The distance from Alcatraz to Angel Island is well over a mile, which would make for a difficult trip in the cold current of the San Francisco Bay. On June 11, 1962, three prisoners at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary escaped. Now, a handwritten letter is again raising questions about whether the men survived the frigid waters and deadly currents of San Francisco Bay long thought to make any escape impossible. The men were discovered missing on June 12, 1962, and the hunt was on. Other supposed evidence, including a photo that allegedly showed the Anglin brothers in Brazil more than a decade after the escape also turned up over the years, adding to the mystery of what happened to the three men. Yes we all made it that night but barely! Evidence in the last few years Morris was serving 10 years, while the Anglin brothers were serving 1520 years. "The FBI examined the letter received in 2013 at the request of the U.S. It goes on to say that Frank Morris died in 2008 and Clarence Anglin three years later. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. The breakout of three inmates from the famous Alcatraz prison in 1962 has been the subject of wild speculation for more than half a century. Yes we made it that night but barely!. And as if that was not enough, they even figured out the perfect tool for inflating the raft: Morriss own accordion. Letter Not only was there the Christmas card, but theories abound that the Anglins ended up in Brazil. Marshals, which is the sole agency investigating the case today, says the FBI lab examined theletterfor fingerprints and DNA, and the handwriting. I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. Theres no doubt in my mind they escaped from prison and lived out their lives.. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. "For him to say he had cancer and was dying, I feel like they should have at least reached out to the family and let them know it existed," Widner said. I have cancer. At Alcatraz, they were reunited with Frank Morris, an inmate whom they had met at another prison and whoin addition to purportedly having a high IQalso had a penchant for escapes: He had broken out of a Louisiana facility where he had been serving time for a bank robbery, and was sent to Alcatraz after he was arrested for burglary in 1960. Curiosity over the fate of the three men has never really abated. Marshals service and the results of that examination were provided to the U.S. (He was, however, suffering from hypothermia and quickly recaptured.). Did Alcatraz's most famous escapees survive? Two SFGATE Still, men tried. Morris entered his first prison at the age of 13, and by age 20 he was considered a career criminal. Relatives were interviewed to determine whether they had been given any outside assistance; a patrol of the waters turned up bits of rubber and wooden paddles, as well as a packet of letters sealed in rubber; one of the homemade life preservers washed ashore on the beach at nearby Fort Cronkhite. My name is John Anglin. In exchange for his cooperation, and since he did not actually escape, West was not further punished. The senselessness of such an act led some to believe Alfred may have been killed by officials badgering him about his brothers escape. Someone claiming to be John Anglin wrote to San Francisco police in 2013, but it has only now been made public. Considering how careful the men would have had to be for the remainder of their lives, keeping the rest of the family at arms length and being cautious with their words and actions, they would have had to devote much of their energy to never making a mistake. Frank Lee Morris was one of those prisoners with special skills. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. By 1979, the FBI had officially closed its case. Dismantling the Suprem Court's argument about its own ethics The original FBI investigation concluded the men drowned after they recovered a lone rain jacket, used as a makeshift life preserver and pieces of a wooden paddle. "They're getting up there in age, someone knows, cause if they made it out they communicated with somebody,so somebody somewhere knows - that's still alive," added Harp. 60 years later, three escaped Alcatraz prisoners have still not been found Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin escaped from the prison on June 12, 1962. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices. The FBI officially closed the case in 1979, saying "no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas." But the plot was about to thicken when the FBI received aucasinosonline.com/nz/ something unexpected in the mail. In reality, the four men went to extreme efforts to create dummies that were very convincing. January 26, 201800H:40GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME, John Anglin, Frank Anglin, and Frank Morris before their escape, by Kathy DiNuzzo and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, San Francisco. They used a concertina to inflate the raft. As luck would have it, they all managed to be placed next to each other. West may have overthought his attempt to mask his efforts. Equipment like this was not uncommon at Alcatraz, as prisoners made items such as furniture and clothing for the US Military. The letter was sent to the Richmond station of the San Francisco Police Department in 2013, reports CBS News, but had not hitherto been made public; recently, though, San Francisco Bay Area CBS station KPIX 5 acquired it from an anonymous source and now its sparking all sorts of theories and speculation. It was the night before June 12, 1962 and all through the prison, not a creature was stirring except four disgruntled inmates preparing to risk their lives to escape their prison sentences. Ever