ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—Family members of an Oklahoma couple murdered last summer in New Mexico endured the bitter cold and hundreds of miles of snow-covered highways to arrive for the first federal court appearance of one of the defendants.
Tracy Province, 42, was one of three inmates who escaped from an Arizona prison in July and went on a crime spree. He was scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Wednesday to face capital murder charges in the deaths of Gary and Linda Haas, of Tecumseh, Okla.
Province was brought to New Mexico last week after pleading guilty and being sentenced to more than 38 years in prison for a series of charges stemming from crimes in Arizona after his escape.
Gary Haas’ 80-year-old mother, Vivian Haas, and his younger sister, Linda Rook, pushed through fierce winter conditions that had stranded countless other travelers in a monster storm that has pummeled the country’s heartland. After 13 hours of driving the first day and a few the next, the pair found their way from Missouri across eastern New Mexico’s icy, wind-swept plains to downtown Albuquerque.
“The weather didn’t stop us,” said Rook, who drove most of the way. “It was worth it. We’re here to see justice for my brother and his wife.”
The motivation for Vivian Haas was simple: she wanted to look Province in the eye, and she had plans to do the same for the other defendants when they get their day in court.
“We want them to get what they deserve,” she said. “They didn’t give Gary and Linda a chance.”
Province, John McCluskey and Daniel Renwick escaped from a medium-security prison in Kingman, Ariz., on July 30. McCluskey’s fiancée and cousin, Casslyn Welch, helped by throwing cutting tools over the prison’s perimeter fence, allowing them to flee into the desert, authorities have said.
After a nationwide hunt, all four were recaptured within three weeks.
Aside from Province, McCluskey and Welch also face capital murder and carjacking charges stemming from the Haases’ deaths.
Federal prosecutors have said Province, McCluskey and Welch targeted the Haases at an Interstate 40 rest stop because the three had grown weary of traveling and sleeping in their car and wanted the couple’s camping trailer. The Haases were taken Aug. 2 to a remote ranch between Santa Rosa and Tucumcari, N.M., where they were shot, and their travel trailer was later burned in a separate location in eastern New Mexico.
The Haases, both 61, were traveling to Colorado for an annual camping trip with friends.
Horrific was how Rook described the murders. And for Vivian Haas, the hurt will never go away.
“It is still with me night and day, and it’s been six months and I don’t foresee forgetting any of this. It will always be there,” Haas said. “It ruined my life and a number of other people’s lives. Those kids were precious to us, and we are dedicated to doing all we can to get justice.”
Several friends and family members, including the Haases’ daughter, her husband and newborn child, wanted to make the trip to Albuquerque for Province’s court appearance but were stranded in Oklahoma due to the weather.
Despite the difficult drive and the stress of the court hearing, Vivian Haas and Linda Rook were able to laugh a little Tuesday night as they shared stories about Gary and Linda. There was the time he showed up at Linda’s house on a motorcycle and her father refused to let them go on a date.
There were also jokes about his careful, but speedy, driving habits and stories about the couple’s love of traveling.
The sad part, Vivian Haas said, was that Gary and Linda never got the chance to see their grandson.
“The only thing that would make this better is for them to be able to come home, and that will never happen,” she said.
Family members have been meeting each month with prosecutors as the cases progress. They know some details of that fateful day their loved ones were killed, but they still have questions and hope the court proceedings will answer some of those.
They also have agreed that the death penalty should be pursued if the defendants are found guilty.
“A life sentence wouldn’t be a penalty at all,” Vivian Haas said, noting that Province was already serving a life sentence for murder and robbery when he escaped.
Memorial services were held last fall for Gary and Linda Haas, and the family planned to plant trees in honor of the couple this summer. But what has really helped the family through the tragedy has been the outpouring of support by friends, co-workers, victim advocates and even strangers.
“We could never do it alone,” Vivian Haas said.
