Alcatraz June 11, 1962: Morris and Anglins escape

On June 11, 1962, as dense fog enveloped San Francisco Bay, three inmates executed one of history's most notorious prison [Internal Link Placeholder] from the infamously escape-proof Alcatraz prison. Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin [Internal Link Placeholder] without a trace from their cells. The question that has persisted for over six decades is simple: Did they survive the perilous journey across the icy waters, or did they drown in the bay, as U.S. authorities claimed? This unsolved [Internal Link Placeholder] of their fate keeps the legend of the Alcatraz escape alive to this day.

June 12 discovery: Dummy heads reveal bold escape

A guard first discovered the daring [Internal Link Placeholder] at 7:00 AM on June 12, when he found eerily lifelike, homemade dummy heads in the inmates' beds in Cell Block B. Frank Morris, a 34-year-old man with an unusually high IQ of 133, and brothers John Anglin, 32, and Clarence Anglin, 31, both known for their craftsmanship, were gone. They had been placed in adjacent cells in 1960, where they met Allen West, who was originally part of the plan but ultimately did not escape. Alcatraz, also known as 'The Rock,' was located 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the [Internal Link Placeholder] mainland, surrounded by frigid water with strong currents. The prison was notorious for being impossible to escape from – a home for America's most dangerous criminals under strict confinement.

Ingenious plan: 18 months with spoons and music

The planning of the complex [Internal Link Placeholder] was nothing short of ingenious, spanning 18 months. Using stolen spoons, [Internal Link Placeholder] into makeshift tools, they chipped away at the damp-damaged concrete behind the ventilation grilles in their cells. This meticulous work took place in the evenings during the prison's music hour, when the sound of an accordion masked their scraping. The holes led to an unguarded service corridor behind the cells. Here, they also hid a homemade device resembling a bomb, made from a vacuum cleaner motor – its precise purpose is still debated by investigators of this historic [Internal Link Placeholder].

Secret escape gear: 50 raincoats, iconic dummy heads

A crucial part of the preparations for the daring prison [Internal Link Placeholder] was the construction of their escape raft. In secret, they collected over 50 raincoats, which they stitched together into a 13x20 foot (4x6 meter) raft using glue from the prison's shoe shop. Inspired by an article in a popular magazine, they also [Internal Link Placeholder] life vests from vulcanized rubber. The most iconic and crucial detail, however, was the lifelike dummy heads they placed in their beds. Each sculpture was meticulously painted in flesh tones and adorned with real [Internal Link Placeholder], collected from the barbershop floor, to deceive the guards during nightly checks and secure their escape.

Escape night June 11: Morris and Anglins escape

The [Internal Link Placeholder] itself began on the night of June 11, at 9:30 PM. They placed the dummy heads in their beds and crawled through the holes into the service corridor. Here, they encountered their first serious obstacle: Allen West's ventilation grille was stuck fast. Despite desperately using a piece of masonry to try and knock it loose, he never managed to catch up with the others, who had to proceed without him. The trio of Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin climbed a pipe system to the prison roof, from where they used a homemade rope ladder to lower themselves 50 feet (15 meters) to the ground. They cut through the barbed-wire fence and reached the north shore of Alcatraz Island around 10:00 PM. Wearing their homemade life vests, they pushed the folded raft into the approximately 50°F (10°C) water of San Francisco Bay and began their perilous journey to freedom.

FBI search: Drowning theory vs. Marin simulations

At dawn, when their absence was discovered, the [Internal Link Placeholder] launched a massive manhunt in [Internal Link Placeholder]. A coast guard found a makeshift paddle near Angel Island, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) north of Alcatraz. In the same area, a waterproof envelope containing family portraits belonging to the Anglin brothers surfaced. Nine days later, on June 21, remnants of raincoat material were found near the [Internal Link Placeholder] Gate Bridge, 5 miles (8 kilometers) away. The FBI's official theory was that the three men had drowned, swept out into the Pacific Ocean by the strong current. However, in 2015, hydrographic simulations showed that a raft launched around 11:30 PM would have drifted directly towards the coast of Marin County – an area where an unannounced break-in at a [Internal Link Placeholder] dealership in Sausalito was reported the next morning. This discovery gave renewed impetus to theories that the three [Internal Link Placeholder] their [Internal Link Placeholder].

Mystery of 2013 letter: Did John Anglin survive?

This [Internal Link Placeholder] took a dramatic turn in 2013 when the San Francisco Police Department received an anonymous letter written on yellowed paper. The sender claimed to be John Anglin and wrote: 'My name is John Anglin. I [Internal Link Placeholder] from Alcatraz in 1962. We all [Internal Link Placeholder], but just barely. Clarence Anglin died in 2008. Frank Morris in 2005. I have cancer and will surrender if I receive medical help.' The [Internal Link Placeholder]'s handwriting analysis was inconclusive, but the U.S. Marshals Service officially maintains that the case of the famous escape remains open until the three men would have turned 99.

Families' doubt: Letters fuel survival theories

For the families of Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris, the uncertainty has been a constant source of pain. Nephew Ken Widner has stated that the Anglin family received a Christmas card from South America in 1969, purportedly signed by the brothers, but police confiscated it before they could open it. Frank Morris's family received a letter in 1975 signed 'The former resident of cell AZ-144,' but the [Internal Link Placeholder] dismissed it as a hoax. These incidents further contribute to the enduring [Internal Link Placeholder].

Aftermath: Alcatraz closes, survival theories grow

Alcatraz prison closed permanently just 11 months after the sensational [Internal Link Placeholder]. Today, [Internal Link Placeholder] visiting the historic [Internal Link Placeholder] island can see the original dummy heads, now preserved and 3D-scanned. While the [Internal Link Placeholder] continues to adhere to the drowning theory, several other theories about the inmates' fate thrive – from them becoming Soviet agents to surviving and dying as old men in [Internal Link Placeholder]. The escape from Alcatraz has become an enduring symbol of the human will for freedom and a reminder of the unknown in this [Internal Link Placeholder]. As guard James Adams once put it: 'Either they're at the bottom of the bay, or they're laughing at us from a [Internal Link Placeholder] in [Internal Link Placeholder].' Regardless of the truth about their fate after escaping their [Internal Link Placeholder], Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin achieved one triumph: they [Internal Link Placeholder] into the mists of history, remaining forever elusive, thus cementing their place in the annals of crime.

Sources:

• cbsnews.com
• cbsnews.com
• time.com
• fbi.gov
• vault.fbi.gov

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