since brothers John and Clarence Anglin along with inmate Frank Morris disappeared, the official story has been they didn't make it, reports CBS News' John Blackstone. One such prison where he was a temporary resident was Atlanta Federal Penitentiary. Smuggling them into their cells, and keeping them hidden was not too difficult for the inmates. As the Anglins and Morris navigated a network of pipes in the utility corridor that led outside (West, who couldnt dislodge his vent grill in time, was left behind), their doubles made it seem as though they were asleep. The authenticity of the correspondence was never proven, and the FBI appeared to keep the letter private until 2018. So in 1960, prison officials who were wary of their determination to regain freedom decided to send the brothers to the one place in the country that had proven to be completely escape-proof: Alcatraz, a fortified island in San Francisco. Citing separation of powers concerns, Roberts noted how rare it is for chief justices to testify before congressional committees. It claims brothers John and Clarence Anglin along with inmate Frank Morris lived into old age after escaping the prison half a century ago. Until 56 long years later, when the letter made it way to the FBI. Morris and the Anglin brothers knew each other from serving time in prison together prior to their time on Alcatraz Island. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. West, ever the escape artist, saw opportunity where others only saw mundane object. In 2014, Dutch scientists, using computer models to reveal that it was possible the men could have survived, recreated the escape and made it to land successfully. Brizzi, a friend of the Anglins, claimed the men had not only survived their escape attempt but had made it to South America. This past summer, we got an exclusive tour of some never-before-seenparts ofAlcatraz. The men were gone, which triggered prison officials to reach out to the FBIs San Francisco office. Once the chiseling was complete, the walls were replaced with cardboard, and the holes wide enough for their bodies to squeeze through, the next phase of their plan began to take shape. They then used art kits available to prisoners to paint them. John Anglin's cell, where he escaped through a vent in the wall, is one of the main attractions on the tour. And few if any sharks would have threatened them: That was primarily a scare tactic employed by the prison to dissuade escape attempts. Chief Justice John Roberts has notified Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin that he won't testify at an upcoming hearing on Supreme Court If, by chance, a random guard came around and had a look inside the cells, he would see what appeared to be quiet inmates sleeping on their racks and carry on with his rounds. Yes we all made it that night but barely! But despite its simple beginnings, the letter is extraordinary because it might shed light on the only successful escape attempt that was ever made from the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. Later, some paddle-like pieces of wood and bits of rubber inner tube were found in the water. It reopened as a maximum-security facility on July 1, 1934. The Anglin brothers were reportedly inseparable, and the one thing they could not (or chose not) escape was each other. After returning to his cell for a good nights sleep, he was immediately seized by authorities and questioned. Both had also tried to run from chain gangs. Clues are littered in history, as there is plenty of surviving evidence that suggest what exactly happened on that fateful June morning in 1962 and gives us a glimpse into their ultimate fate. The bureau turned the case over to the U.S. John Anglin's nephew David Widner, who lives outside Atlanta, weighed in on the appearance of the letter Thursday. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. It was inconclusive at best, fueling speculation that sparked a 56-year mystery that survives to this day. Their typical robbery took place at banks and establishments that were closed to make sure they didnt have to use a weapon. He was the mastermind of the Alcatraz escape. From there, they were able to launch their raft. New York Post Said CBS security analyst Jeff Harp, who worked with the FBI for 21 years but did not work on the Anglin/Morris escape, So that means yes, and it means no, so this leaves everything in limbo., Whats more, the U.S. "My name is John Anglin. Personally, as someone who swims in the bay, and we have a triathlon that goes on every year, and there's not a single person that doesn't make that swim," he added. "It's interesting, I mean it's obviously a very famous case here in San Francisco," said KPIX 5 Security Analyst Jeff Harp. Im 83 years old and in bad shape. I escape from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my Brother Clarence and Frank Morris. One of the photos shows two men, one bearded, both wearing sunglasses. And as a final touch, they even collected discarded hair clippings from the barber and glued it to the tops of the heads. The Atlanta Federal Penitentiary served as the staging ground for what would happen at Alcatraz. Originally a Civil War fort because of the islands strategic position in San Francisco Bay, it was converted into a military prison during and after the war. They were the perfect tool for cutting through the walls. The next phase of the plan was actually the easiest part. My name is John Anglin. He had met them in Brazil in 1975, Brizzi said, and later gave the photos to their relatives. The writer of thelettersays he spent many years after his escape fromAlcatrazliving in Seattle. Only the worst criminals were sent toAlcatraz. The fate of three particular inmates, however, remains a mystery to this day Its one mystery wed all like to solve.". Marshal Michael Dyke told the Today show: Obviously not. Diane Abbotts comments on racism were antisemitic, says Keir In order to fit four men, the raft was going to have to be big, and the seams needed to hold to keep them out of the water with conditions rife for drowning. