What Really Happened To The Only Three Men To Ever To Escape Alcatraz
Alcatraz is one of the highest security prisons in the world. Escaping from Alcatraz is nearly impossible. This place is on a remote island surrounded by high fences, barbed wire, an entire ocean, and many armed guards. You'd have to be crazy to even attempt to get out of this place alive.
In June of 1962, three crazy men decided that they would rather attempt to get out of this prison than spend one more day locked up inside. What happened to them after they escaped is still unknown. Let's take a closer look at how they managed to pull off their daring escape.
A Cold Case
This case remained unsolved for decades. There was very little information available to authorities regarding where and how the three men escaped in 1962. Without any new information, the case remained cold. At least, it remained cold until early January 2018 when the San Fransisco Police Department received a letter signed by somebody who claimed to be John Anglin, one of the men who escaped.
Could this letter really be from the rea John Anglin?
What Was Inside The Letter
The police started reading the letter and they realized, that if this letter was legitimate, it could help explain how those men managed to escape all those years ago. We could finally stop wondering how three men managed to slip out of this seemingly impenetrable prison.
The letter itself was written in 2013, but kept under wraps by police to verify its authenticity until 2018. The letter sparked enough interest that the FBI decided to reopen the case.
Why We Care About This Story
Alcatraz houses some of the scariest, most dangerous criminals on the planet. The legends surrounding this place are truly terrifying. Alcatraz is a maximum-security prison. Nobody is supposed to ever escape from this place. Many have tried. Some were caught, others were found dead in the water after trying to swim across the bay.
If John Anglin really did get out alive, we need to figure out how he did it so we can prevent other criminals from following his lead.
They Needed A Plan
These men had a very simple plan for getting out of Alcatraz. However, their simple plan would require a lot of co-operation and co-ordination. Prisoners aren't known for being the most co-operative people in the world. That being said, these guys were criminal masterminds.
Many had tried and failed to escape Alcatraz in the past, so these guys knew that if they were going to be successful, they were going to have to try something radically different.
The Three Men In Question
The men who disappeared from Alcatraz on that day in June in the '60s were brothers John and Clarence Anglin, Frank Lee Morris, and Allen West.
These men all got to know each other during their time in Alcatraz (other than John and Clarence, who obviously knew each other before). Their cells were all located near each other, and they worked together to pool resources and come up with a plan. If nothing else, coming up with a plan would be a good way to pass the time in prison.
About Frank Lee Morris
Frank Lee Morris had a long history of being involved in crime. He was convicted of his first crime when he was just 13 years old. This kid was precocious from the very beginning, and instead of channeling that precociousness ina positive way, he decided to live a life of crime.
Little did he know, he was destined for greatness— just not the greatness most people want associated with their name. He'd be remembered as the mastermind behind this Great Escape.
Frank Had Been To Alcatraz Before
Morris frequented many prisons as an adult, and he even served time in Alcatraz before. Before being transferred to the Alcatraz in San Fransisco Bay, he was being held in a prison in Louisiana that was known as the "Alcatraz of the South." Morris actually managed to escape that prison, and he would have got away scot-free if he wasn't caught trying to rob a bank a year later.
After that capture he was sent to Alcatraz.
The Anglin Brothers
This time, in the real Alcatraz, Morris wouldn't be able to escape by himself. He recruited John and Clarence Anglin to help him with his escape plan.
The brothers would spend a lot of their childhood swimming in Lake Michigan. It didn't seem like an important point at the time, but it would help them in their escape. Alcatraz is completely surrounded by water. Swimming would come to be an essential skill for a successful escape.
They Tried To Escape Before
The Anglin brothers grew up in a big family. When they were younger, they would rob banks together. When they were eventually caught by the police, they were sent to a prison in Atlanta.
They tried to escape that prison many times, and while they were never successful, they did put the guards on high alert. The guards decided that the brothers needed to be sent to a maximum-security prison, which is why they were sent to Alcatraz.
The Group Was Ready
Morris and the Anglin brothers couldn't plan this escape lone. They needed one more person in on their plan. Together, with the help of another inmate named Allen West, they would plot the most iconic prison escape of all time.
