June 1962 Alcatraz escape
Encyclopedia
The June 1962 Alcatraz escape was an escape attempt by American
criminals Clarence Anglin
, John Anglin
, Frank Morris, and Allen West from Alcatraz Island
, one of the United States' most famous prisons, it is possibly the only successful escape attempt from the prison.
by 36 different Alcatraz inmates.
, and worked as farmer
s and laborer
s. Together they started to rob banks in Georgia and were arrested in 1956. Clarence and John were given 15-20 year sentences and sent to Atlanta Penitentiary
(where they first met Frank Morris and Allen West), Florida State Prison
, and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
Clarence and John then made several failed attempts to escape the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, and were consequently sent to Alcatraz. John arrived on October 21, 1960, as Alcatraz inmate AZ1476, and Clarence arrived on January 10, 1961, as Alcatraz inmate AZ1485.
Frank Lee Morris was born in Washington, D.C.
on September 1, 1926, and spent most of his early years in foster homes. He was convicted of his first crime at the age of 13, and by his late teens had been arrested for crimes ranging from possession of narcotics to armed robbery.
Morris had a long criminal history prior to serving time in Alcatraz. He was sent to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary following one of his arrests, where he first met the Anglin brothers.
West was the only one of the four conspirators who did not participate in the actual escape, as he was unable to open the ventilator grill in his cell in time. By the time he opened his ventilator grill, the others were gone and had taken the life raft with them. With no means of leaving the island, West had no choice but to remain in his cell until the escape was discovered the next morning. After the escape was discovered he gave several interviews to the FBI and prison authorities, during which he provided full details of the escape plan, possibly as some plea bargaining strategy. West was never charged for trying to escape from Alcatraz.
West left Alcatraz on February 6, 1963, then was transferred to McNeil Island, Washington and later Atlanta, Georgia
.
After his release from federal prison
on January 7, 1965, West was sent to serve prison sentences in Georgia
and Florida
. He was released in 1967, but was later arrested in Florida on charges of grand larceny
, robbery
and attempted escape. Receiving multiple sentences, including life imprisonment
, West was sent to Florida state prison in January 1969. On October 30, 1972, he fatally stabbed another prisoner in what may have been a racially-motivated incident. In December 1978, suffering severe abdominal
pains, West was sent to the Shands Teaching Hospital
, where he died of acute peritonitis
on December 21, 1978, at the age of 49.
By September 1961, Morris, West, and the Anglin brothers were planning an elaborate escape attempt. By late May 1962, Morris, West, and the Anglins had finished cutting through the walls of their cells.
The escape was attempted on the night of June 11, 1962. Morris and the Anglins climbed up the ventilation shaft through one of the utility corridors behind the cell and reached the top of the roof. The trio then climbed down the rooftop, pumped up their rubber raft, jumped in and paddled away into the night. The next morning police searched for the escapees on Alcatraz and Angel Island without success. In 1962 the three were put on the FBI's Most Wanted List. West did not make it out of his cell and no charges were pressed against him.
The acting warden said they put dummy heads, made of a mixture of soap, toilet paper and real hair in their beds to fool prison officers making night-time inspections.
Morris and the Anglin brothers subsequently disappeared without a trace and are still wanted by the FBI, although they are believed to have perished in San Francisco Bay
.
It is unknown what occurred after the inmates launched the raft. The escape was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, beginning on June 11, 1962. In theory, the three inmates could have gotten to Angel Island, but the FBI stated that the cold water temperature and direction of the ocean's tides made the odds against them. The FBI also stated that the plans of the inmates were to steal clothes and a car once they reached land, although no car or clothing thefts were reported in the area following the escape. The case was closed by the FBI on December 31, 1979 after a 17 year investigation.
As late as September 2009, the case was still being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, according to a story broadcast on National Public Radio. U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke told NPR, "There's an active warrant and the Marshals Service doesn't give up looking for people," he said. "In this case, this would be like saying, 'Well, yeah, they probably are dead. We're going to quit looking.' Well, there's no proof they're dead, so we're not going to quit looking." Dyke said that he still receives leads, including one as recently as two weeks before the story aired.
A 2011 National Geographic Chanel program called "Vanished from Alcatraz" showed a previously unreleased FBI teletype dated June 12, 1962 that indicates that a raft was found on Angel Island and a US Government Memorandum dated June 13, 1962 that reports that footprints are seen leading away from the raft, and that three men had carjacked a blue Chevrolet in Marin County.
In the first season of Mythbusters (eighth episode, first aired December 12, 2003) the feasibility of escaping Alcatraz on a makeshift raft was tested, and judged to be possible.
The 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz
starred Clint Eastwood
, Fred Ward
, and Jack Thibeau as Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin respectively. Allen West was played by Larry Hankin
; his character's name was changed to Charlie Butts. The film strongly implied that the three made it.
Northern Virginian Metal/Hardcore band, In Alcatraz 1962, is named after the 1962 escapes.
Pop-rock band Capital Lights
recorded a song entitled "Frank Morris" about the 1962 escape on their debut album This is an Outrage!
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
criminals Clarence Anglin
Clarence Anglin
Clarence Anglin was an American criminal who took part in the June 1962 Alcatraz escape and was never seen again.- Early life :...
