The San Francisco Police Department was taken aback when they received a confession letter in 2013, as it outlined how four criminals from the seemingly inescapable Alcatraz had managed to pull off a real-life prison escape from such a remote and isolated island. But their extraordinary accomplishment demonstrated that such prison breaks, while rare, can indeed happen in the real world and this is how they did it.
The Story of Alcatraz
Alcatraz, an island located about a mile away from the San Francisco shore, is a notorious prison that once housed dangerous criminals. Although it is currently known as the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, it was originally constructed as a lighthouse and military base.
The Inescapable Fortress
The developers required a place where prisoners could not escape, and even the craftiest ones could not roam free and pose a threat to the surrounding neighborhoods.
Why It Was Perfect
Being an island, Alcatraz was surrounded by cold and deep water, making it nearly impossible for any prisoner who managed to escape the walls to swim ashore safely. Although the prison closed down in 1963, it is still remembered for its harsh conditions. However, some may still wonder, were there any successful prison escapes from Alcatraz?
Those Who Dared
The main characters in this narrative were not the only ones who made attempts to escape. However, unlike them, the others did not succeed. Over the years, 23 inmates tried to break free, but were apprehended and returned to their confinement. As a result of their failed attempts, the guards were displeased and meted out additional punishments.
Shot Dead
While 23 prisoners attempted to escape and were eventually captured and returned to their cells, others met a grimmer fate. Six prisoners were shot and killed by guards while trying to escape. The guards had little sympathy for the prisoners and chose to shoot them to prevent them from leaving the island.
Drowned
Five prisoners attempted to escape and swim to freedom but unfortunately drowned. It is unclear why they were unable to make it, whether it was due to the cold water or their lack of swimming abilities. They were never seen again. The other four who managed to escape the island had to face the harsh realities of life on the run.
Meet the Protagonists
Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, Frank Lee Morris, and Allen West were the four men who successfully escaped. Clarence and John were brothers who had met Frank while they were incarcerated in a different prison, and thus, they trusted him. Allen's cell was in close proximity to the trio.
Meet Frank
Frank Morris had a lengthy criminal record that led him to Alcatraz. He was no stranger to the criminal justice system, having been in and out of trouble since he was 13 years old when he was first convicted. Morris had a troubled childhood, and he was eventually placed in the foster care system.
Roughest Prisons
Frank Morris was no stranger to armed robberies and had been in some of the toughest prisons in the country before ending up in Alcatraz. He seemed to move around from one prison to another until he finally escaped from a Louisiana prison, which gave him valuable experience to contribute to the team of escapees.
The Anglin Brothers
The Anglin brothers gained notoriety for their bank robberies, but they were not known to be violent. Their aim was solely to get their hands on large sums of money. They were eventually apprehended and sent to an Atlanta prison, where they crossed paths with Frank Morris. The three men found they had a shared interest in escaping from prison.
Prior Escapes
After Frank escaped from the Atlanta Penitentiary, the Anglin brothers also attempted to escape but failed. Despite this, their determination to be free led them to Alcatraz, the most secure and unforgiving prison in the country.
Pairing with Frank
The Anglin brothers were thrilled to be reunited with Frank at Alcatraz as they believed he could help make their escape dream a reality. However, they needed one more member to complete their team and execute their plan.
Meet Allen
Allen West was a convicted criminal with charges of robbery and grand larceny in multiple states. He had a history of attempting to escape and was serving a life sentence for his crimes. Unlike the other three escapees, West was more violent in nature. In the end, the trio left him behind and proceeded with their plan without him.
Preparing to Escape
At first, the four escapees were not perceived as violent offenders, and the guards did not monitor them as closely as they would have otherwise. This gave them more freedom and privacy, which they used to their advantage. They needed materials that were not available to prisoners to carry out their escape plan.
Factory Work
Fortunately, the four men had jobs at a factory located on Alcatraz, providing them access to the materials they needed to make their escape. Their plan involved repurposing these items into something unique and effective.
The Decoys
The Anglin brothers demonstrated their ingenuity by using soap and toilet paper to make dummy heads, which they topped with hair collected from the prison barber shop. This way, the guards wouldn't immediately realize they were missing from their cells. However, the team knew that the dummies wouldn't fool the guards for long, and they needed a more sophisticated plan for their escape.
Through the Walls
The walls of Alcatraz were made of solid concrete, but the determined inmates found a way to chip away at them over time. They gathered spoons from the cafeteria and repurposed them into crude picks, using them to slowly chip away at the concrete walls.
Tedious and Effective
Although the chipping process was effective, it was also slow and required a great deal of patience. The inmates had to work quietly to avoid being caught, and they even listened to music at night to cover up the sounds of their work. Frank, in particular, played his accordion to muffle the noise they made while chipping away at the walls.
