There's also a possibility that one of the seven escapees might break ranks and offer to help the authorities to avoid the death penalty, said Tory Caeti, a criminology professor at the University of North Texas. But he said that could be a risky proposition. Tull said officers were tracking leads and still believe the group may be hiding out in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In Oklahoma, a reported sighting of the fugitives in Tulsa turned out to be a case of mistaken identity, according to the Oklahoma Highway patrol. Police say someone called in a report that a group of seven men were seen standing outside a dark-colored car and a white truck late Sunday night about 25 miles south of Tulsa.
Authorities say the car was traced to a Texas owner who had sold the vehicle to someone in Tulsa.
Police contacted the new owner, who said he had broken down on Oklahoma Highway 16. The inmates left the prison with 14 revolvers, a shotgun, a rifle and more than 200 rounds of ammunition. They later amassed dozens more weapons in the sporting goods store robbery on Christmas Eve, during which Irving officer Aubrey Hawkins was shot to death. CNN Correspondent Charles Zewe and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pages will open in a new browser window External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.