Of all the prison escape tales and mysteries that exist, one that still raises questions is that of the Alcatraz escape in June 1962. Despite the threatening conditions of this federal prison, a group of three prisoners jumped in those icy waters of the San Francisco Bay. One expects the mysterious events to settle down after a while but this wasn’t the case here. One letter revealed in 2018 took the officials back to that prison conundrum and the unresolved escape of June 1962. It forced the FBI to pick those files again for another round of research. It was time for some huge revelations!
The Alcatraz Menace
This maximum-security prison, The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary has always been remembered as the most difficult one to exist on the face of the Earth. The operators of this prison called it escape-proof and America's strongest prison. After witnessing a lot, Alcatraz was closed down on March 21, 1963. One of the reasons could be the infamous escape of 1962 that gave rise to many questions about the security of Alcatraz. That one breakout attempt was far from what anyone could imagine.
Failed Attempts
This prison has a series of events related to the prisoners trying to find their way to break free but all futile attempts. By all, we mean 14 made by 36 prisoners over the span of 29 years of this prison standing tall. Whenever someone tried to cross the walls of the penitentiary, they had to face harsh consequences. There are a few cases that came under the limelight and this particular case gave rise to a baffling mystery due to a cryptic detail.
Multiple Mistakes
Out of the 36 convicts who tried to break free, 23 were seized while in action, six received gunshots and died on the spot, two drowned in the freezing waters and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned." Of course, then there was this case of three prisoners that shocked the correctional officers and everyone else when the news went public. What made their escape so special?
Four In The Game Plan
The entire plan began with four members joining hands for the escape plan that was written in history after its execution. The prisoners involved were two brothers - John and Clarence Anglin and also, Frank Lee Morris, and Allen West. Their cells were close and so, it became easier for them to devise a plan together. They had loads of time on their hands and so, a full-proof plan was under process.
Gathering The Stuff
Apart from a brilliant mind and enough courage, these men needed some resources as well to get started. Many captives had played this game of escape, but these four were devising a unique plan that involved many more crimes before they could breathe the air of freedom. They relied on the prison stuff available to them for this. Considering their pasts, there was some stealing involved too.
Frank Lee Morris - The Ringleader
This genius mind received the title of being the ringleader of the Great Escape from Alcatraz for a reason. Frank Lee Morris had a history of breaking out of the prisons and so, he had a lot of experience on his hands. The guy was orphaned when he was just 11 and since then, he kept switching foster homes. Morris found himself in trouble a lot of times as a teenager and that didn’t change as he grew older. His imprisonment in this high-security Penitentiary had another astonishing story behind it.
From One Lock Up To Another
Morris was put away in various prisons for all sorts of crimes including drug possession and robbery. Surprisingly, his IQ test revealed his intelligence with an unbelievable score of 133. But his intelligence served him no good. He ended up behind bars for most of his life. When this guy was imprisoned in Louisiana State Penitentiary for 10 years for a bank burglary, he managed to escape. But his fate had planned another life-altering event for him.
Entering The Rock
Morris may have fooled the authorities at other prisons multiple times now but he could not stay away from the eyes of the law for much longer. His unlawful actions didn’t cease and so, he had to face the repercussions of his deeds. One year later, he was caught during a robbery and this time, he was held captive at the Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock”.
Three More Minds In The Act
Frank Lee Morris could not execute the plan alone and fortunately, he found three more inmates to accompany him on the mission. The target was set and Morris formed a strong and reliable team in the prison to implement the escape that made headlines once the news went public. Two brothers John and Clarence Anglin, and a man named Allen West teamed up with Morris for something that baffled the authorities. It gave goosebumps even years later!
The Great Team
The Anglin brothers initially worked as farmers and laborers but they had a past involving crimes too. After numerous failed attempts at breaking free that led them to “The Rock”. Allen West had been put in prison for more than 20 years throughout his life. He became an inmate at Alcatraz in 1957. The team was ready and the plan had to be set in motion. They all put their “escaping experience” to test.
Things In Favor
This plan was extremely risky for them but they had some things lined up in their favor as they started the process. Alcatraz had a factory too as they made furniture, clothes, and shoes as a part of serving the US military. So, these guys had a lot of material that could make it possible for them to run away. They commenced this journey towards freedom with an advantage in their hands.
Less Attention
In addition to the useful stuff they could find around, all four of them did not have any records of violent crimes in their pasts. So, the guards did not keep an eye on them all the time. They got slightly less attention which was a big advantage for them. They had a lot up their sleeve as they planned every step of the journey carefully before executing it.