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. If that wasnt enough, Dutch programmers contradicted the FBI when they released a study that found the tides suitable for escape! At times, new wrinkles in the case have led to more questions. ALSO READ:San Francisco Replaces Columbus Day With Indigenous Peoples Day. Coupled with the fact that the prison was said to be surrounded by shark-infested, 50-degree water and was located 1.25 miles away from the mainland, it was easy to see why Alcatraz had a reputation for being inescapable. In 1979, the FBI closed the case on the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris, stating according to the Washington Post, For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas but the possibility still remained ever since that they had, in fact, made it out of Alcatraz alive. For brothers John and Clarence Anglin, the story of the most infamous prison escape in modern history began with a toy gun. I escape (sic) from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Alcatraz letter: Nephew of inmate weighs in on mystery "My name is John Anglin. John And he had plenty of practice rounds before his stay at Alcatraz. We know the brothers escaped and lived in South America, Widner told the Herald. January 25, 2018 / 8:20 AM The proof that 3 men survived their escape from Alcatraz - N After months of meticulous planning- on the night of June 11, 1962 - the trio of bank robbers squeezed through the vents in the back of their cells. Escape from Alcatraz: US Marshals Service share new, age Another brilliant aspect of their planning was how they masked their absence from their cells. A facial recognition expert enlisted by the History Channel for a special on the escape asserted that Brizzi was telling the truth; law enforcement countered that the sunglasses and facial hair would make a definitive conclusion problematic. But in reality, its a testament to the fact that Alcatraz was the place prisoners get sent who have a knack for escaping because escape was supposed to be impossible. Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin were not in their cells when guards did their routine bed check on the morning of June 12, 1962. On June 11 (or possibly early in the morning on June 12), 1962, bank robbers John and Clarence Anglin and career criminal Frank Morris escaped through ventilation duct openings in their cells, which they had spent quite some time widening using improvised tools, into an unguarded utility corridor. Because Yeah. The agency believed that the men had drowned, according to NewsNation. The Anglins and Morris made it as far as Seattle, he said, before the other men involved betrayed and murdered them. Chunks of wood were turned into paddles; a concertina, a musical instrument similar to an accordion, was used to force air into the raft. ", Today, Alcatraz is a museum and popular tourist destination. Letter Allegedly Written by Alcatraz Escapee John Anglin Brings Marshal for northern California,falls far short of putting the matter to rest. "My grandmother received roses for several years after the escape.". The next morning, guards found dummy heads made of plaster, paper mache, paint and real human hair in their cells. After all, their remains were never recovered, though its fully within the world of possibility that they are somewhere in the Pacific. Marshals Service shared new age-progressed images of Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and his brother John Anglin depicting what the FBI believes the men would look like now. They used spoons, a saw, and even pieces from an old vacuum cleaners motor to create chisels. "I really haven't come to a conclusion whether I believe that it's John reaching out or not," nephew David Widner said. What is sort of interesting, though, is this: The Anglin brothers were David Widners uncles and although Widner told CBS News in a follow-up report, I really havent come to a conclusion whether I believe that its John reaching out or not, he also noted that for a number of years following the escape, his grandmother would randomly receive roses. Can you imagine how he felt in that moment, after all those months of planning? Alcatraz escape: Fugitive John Anglin's name on letter to police People were incarcerated on the 22-acre island (which took its name from the Spanish word alcatraces, which is most often translated as "pelican" or strange bird), since the 1850s, but it was only transferred to the Department of Justice in 1933, when it got a makeover with more secure cells, guard towers, and protocols that accounted for prisoners multiple times a day. Theyslid down the smokestack to the ground and launched their raft - made of more than 50 raincoats. 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Having made clothes and taught how to assemble shoes during stretches at various prisons, the men were extremely adept at sewing. It adds "I am 83 years old and in bad shape. He asked the men to wait for him, and Morris tried to help him. I escape [sic] from Alcatraz, Richmond station of the San Francisco Police Department in 2013, inmates either being recaptured or killed, History Channel special posited that the inmates had survived, museum maintained by the National Park Service. The idea was to be prepared for the choppy Bay waters en route to freedom in nearby Marin County. But a letter, obtained by CBS San Francisco, claims all three lived well into old age.