Keep in mind that prisoners in Alcatraz are put to work. They spend their days making furniture, appliances, and other household items. These men learn to be skilled craftspeople. These skills would help the group execute their escape.
Finding Resources
Inmates would also have to work in a factory-type setting to mine some of the natural resources on the island.
They started gathering resources from their excursions outside. They were slightly under the radar of the guards because they were non-violent offenders. When mixed in with the murderers, they looked like innocent angels.
The Plan Was In Action
The gang started to put their plan into action. But, if they were going to do it, they knew they'd only get one shot and they'd have to make it count.
They created human-like dummies that they would leave behind to buy them some extra time if a guard walked by.
A Strange Time
The guards weren't the same as they are today. If one of them spotted you escaping, you would probably be met with a barrage of bullets.
Guards had to shoot many inmates who tried to escape before, and they weren't going to stop any time soon. This decision the three men were going to make was do-or-die.
Check Out The Decoys
Everyone had their own responsibility. If this was going to work, everyone had to be on board and on time with their part.
The Anglin brothers were in charge of making dummy heads to leave behind in the empty cells. They made them very carefully, and very discreetly, in order to not be caught.
Getting Out Of Their Cells
Morris was in charge of modifying an accordion-like instrument to inflate the raft and life vests.
Together, they had to make tools to get out of their cells in the first place. They made picks and wrenches out of everyday items they were able to steal and gather, such as spoons and other utensils.
The Walls Weren't All That Sturdy
Thankfully for the escapees, Alcatraz was deteriorating rather quickly. They would work for about four hours every day, digging away at the hole.
The salt water that flowed through the pipes would leak and make the walls easily crumble-able. The men removed the vents from their cells and used the picks to make the holes larger.
Blasting Their Music
While you might think that there would be a lot of noise coming from the chiselling, there wasn't. Why? Because they would blast music to cover up the sound.
Morris would play his accordion as loud as he could to mask any banging. Behind the cells was an unguarded utility corridor that had pipes leading up and down.
Behind The Wall
The corridor behind the cells was basically a jungle gym. If they could get the holes wide enough so that they could fit through, it would be easy to get to the roof.
Once they were on the roof, it would be an absolute free-for-all and who knows what would happen.
Squeezing Through The Hole
In May of 1962, the brothers and Morris had broken through the walls in their cells.
The holes were barely big enough for them to fit through, but that was all they needed. They made the raft and life vests by gluing raincoats together. The raft was needed or else the group would've drowned in the bay.
West Stayed Behind
By June, Allen West had made his hole big enough and the plan was starting to take off. After, the lights went out the same day West made his hole big enough.
They got their decoys ready to get out of the cells. The Anglin brothers and Morris got out of their cell easily, but West didn't.
He Misjudged
West underestimated how big he needed his hole. The others tried to help him from the corridor but it was useless. They had to leave Allen West behind.
This would help the other three because it made the raft a little lighter. They made it to the roof and down the side of the building.
Off Without A Hitch
They were able to sneak past the few guards that they had to get by, and by 11:30pm that night, they were in the raft.
It wasn't until the morning that any guards noticed they were missing. Blaring sirens woke up the surrounding area. Allen West ended up getting out, but he rightfully went back to his cell and fully co-operated with the authorities.
Without A Trace
After several long searches, there were no bodies found in the water. There were some personal belongings in the bay, but none of the three men.
Many experts suggested that despite how cold the water was, an adult male could survive for about 20 minutes in the water. A Norwegian freight-liner spotted a dead body near the bay wearing what looked like Alcatraz clothing, but it couldn't be identified.
What The FBI Found
The FBI had concluded that they all drowned. But, a documentary in 2015 showed further evidence that the Anglin brothers probably escaped.
The Anglin family received a Christmas card signed by them in their confirmed handwriting. And, the family received a picture of what looked like the brothers in Brazil.
Some More Evidence
There was a deathbed confession by Robert Anglin (their brother), which confessed that he was in contact with them for a long time.
But, that was the only evidence the Anglin brothers had survived until the shocking letter that came into the SanFran police department in 2013 that denied many rumors.
Did John Anglin Write The Letter?