Making It Infallible
This team knew that they had to take care of the smallest of things and the implementation needed to be flawless. They had even planned on leaving human-like dummies in their cells when they take off. They had to make an arrangement such that the prison guards don’t have an eye on them while they cross the boundaries of “The Rock”. Tasks were assigned to each of them and every move was made in silence. How they proceeded is beyond anyone’s imagination!
The Work Begins
They had to work hand in hand, maybe not so literally but definitely figuratively. Each of them had an important responsibility that would make their mission a success. The Anglin brothers were allotted the duty of making dummy heads to mislead the prison guards while they make their way out of the jail. The material used in creating those dummy heads included toilet paper, soap wax, and real human hair. But where did they find all these things, especially human hair?
Another Theft
Gathering real human hair sounds in a prison sounds almost impossible but these guys knew what they were doing. The stole human hair from the barbershop inside the prison. Stealing was not a big deal for them. Morris had to take care of the raft and life vests and build something accordion-like that could be used in inflating those items needed while crossing the waters.
Tunnels In The Making
To head out of the Alcatraz, they needed to dig holes in their respective cells that would lead them to the outside world. However, making a way through those walls and vents was a tough one to get around to. They needed sharp and strong instruments and of course, there was no tool kit available but at least they had spoons in the mess hall and wood in the workshop. It was time to assemble one.
Building Tunnels
These four smart brains came up with techniques to make picks and wrenches from these common items. All four of them started digging every day from 5:30 PM to around 9 PM. They got rid of the vents installed in their cells and carved the tunnels that were just the right size so that they can slide through them conveniently. A few more things needed to be taken care of.
Putting The Worst To The Best Use
Since the prison had been in a decaying condition, it turned out to be advantageous for these inmates. The saltwater running through the pipes and flowing the faucets to clean dishes and through the showers ruined the pipes leading to leakage in the walls of the cells. The cement started to wear down and the walls became weak. Hence, their self-made tools were enough for digging. Soon, they realized that the process was easier said than done.
Facing Troubles
But one thing that brought bad news was the water temperature inside the Alcatraz. The prisoners received warm water making them repulsive to the San Francisco Bay right outside that had freezing water. The inmates were accustomed to the water supply of the prison and these four were planning to jump in the icy waters outside after breaking free. Another problem arose as they dealt with this one.
Music To The Rescue
All the digging and chipping away is sure to cause some noise. So, Morris and the gang had to come up with a trick to cancel out all those sounds. They have the prison reforms of the 1960s to thank for this. The prisoners during that time had a music hour that spread a mixture of noises in the whole space. Morris utilized his accordion to create some loud music to make sure the sound of tools through the walls was silenced. The tiniest details needed attention here.
Shuffling Through The Shafts
Before commencing their journey towards the utility corridor that was unguarded, they spent a few more months widening the ventilation ducts just below the sinks in their cells. Their width needed to be really appropriate to create convenient passage. Once they reached the vacant top level of the cellblock, they could have their own workshop in that unguarded area. But they were struck by bad luck as most of the shafts were blocked tightly with cement. After many efforts, they finally discovered one that could be unlocked with their wrench.
Devising In The Dark
The burrows made by them had to be hidden from the guards and so, they used walls of painted cardboard to conceal them. Next, they found a place to gather and construct stuff to protect them from the harsh waters awaiting them outside. They used almost fifty raincoats and some other robbed things to build rafts, paddles and other life-saving utilities.
Night Shift
Morris and team wanted a safe space to construct all the escape equipment. Once they found their way towards this hidden place, they came up with an ideal time to work in their workshop. Every night, they climbed up in that area and put together all that they could. The night was all they had to accomplish this and so, they spent a lot of time in the dark just to witness the light outside the tunnel one day.
A Green Signal
When the life preservers were ready and they were almost done with the holes, it was time for one green signal and they could get into the tunnels. This signal had to come from Allen West as he was not yet finished with the hole. Finally, on June 11, 1962, West informed his teammates that he had completed and his hole was ready to lead him to a free life. However, the planning did not go smoothly for them and a roadblock emerged.
Lights Off And Action
While they had prepared themselves for the worst conditions, they still had one fearful thought. They had to endure a lot before they reached the opposite side of Alcatraz. They wanted to make it out alive. After West’s signal, they all just filled themselves with a feeling of freedom and set out for the “adventure” that night. They placed those dummies in their beds and entered the secret tunnels created by them. But one major flaw stood right in their face at that moment!
Struggles Ahead
Morris and the Anglin brothers were quick to pass through the holes and make their way out of the cells. However, West faced some trouble getting into the tunnel. He could not fit in as the cement put around his vent led to the hole shrinking in size. West made a few attempts to re-widen the tunnel but just when he managed to make his way out, the other three had already left the prison premises. However, will they be able to survive the next challenge?
