Three Men Escaped Alcatraz, Evaded the FBI, and Lived Secret Lives

Alcatraz is infamous for its reputation as an inescapable prison, owing to its extreme security measures, isolated location, and the dangerous profile of its inmate population.

Alcatraz Deemed Inescapable Due to Security and Remoteness

Prison Safeguards: 12 Head Counts, Surveillance, Armed Guards on Catwalks

Alcatraz featured some of the most stringent security measures in history. Inmates contended with 12 official head counts each day, constant surveillance, and the presence of armed guards patrolling the prison's high catwalks.

Alcatraz's Isolation in Freezing San Francisco Bay Deterred Inmate Escapes

The island prison was surrounded by the freezing cold waters of San Francisco Bay. The challenging swim to shore was at least a mile and a half in icy waters, a factor that significantly deterred inmates from attempting escape.

Alcatraz's Reputation For Holding Dangerous ...

An intricate escape plan by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers from Alcatraz unfolded in 1962, utilizing their past experiences and the prison's vulnerabilities.

Inmates Plan Escape Using Past Break Experience

Allen West, who had long discussed escape plans with inmates at Alcatraz, teamed up with Morris and the Anglin brothers, drawing on their collective experience of past escape attempts.

Men Examined Weak Points Like Rotting Cell Walls and Chipped At Cement Around Vents

West, aware of the prison's structural weaknesses, realized the cement was rotting and porous. Allen used a spoon fashioned into a chisel to exploit this vulnerability. He shared this information with his accomplices, who then began to methodically chip away at the cement around the air vents in their cells, using metal scraps stolen from prison workshops to make their own makeshift saw blades.

Body Doubles and a Raft of Raincoats

The escape plan required ingenuity, including the creation of body doubles. The Anglin brothers crafted paper-mache heads, complete with real hair from the prison barbershop, to deceive the guards. In preparation for their water escape, the group followed John Anglin's idea to build a raft from stolen raincoats after he had read about vulcanizing rubber.

The construction of the raft involved the secretive theft of raincoats, which were then melded together using components from an accordion for inflation that Frank Morris had taken apart. This handmade vessel was tested to ensure it would hold air.

Escape: Inmates Used Vents, Scaled the Roof, and Rafted Into Bay Waters

On June 11, 1962, Morris and the Angl ...

In the wake of a daring inmate escape, authorities, including the FBI, Coast Guard, and law enforcement, launched a massive search operation.

Inmates' Escape Prompts Search by Coast Guard, FBI, Law Enforcement

After the escape was discovered, guards canvassed the island and alerted various government agencies, including the FBI, Coast Guard, highway patrol, army, and Bay Area police departments. The search involved military helicopters and Coast Guard boats patrolling the waters, while FBI agents conducted door-to-door searches in towns across the Bay like Sausalito and Tiburon.

Evidence of Escape Found, Authorities Unable to Confirm Men's Survival

During the immediate search, authorities discovered footprints on the roof, paper mache heads in the cells, and tools used for the escape in the utility corridor. Despite these findings, there was no confirmation of the inmates’ survival post-escape.

Warden, FBI Dismiss Escape Success, Claim Inmates Drowned In Bay

Evidence emerged at various points during the search – a homemade oar spotted two days after the escape, a handmade life jacket found washed ashore four days later, and then another life jacket with human teeth marks. Investigators also found a rubber packet containing photos of the Anglin brothers. These findings led to speculation that the inmates drowned and were possibly carried out to the Pacific. The warden and FBI maintained that the inmates likely drowned, downplaying the postcard received after the escape as a fake, a stance intended to protect the reputations of Alcatraz, the FBI, and the criminal justice system.

Suspicious Bay Activity and FBI Cover-Up Claims Fuel Doubts About Official Escape Narrative

However, independent investigations, computer simulations, and practical tests, including those by the Mythbusters team, have suggested that a successful escape was indeed possible if the timing wa ...

Anglin Family Claims Escapees Fled To Mexico and Brazil

The Anglin family believes they know the whereabouts of Frank, John, and Clarence Anglin following their escape from Alcatraz.

Family Receives Anonymous Gifts Believed From Escaped Inmates, Including Distinctive John Anglin Alcatraz Leather Horse Figurine

The Anglin family has received a series of mysterious gifts over the years, interpreted as signs that John and Clarence Anglin successfully fled after their infamous jailbreak. These anonymous gifts, sent to their childhood home on special occasions, include flowers and a leather horse figurine reminiscent of those John used to craft while in Alcatraz, featuring an intricate pattern he was known for.

Furthermore, family members claim to have spotted John and Clarence attending their mother's funeral, quickly leaving before they could be approached. A similar occurrence reportedly took place at their father's memorial service in 1989. These incidents add to the family's belief that the escapees managed not only to survive but also to maintain a covert connection with their relatives.

Inmates May Be Flown To Mexico by Boat and Plane

The Anglin family recounts that after their escape from Alcatraz, the inmates were picked up by a boat in the bay and subsequently flown to Mexico. This detailed account points to a well-coordinated plan that went far beyond the initial escape, indicating the potential success of their daring breakout.

Facial Recognition Suggests Anglin Brothers Were in Brazil, Though Results Disputed

In 2013, San Francisco Police received a letter claiming that John and Clarence Anglin were both alive, in poor health, and contemplating surrender in exchange for a minimal jail sentence – hig ...