basket. Beneath the fried chicken were pistols and shotguns. The boys had arranged for a car to be parked in the lot of the local hospital. They knew there could be shooting. But Gary promised them that nobody would get hurt. “The more firepower you have,” he instructed them, “the less likely you’ll have to use it.” “We told Dad,” Raymond later said, “we’ll do this on one condition—that no one gets hurt.” Gary assured the boys, “We'll make it out without firing a shot or being fired at. And once outside, it will be clear sailing. I know how it works. I’ve been there before.” He had been there before, but it hadn’t worked. He had killed a guard and been recaptured. To the three boys, their father wasn’t a killer. A guard had been accidentally shot in a scuffle. It was not in cold blood. Their father was incapable of that. Gary told them that his criminal conduct had been a result of secret training he had received in the “Service.” It was “top secret.” They believed this fantasy like they believed everything else their father told them. “Nobody was going to get shot,” their father assured them. Gary’s prediction proved to be correct about the escape. Raymond went to meet his father in the picnic area. His brothers Ricky and Donny went into the waiting room with their picnic basket. A friend of Gary’s, Randy Greenawalt—also a convicted murderer—was in an adjoining control room. When the other visitors had left, the boys pulled out their shotguns and held the guards at bay. Raymond and Gary joined them. When additional guards appeared they were first ordered to lie down and then herded into a storage room. The door was locked and the power turned off. Then the five simply walked out the front door. Not a shot had been fired. 166 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017253