The Great Escape from Alcatraz: The Mysterious Fate of Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
On the night of June 11, 1962, one of the most audacious prison escapes in American history took place at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the maximum-security facility perched on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Inmates Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin executed a meticulously planned escape that has captivated the public imagination for decades. Using ingenuity, patience, and sheer audacity, the trio slipped away from the island, leaving only papier-mâché dummy heads in their beds to deceive the guards. A fourth conspirator, Allen West, failed to escape and remained behind.
Despite an extensive manhunt, the fate of Morris and the Anglin brothers remains a mystery. Hundreds of leads were pursued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement, yet no conclusive evidence has ever emerged to confirm whether the men survived. In 1979, after 17 years of investigation, the FBI concluded that the escapees most likely drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay. However, the case remains open with the U.S. Marshals Service, and the three men are still officially wanted. Over the years, new evidence and theories have continued to surface, fueling debate over one of the most legendary prison escapes in history.
The Inmates Behind the Escape
Frank Morris
Born on September 1, 1926, in Washington, D.C., Frank Lee Morris faced adversity early in life, orphaned at age 11 and raised in foster homes. By age 13, he had been convicted of his first criminal offense. His criminal record expanded over the years, including charges ranging from narcotics possession to armed robbery. Morris was highly intelligent, reportedly scoring 133 on IQ tests, placing him in the top two percent of the population. He had previously escaped from the Louisiana State Penitentiary while serving a 10-year sentence for bank robbery, only to be recaptured a year later. Morris arrived at Alcatraz on January 20, 1960, as inmate AZ1441.
John and Clarence Anglin
John William Anglin (born May 2, 1930) and Clarence Anglin (born May 11, 1931) grew up in Donalsonville, Georgia, as part of a large family of 14 children. Their parents were seasonal farmworkers who later moved the family to Ruskin, Florida. The brothers were inseparable as children and became expert swimmers, even venturing into icy Lake Michigan as adolescents. Their criminal careers began early—Clarence was arrested at age 14 for breaking into a service station. By the 1950s, the brothers were committing bank robberies together, using weapons sparingly. On January 17, 1958, the Anglin brothers, along with a third sibling, robbed the Bank of Columbia in Alabama. Sentenced to 35 years, they served time in various facilities before being transferred to Alcatraz due to repeated escape attempts elsewhere. John arrived at Alcatraz on October 24, 1960, and Clarence on January 16, 1961.
Allen West
Born on March 25, 1929, in New York City, Allen West was no stranger to incarceration, having been arrested over 20 times. He was imprisoned for car theft in 1955 and later transferred to Alcatraz in 1957 at age 28 after a failed escape attempt from Florida State Prison. He became inmate AZ1335 and was involved in planning the Alcatraz escape but ultimately did not participate.
The Escape Plan
Morris and the Anglin brothers, who had known each other from prior incarcerations in Florida and Georgia, began planning their escape after being assigned adjacent cells in December 1961. Over six months, the men painstakingly widened the ventilation ducts beneath their sinks using discarded saw blades, metal spoons, and an improvised electric drill fashioned from a vacuum motor. They masked their activities with music and cardboard covers.
From a secret workshop atop the cellblock, they constructed life vests and a six-by-fourteen-foot rubber raft using over fifty stolen and donated raincoats, stitching and sealing seams with resin and heat. Paddles were fashioned from plywood, and additional supplies were gathered from the prison. They also removed a large fan from a ventilation shaft to facilitate their escape. To conceal their absence, they crafted realistic dummy heads from a mixture of soap, toothpaste, concrete dust, and toilet paper, adding paint and hair from the barbershop to make it appear as though they were asleep.
On the night of June 11, 1962, all preparations were complete. Allen West failed to escape due to cement blocking his vent and stayed behind. Morris and the Anglins climbed the ventilation shaft to the roof, descended 50 feet to the ground, scaled two 12-foot barbed-wire fences, and launched their raft from a blind spot near the power plant. They set off toward Angel Island, two miles north, disappearing into the darkness.
The Investigation
The escape was not discovered until the following morning due to the dummy heads. A massive search ensued, involving military and law enforcement agencies, but no definitive trace of the men was found. Paddle remnants, a deflated life jacket, and pieces of the raft were discovered, suggesting the raft had partially disintegrated.
The FBI initially believed the men drowned, citing the lack of personal belongings and the treacherous waters. On July 17, 1962, a Norwegian ship reported a floating body 15 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, though it was never recovered. Some coroners speculated it could have been one of the escapees, while others dismissed the theory.
The FBI officially closed its case on December 31, 1979, concluding that the men likely drowned. However, the U.S. Marshals Service maintains an active investigation and continues to receive tips about possible sightings. Age-progressed images of the escapees were released in 2022.
Reported Sightings and Theories
Over the years, numerous reported sightings have kept the legend alive. Rumors circulated of Clarence Anglin living in Brazil, and a man claimed to have seen Morris in Maryland in 1967. Family members received postcards, anonymous flowers, and other cryptic communications, some potentially from the Anglin brothers themselves. Witnesses in Florida and Georgia reported seeing men resembling the Anglins, and mysterious strangers allegedly appeared at family funerals.
Despite these reports, no verified evidence has ever confirmed the escapees survived. Speculation ranges from survival and living under assumed identities to death in the bay. Some believe outside accomplices helped them escape, though this remains unproven.
Legacy
The 1962 Alcatraz escape remains one of the most famous prison breaks in history. Only one other inmate, John Paul Scott, is known to have successfully swum from Alcatraz to the mainland, though he was captured immediately afterward. The daring escape highlighted the extreme security challenges of the island prison, which was closed less than a year later on March 21, 1963, due to high operating costs and deteriorating facilities.
Today, Morris and the Anglin brothers are remembered in popular culture, books, and films. Their disappearance continues to fascinate true-crime enthusiasts and the public alike, a symbol of ingenuity, audacity, and enduring mystery.
