On June 11, 1962, inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin staged an ingenious breakout from Alcatraz. The trio famously placed plaster and paint dummy heads in their beds, crawled through ventilation ducts, and used a makeshift raft to paddle into the frigid, fast-moving waters of San Francisco Bay. 

Their ultimate fate remains one of history’s greatest unsolved mysteries: 

The Escape Plan

• Preparation: Over six months, the men used sharpened spoons and improvised tools to widen ventilation holes beneath their sinks.
• The Decoys: They crafted life-like dummy heads using papier-mâché, flesh-tone paint, and real human hair from the prison barbershop to fool night guards during bed checks.
• The Breakout: They squeezed through the widened holes into an unguarded utility corridor, climbed up to the roof, and descended down a plumbing pipe to the water's edge.
• The Escape: The men used a raft and life vests fashioned from more than 50 stolen raincoats to depart the island. A fourth accomplice, Allen West, was left behind when he could not remove his cell vent in time. 

The Investigation and Mystery

• The Search: By the time their absence was noted on the morning of June 12, the men were long gone. A massive search operation ensued, recovering only a paddle, pieces of the raincoat raft, and a waterproof bag near nearby Angel Island.
• The Official Conclusion: In 1979, the FBI officially closed its case, concluding that the men had drowned in the icy bay, as no credible sightings of the men were ever confirmed.
• Evidence of Survival: Many historians and the escapees' families believe the men survived. Evidence supporting survival includes an unconfirmed 1975 photograph, credible anonymous tips, and signed postcards with verified handwriting.

The daring 1962 operation is widely considered the cleverest escape attempt in the prison's 30-year history. Less than a year later, in March 1963, the federal prison on Alcatraz Island was permanently closed due to the astronomical costs of operating and maintaining the facility.

 

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