Three In The Final Game
Now, there were only three of them in this escape mission. West had to stay behind bars and got interrogated about this whole plan later. He told the investigators all the details and that’s how they estimated their whereabouts to begin the search. The three who managed to sneak out of the prison walls still had challenges to face ahead.
Risk Just Multiplied
As the Anglin brothers and Morris set out for a free life, with every step forward, the danger kept on increasing. They headed towards the roof through the ventilation shaft and even caught the attention of the guards for a moment when they jumped off through it. But fortunately, no one inspected the sound and they got out. From sliding through a kitchen vent pipe to ascending a barbed wire fencing, they did it all until the final challenge was in sight.
Preparing The Raft
On reaching the shore line, they managed to find a blind spot where they inflated the raft and headed for the journey taking them to the Angel Island through ice-cold waters. The waters looked nothing like they had imagined them to be. They had no option except moving forward and continuing this “adventure”. But were they able to cross the daunting condition?
Days Of Searching
The correctional officers discovered the missing inmates on the morning of June 12, 1962. The decoys had done their job well the whole night! Initially, the prison officers believed that those guys were not alive as they could never sustain the icy waters. For the next 10 days, a proper search was carried on by the military and other concerned authorities.
The Clues
On June 14, they found the belongings of those prisoners including a wallet consisting of Anglins’ details. One week later, they even came across some bits of material that was used to construct the raft. Apart from these pieces of evidence, they could not find any bodies despite the statement of FBI, “the individuals' personal effects were the only belongings they had, and the men would have drowned before leaving them behind.”
Unexpected Results
During the further investigation, a few more things came to light about their plan and the execution by the escapees. Patrick Mahoney, the man running the launch between Alcatraz and the mainland reported, “I felt that they didn't make it, but I thought we'd find a body. We didn't find a body.” This was quite unexpected for the search team as the FBI was quite convinced that the inmates did not survive the violent storms and freezing waters of the bay.
Not A Trace
When a Norwegian vessel caught sight of a body about 17 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, the investigators inspected thoroughly but no positive results. The search team conducted a deep investigation but all in vain. They discovered no further clues and it felt like the captives vanished without a trace. The escapees’ had created an unbelievable mystery that baffled the authorities and the professionals! This wasn’t the end of their journey.
Close To The Closing
The team could not gather many pieces of evidence to locate the three men apart from a few personal belongings and some shreds of the raft. After 17 years of investigation, the FBI closed its file on December 31, 1979. They declared Morris, and the Anglin brothers as “drowned” on their way to Angel Island. The U.S. Marshals Service took over this case. In 2009, Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke said, "There's an active warrant, and the Marshals Service doesn't give up looking for people." A few years later some signs contradicted FBI’s conclusion.
In Touch With Family
Over the years, many instances occurred that hinted towards a successful escape executed by The Anglin brothers and Morris from the Alcatraz. One of those clues includes the Christmas card and postcards received by the Anglin family. They revealed a card that read, “To Mother, from John. Merry Christmas.” Apart from this, a few sightings of these men took the mystery to an unpredictable level.
Strange Appearances
Robert, one of the Anglin siblings shared that two strange men came at his dad’s funeral. He said, “They stood in front of the casket looking at the body a few minutes — they . . . wept — then, they walked out.” The whole scene sounded eerie to the ones who were aware of the escape and FBI’s statement regarding the drowning of those men in the bay. The story just took a crazy turn with unexpected revelations.
One Shocking Letter
In 2018, the FBI came forward and announced that they possess a letter that is claimed to be written by John Anglin. It read, “My name is John Anglin. I escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris.” These words hit the officials and they could not believe what they were reading. The case had been closed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations years ago. The question was - Will this new piece of information force them to reconsider all that they had discovered till now?
Another Hidden Truth
FBI might have released the letter in 2018 but the San Francisco Police Department received it in 2013. So, it was kept a secret for five whole years before they decided to disclose it. The contents of the letter were bewildering. The authorities were reading a letter written by one of the Alcatraz escapees who had already created a storm with their escape strategy and the enigma that followed. The case just took a mind-boggling turn with all that John Anglin had unveiled through those words.
Words That Shook Them
“Yes we all made it that night but barely! … I’m 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer. Frank passed away in October 2008. His grave is in Argentina under another name. My brother died in 2011.” Turns out John Anglin had a lot to say about their breaking out of the prison and the life led by them after that. He made some huge revelations that made the officials take a seat and recall all that happened that night and during the inspection days.
Post-Escape Memories
Apart from John’s statements, David Widner, a nephew of John and Clarence Anglin also stepped in to express his concern around this. He shared, “It’s always been talked about through the family. My grandmother received roses for several years after the escape.” A lot was kept secret for a long time but things were no longer concealed. What the letter gave away next was a real big deal.