Too Easy
Chipping away at cement is a difficult task, but the inmates were able to take advantage of the vents in the walls, which provided a starting point. They crawled into the vents and worked from the inside, gradually weakening the cement. The constant moisture surrounding the walls also helped to weaken the cement, making it a bit easier for them to chip away at it.
The Plan
The small utility corridor inside the walls and vents was left unguarded, as it was believed that prisoners could not reach that area. This made it the perfect setup for the escape plan.
Get to the Roof
Despite their large build, the inmates managed to crawl through the tight holes of the utility corridor to reach the roof of the prison. They had to be cautious while navigating through the shafts. After trying out several ones, they finally found the right way and moved on to the next part of their plan.
Loose Ends
The escape plan had to be meticulously planned as they had only one opportunity to get away. Rushing up to the roof was not enough; they needed to figure out what to do next. The men started working on creating a passage and devising contingency plans, preparing for any obstacles they might encounter.
More Materials
In preparation for their escape, the team had to acquire additional materials from the factory, including those necessary to create a raft. However, they also needed to come up with additional plans to make their escape safer and more manageable.
Life Preservers
In addition to the raft, the escapees also added life preservers to ensure their safety. They were aware of the many escape attempts where people drowned in the cold waves, so they made sure to take precautions.
Time to Go
Allen West was the last to finish his tunnel, and it took months to coordinate the escape. The plan was to shimmy out, reach the roof, and climb down to the shore to use the raft. However, the escape did not go according to plan.
Something Goes Wrong
The male inmates began to exit their cells and enter the tunnels they had constructed within their respective walls. Initially, everything seemed to be going smoothly. However, Morris and the brothers managed to escape through the tunnels and soon discovered that something was amiss.
Allen’s Gone
Allen was absent from their group because he had become lodged inside the wall due to his failure to create a sufficiently large hole. Although he could have informed the trio and requested their assistance, he did not do so. As a result, he found himself trapped in the cement.
Leaving Allen
The team was reluctant to abandon Allen and made every effort to assist him in freeing himself from the cement. Nevertheless, they faced a difficult decision. If they did not depart immediately, they would never have another opportunity to do so.
Don’t Want to Get Caught
The group had progressed too far, and attempting to extract Allen would have put them at risk of being discovered. West recognized that he had made an error and chose to remain behind so that the rest of the team could continue with the plan and achieve success. In doing so, he would live vicariously through his friends.
The Show Has to Go On
After reaching the utility corridor, the men ascended to the roof and descended on the other side. The descent was challenging, requiring them to shimmy down several pipes before reaching the ground. They then successfully evaded the guards, but the most challenging part lay ahead.
Where the Others Got
Past escape attempts had also brought the inmates to this point. However, none had succeeded in crossing the ocean that separated them from freedom. The men gazed out into the dark night and proceeded to inflate their rafts.
Goodbye to Allen
The three men departed from the shore and successfully navigated through the ocean waters. Surprisingly, leaving Allen behind might have been the best decision, as it reduced the weight on the raft. However, the fate of Allen remained unknown.
Wake Up Call
The remaining Alcatraz inmates only learned of the escape the following day. The trio had executed their plan seamlessly, and the guards were unaware that anything had occurred until the next morning, which came as a shock to everyone.
The Key Is Allen
By morning, Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers had successfully escaped from the island. The remarkable aspect was that Allen West was the only person who knew the full story from beginning to almost the end. Much more had transpired for him on that fateful night.
Allen’s Escape
Finally, Allen disclosed the events that had occurred that night. According to his account, his team had indeed abandoned him, needing to make their escape while they still could. However, Allen persevered and continued to try to squeeze through, ultimately managing to free himself and make his way to safety.
Too Late
After realizing that his team had already departed on the raft, Allen attempted to chase after them, but it was too late. He had no choice but to return to his cell since swimming across the ocean was not a feasible option. He had many questions to answer and much to contemplate.
Searching the Cells
Following news of the escape, the prison was thoroughly searched to ensure that no one else had the means to escape. During the search, the guards discovered the holes in the walls and learned that Allen had been involved in the escape plan.
Telling What He Knows
Allen cooperated with the police officers, providing them with information about the plan. However, since he had no idea what had transpired after his teammates left him behind, he was unable to be of much assistance. The authorities had to conduct an investigation to determine whether the men had successfully crossed the ocean.
Investigation
Despite an investigation by the local police force, no sign of the escaped men was found. While it was possible that they had drowned while attempting to cross the ocean, there was no concrete evidence to support this theory.
Coverup
The police closed the investigation and officially declared that the escaped men had drowned about 17 years later. This was likely an attempt to make it seem as though the escape had not been successful. However, in 2013, John Anglin wrote a letter to the police, revealing the truth and disproving the previous coverup.