On the night of June 11, 1962, three inmates at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary pulled off one of historyβs most infamous prison breaks. Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin crafted lifelike dummy heads using soap, toilet paper, and hair from the barbershop. They placed these dummies in their beds to trick the guards during their escape.
Using handmade tools, the three widened the ventilation ducts behind their sinks. This opened a path to an unguarded utility corridor. After months of preparation, they built a raft from raincoats. They sewed the seams by hand and sealed them with liquid plastic. That night, they crawled through a ventilation shaft, climbed down a pipe, and made their way past two barbed-wire fences. Once they reached the shoreline, they inflated their raft and set sail, hoping to reach Angel Island.
Their fourth accomplice, Allen West, couldnβt make it out. He got stuck in his cell and missed the escape. Afterward, he told authorities all the details of the plan.
The FBI spent years searching for the three escapees, but their bodies were never found. In 1979, after 17 years of investigation, the FBI concluded that the men likely drowned. Despite this, their fate remains a mystery. The U.S. Marshals Service still has the case open, fueling speculation. Many believe the men may have survived, reaching freedom in a daring escape.
This incredible story continues to capture imaginations, with theories and new evidence emerging over the years. Whether the men died in the water or made it to the mainland, their escape remains one of the most captivating mysteries in criminal history.