Disclosing The Location
“This is the real and honest truth. I could tell you that for seven years of living in Minot, North Dakota and a year in Fargo,” the letter further read. In the end, he wrote, “Living in Southern California now.” This criminal whose records are filled with felonies and who escaped the most menacing prison of all time was continuing his life at a place just a few hours away from San Francisco. There had to be some explanation for all of this mysterious information.
Negotiating A Pact
The letter writer had mentioned his deteriorating health condition in the beginning and that was the reason he decided to send a letter over to the San Francisco Police Department. He wanted to make a deal. He wrote, “If you announce on TV that I will be promised to first go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention, I will write back to let you know exactly where I am. This is no joke…”
Behind The Bars?
John Anglin further stated that he is willing to be imprisoned again for a year only if he receives proper medical care and attention in the lock-up. He had made the deal clear in his letter. Before jumping to any conclusion or making a decision in haste, the investigators had to scrutinize the letter considering all the aspects. The final decision rested on a few crucial things.
Held In Abeyance
One letter gave rise to upheaval in the investigation that was terminated a long time ago by the FBI. After a lot of contemplation, the letter was taken to an FBI laboratory where an in-depth analysis was performed and any trace of DNA and fingerprints was analyzed. The results were declared inconclusive after all the examination. The security analyst Jeff Harp reported, “So that means yes, and it means no, so this leaves everything in limbo.” Were they any closer to finding the truth and solving the mystery?
Over To The U.S. Marshal's Office
This prison escape had been written in history with so many mind-boggling clues popping up after almost six decades of the mission. “For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas,” reported the FBI in 1979 before shutting down the case. The U.S. Marshals Service carried on with the investigation and they won’t stop till the 100th birthday of the escapees.
Another Strong Statement
While the research was taken forward, there was a lot that contradicted the evidence found. One statement by the U.S Marshals disrupted the flow yet again, “There is absolutely no reason to believe that any of them would have changed their lifestyle and became completely law abiding citizens after this escape.” In another interview, the U.S Marshals said that they could not become a victim of such deception by someone who had a criminal past.
Real Or Fake?
John Cantwell, National Park Service Ranger said, “The Federal Bureau of Prisons say that they drowned once they got off of Alcatraz and their bodies were swept out to the Pacific Ocean—end of story.” So, was that letter a fraud? John Anglin could have been lying about all of it but a strong reason needed to be presented to back it up.
A Few Attempts
The U.S Marshals did not give up on the research and performed many tests to establish a ground for their claims. In 2009, Michael Dyke, Deputy US Marshal told NPR, “There’s an active warrant, and the Marshals Service doesn’t give up looking for people.” A 2014 analysis based on computer calculations showed that the water turbulence at midnight would have favored the inmates and they could have crossed the frigid water of the San Francisco Bay. The branches of the story just kept increasing with every discovery.
Few Last Words
Alcatraz was closed just a year later of this “Great Escape”. In March 2018, it was the Federal Penitentiary’s 55th anniversary since it was closed. To commemorate this event, Jim Albright, the last guard of the prison gave an interesting interview to ABC 7. His views about the whole scene were quite straightforward. When questioned about the survival of the escapees, he said, “It depends on whether you’re talking to me or you’re talking to their mother. I believe they drowned, I really do.”
Team Fraud
Jim Albright even added that he believes the letter did not come from John Anglin. Someone in dire need of cancer treatment wrote that in order to get the officials to sign his deal giving him medical care in return of one year prison time. He was quite certain that the person who wrote this letter was telling a made-up story about him being one of the escapees. Nevertheless, this case wasn’t ceasing.
The Present Status
As far as the truth about this “brilliant” plan and its execution is concerned, there has not been a conclusion. Whether Frank Lee Morris, Clarence Anglin, and John Anglin drowned in the sea or managed to take their raft to the other end and get a ride to another corner of this world is lacking conviction. It’s hard to tell if the authorities ever got in touch with the writer of that letter and tracked him down.
Telling The Mysterious Tale
There are many documentaries and movies based on this case and the one titled “Alcatraz: Search for the Truth”, a History Channel documentary even intrigued people more towards this story with some new clues especially from the Anglin family. It got tough to escape this case with time as with one file closing, a new one opened presenting an unimaginable perspective!
Open For The Public
The great escape from Alcatraz has sparked curiosity in many people’s minds with the intriguing details of the case. This is why the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary is now a tourist location. The tale of this prison break out interests people and they want to witness the remains of their plan included the hole and the actual crime scene. So, this place is open for such curious minds to visit.
