Great Escape Of Alcatraz: Are They Still Alive?

The great Alcatraz Escape occurred in June of 1962.

Before Alcatraz was shut down in March of 1963, a grand total of 36 inmates staged 14 escape attempts over the 29 years that Alcatraz served as a federal penitentiary.

23 were recaptured, six were shot and killed, two drowned, and five (including Morris and the Anglins) are listed as missing and presumed drowned.

We will be focusing on Frank Morris, John and Clarence Anglin and Allen West, who on the night of June 11th of 1972 initiated their escape.

Using saw blades they found discarded on the prison grounds, spoons stolen from the commissary, and a drill improvised from the motor of a broken vacuum cleaner they were able to break holes in their cell walls. The inmates then covered the holes to hide their progress using cardboard and paint.

While breaking holes in the cell walls Morris would play his accordion so guards could not hear the loud noises of chipping the wall.

The holes opened up to an unguarded corridor behind the cell walls.

From this corridor the group climbed to the top of their cell block, and into a sheltered area between the roof and the top of the cells. Here they set up a small, makeshift workshop where they assembled a variety of stolen and donated materials.

It was also here where they assembled more than 50 stolen raincoats that was turned into life preservers and a makeshift rubber raft which was 14 feet long. They even stitched the raincoats together and sealed them with heat from nearby pipes.

The group of men sculpted fake heads with home-made papier-mache-like mixture of toilet paper and soap. They used paint from the maintenance shop and hair from the barbershop floor to give the head a realistic appearance.

They piled towels and clothes under their blankets to make it look like there was a body to go along with the fake head, making it seem like they were sleeping peacefully.

They used these fake heads and bodies to conceal where they were while they were on the roof of their cell-block crafting the makeshift raft for the final escape.

These were also used when they actually escaped, to give them a couple hours of a lead as no one would notice until the next morning.

The investigation was not started until the morning after the escape, due to the use of the fake heads and bodies, so guards had not realized. The land, sea and air search for these escaped convicts found nothing but one of the makeshift life preservers, a paddle, and a wallet with information of Anglin’s family. No humans remains or any other physical evidence was ever found.

The following photo shows where the group most likely escaped, at the bottom right next to the house and pile of wood.

What happened next is a mystery. For all we know they could be living right next to us! What do you think happened to them?

(Image Source)