The letter states that they made it, but barely. He also says that (at the time) he was 83 years old, and had cancer.
The note says that Frank Morris ended up dying in 2008 and that Clarence had passed away in 2011. He even gives where he had been living for the last seven years — Minot, North Dakota.
Asking For Help
The writer of the letter said that he'd tell them where he is living if he is granted a year of medical treatment in jail.
The letter was sent away in an attempt to verify whether it was real or not. They took fingerprints, but all of the evidence came back inconclusive.
Still Unsolved
To this day it remains a cold case. There was a team of researchers in 2014 that managed to calculate what they might look like today.
The US Marshal Service says that there is a chance they got away, but it isn't probable. That sentiment is followed by the last guard to ever serve on Alcatraz.
About Jim Albright
Jim Albright was the last guard to leave the island. He gave a revealing interview to local news in honor of the 55th anniversary since Alcatraz closed.
He was there during the escape, and says that he really thinks that all of them drowned. He thinks the letter writer came from someone looking to get cancer treatment.
The Men Today
If the three escapees were alive, this is what they may have looked like. Hey, if you're from North Dakota, you might even recognize one as your neighbor.
They would all be nearing 90 years old at this point, but if they get caught, they're still responsible for their crimes for at least another decade.
Another Desperate Escape
The first recorded escape attempt was in 1936 by a man named Joseph Bowers. Bowers' was performing his assigned duty of burning trash at the incinerator when he made a run for it and scaled a fence.
He was shot and fell to his death. Inmates argue over whether Bowers was really trying to escape or if it was a suicide attempt.
Wearing Down The Bars
Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe were tried to escape on December 16, 1937. Apparently, they filed through the iron bars of the prison's mat shop. Luckily, it was foggy that day so they went undetected when they made it outside.
They reportedly jumped in the water and were never heard from again.
A Hammer Could Work
In 1938, Rufus Franklin, Thomas Limerick, and James Lucas took a claw hammer in the woodwork shop and used to attack and kill one of the guards. They made it to the roof, where Franklin and Limerick were shot.
As for Lucas, he was cornered and ended up surrendering as more guards arrived at the scene.
These Prisons Need To Be More Secure
Five guys who were a part of D-Block, which was supposedly the prison's most secure unit, attempted to escape Alcatraz in 1939. Somehow, they managed to escape their cell house and make it all the way to shore.
They were in the middle of building their raft when they were caught. One was killed, another was wounded, and the other three went into solitary confinement.
The Bars Are Stronger Now
In 1941, four guys who were working in the industries area decided to jump the guards on duty. Afterward, they attempted to saw through the window bars to escape, but quickly learned they were tool-proof.
The four men did the smart thing and surrendered right then. Two of the guys tried again at the Battle of Alcatraz.
Bernard Coy Tried To Escape
The Battle of Alcatraz escape plan was originally devised by Bernard Coy (center), who was in Alcatraz for attempted robbery during the Great Depression. Coy's assignment at the prison was cell-house orderly.
As the orderly, Coy noticed that the gun-gallery was merely guarded by bars and the officer on duty had a set schedule.
Another Plan In Action
In 1946, the kitchen orderly Marvin Hubbard lured officer William Miller over and Coy attacked him from behind. Coy and Hubbard then let two other prisoners out of their cells.
Coy then used a device to spread the bars of the gun gallery and slipped through. He stole a Springfield rifle.
Helping Their Friends
Coy used the rifle to intimidate officers and take them hostage as he went along with the plan. Eventually they made it back to the main cell block, where they released more prisoners.
Their next goal was to secure the key to the yard door, so that they could run to the island's dock.
It Didn't End Well
By the time they found the key, it was too late. The lock was jammed and the prisoners were trapped. Meanwhile, with many officers in cells, other officers were reporting to the scene.
When it was clear the entire escape attempt was going to fail, they ringleaders of the plan decided to shoot it out.
There Were No Survivors
Eventually, some Marines were called in to help pacify the shoot out. At the end of the shoot out, two officers and three inmates were killed. Eleven officers and one un-involved prisoner were injured.
While the main ringleaders of the plan lost their lives, two who had survived were executed in the gas chamber for their involvement.
