In the 1930s, a prison called Alcatraz was considered one of the most high security prisons in the world. It was located on an island, in the San Francisco Bay, and held high profile criminals. This prison, nicknamed “The Rock,” was a place for criminals who were infamous for escaping prison. Thirty six men attempted fourteen different escapes, however, most were caught and others did not even survive their attempt. On the contrary, there is a possibility that three men did successfully escape this maximum security prison. Unlike the others, there is no certainty surrounding this escape. Most believe that these three men died in the course of their breakout. Yet, there are few that have come up with conspiracy theories that prove the men survived.
This mystery started on June 12, 1962. Due to the high amount of security practiced in this prison, guards checked up on inmates multiple times throughout the day and night. During an early morning check up, the three men, John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris were nowhere to be found. The guards found dummy heads in their beds that allowed them to escape undetected over the course of the night. The guards never suspected a thing during their night time shift. Upon the discovery of the missing men, the prison went into full lockdown and an investigation started to find out how these men escaped and where they escaped to.
The FBI was soon involved and started interviewing those who had connections to John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris. They started with the families of these three men, but found nothing that could aid them in this case. Investigators also asked for help from boat operators on the Bay. They advised them to look for debris. Two days after this, the FBI found letters, sealed in rubber, that were related to the men and found paddle-like pieces of wood and bits of rubber inner tube in the Bay. Later, on Cronkhite Beach, the FBI found a washed up homemade life vest, but they could not find any other evidence linked to John Anglin, Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris.
As time progressed, investigators were starting to piece together the escape plan devised by the prisoners. They also discovered that there was a fourth person included in their plan. The fourth prisoner helped investigators by providing information. He informed the FBI that the group had been planning their escape since December when one of them came across old saw blades. The men then used tools, such as homemade drills, to loosen the air vents, found at the back of each of their cells. They drilled holes around the cover and removed the entire section of the wall. They had to hide this by covering the wall with whatever they could find, such as a suitcase, cardboard, and more. Through this hole, the prisoners were able to access an unguarded utility corridor. They used this pathway to get to the roof of their cell block, which was still inside the building. They set up a secret workshop in this area. The prisoners took turns watching for guards at night.
The prisoners also stole materials from the prison to aid them in their escape. They obtained more than fifty raincoats and a 6×14 foot rubber raft. Continually, they were able to build wooden paddles and use musical instruments, found in the prison, to make a tool to inflate the raft.
Now all that was left was departing from the prison. The three men climbed up a network of pipes and pried open a ventilator at the top of the shaft. They kept it in place temporarily by using a fake bolt they made out of soap. Then, they worked their way down the bakery smoke stack and climbed over the fence. Finally, they went to the northeast shore of the island and departed on their raft.
What happened to the men after these events remains a mystery. The FBI closed this case on December 31, 1979. All evidence pointed to the death of these three men. There were no clues that supported their survival. Currently, the United States Marshals Service is in charge of this case. They will continue to investigate these men until any trace of them is found.