, John Anglin
John Anglin
John William Anglin was an American criminal who took part in the June 1962 Alcatraz escape and was never seen again.- Alcatraz :...
, Frank Morris, and Allen West from Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
, one of the United States' most famous prisons, it is possibly the only successful escape attempt from the prison.
Previous attempts
There were 14 separate previous escape attemptsPrison escape
A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorities to recapture them and return them to their original detainers...
by 36 different Alcatraz inmates.
Inmates
Clarence and John Anglin
Anglin brothers Alfred Clarence (born May 11, 1931) and John William (born May 2, 1930) were born in Donalsonville, GeorgiaDonalsonville, Georgia
Donalsonville is a city in Seminole County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,796 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Seminole County.-History:...
, and worked as farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s and laborer
Laborer
A Laborer or labourer - see variation in english spelling - is one of the construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as opposed to skilled labor. In the division of labor, laborers have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy equipment, and act...
s. Together they started to rob banks in Georgia and were arrested in 1956. Clarence and John were given 15-20 year sentences and sent to Atlanta Penitentiary
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta is a medium-security federal prison for men in Atlanta, Georgia. It also has a detention center for pre-trial and holdover inmates and an adjacent camp for minimum security male inmates...
(where they first met Frank Morris and Allen West), Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
, and Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.
Clarence and John then made several failed attempts to escape the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, and were consequently sent to Alcatraz. John arrived on October 21, 1960, as Alcatraz inmate AZ1476, and Clarence arrived on January 10, 1961, as Alcatraz inmate AZ1485.
Frank Morris
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on September 1, 1926, and spent most of his early years in foster homes. He was convicted of his first crime at the age of 13, and by his late teens had been arrested for crimes ranging from possession of narcotics to armed robbery.
Morris had a long criminal history prior to serving time in Alcatraz. He was sent to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary following one of his arrests, where he first met the Anglin brothers.
Allen West
Allen Clayton West was born around 1929. He was sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary (where he first met Morris and the Anglin brothers) and Florida State Prison for hijacking as a car thief. He was sent to Alcatraz in 1957, charged with attempting escape, and became prisoner AZ1335.West was the only one of the four conspirators who did not participate in the actual escape, as he was unable to open the ventilator grill in his cell in time. By the time he opened his ventilator grill, the others were gone and had taken the life raft with them. With no means of leaving the island, West had no choice but to remain in his cell until the escape was discovered the next morning. After the escape was discovered he gave several interviews to the FBI and prison authorities, during which he provided full details of the escape plan, possibly as some plea bargaining strategy. West was never charged for trying to escape from Alcatraz.
West left Alcatraz on February 6, 1963, then was transferred to McNeil Island, Washington and later Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
.
After his release from federal prison
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta
United States Penitentiary, Atlanta is a medium-security federal prison for men in Atlanta, Georgia. It also has a detention center for pre-trial and holdover inmates and an adjacent camp for minimum security male inmates...
on January 7, 1965, West was sent to serve prison sentences in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He was released in 1967, but was later arrested in Florida on charges of grand larceny
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny is a 1987 thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Marilu Henner, Ian McShane, Omar Sharif and Louis Jourdan.-Plot summary:...
, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and attempted escape. Receiving multiple sentences, including life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, West was sent to Florida state prison in January 1969. On October 30, 1972, he fatally stabbed another prisoner in what may have been a racially-motivated incident. In December 1978, suffering severe abdominal
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
pains, West was sent to the Shands Teaching Hospital
Shands at the University of Florida
Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:...
, where he died of acute peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
on December 21, 1978, at the age of 49.
Escape
The escape was attempted on the night of June 11, 1962. Morris and the Anglins climbed up the ventilation shaft through one of the utility corridors behind the cell and reached the top of the roof. The trio then climbed down the rooftop, pumped up their rubber raft, jumped in and paddled away into the night. The next morning police searched for the escapees on Alcatraz and Angel Island without success. In 1962 the three were put on the FBI's Most Wanted List. West did not make it out of his cell and no charges were pressed against him.
The acting warden said they put dummy heads, made of a mixture of soap, toilet paper and real hair in their beds to fool prison officers making night-time inspections.
Morris and the Anglin brothers subsequently disappeared without a trace and are still wanted by the FBI, although they are believed to have perished in San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
Investigation
Following an investigation, it was revealed that the inmates escaped from the island by creating a hole in the building to get to the roof over a long period of time using common objects. They then climbed over the prison's fence and assembled a raft made of the prison's standard issue raincoats and contact cement, launching it from the northeastern coast of the Island.It is unknown what occurred after the inmates launched the raft. The escape was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, beginning on June 11, 1962. In theory, the three inmates could have gotten to Angel Island, but the FBI stated that the cold water temperature and direction of the ocean's tides made the odds against them. The FBI also stated that the plans of the inmates were to steal clothes and a car once they reached land, although no car or clothing thefts were reported in the area following the escape. The case was closed by the FBI on December 31, 1979 after a 17 year investigation.
As late as September 2009, the case was still being investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, according to a story broadcast on National Public Radio. U.S. Marshal Michael Dyke told NPR, "There's an active warrant and the Marshals Service doesn't give up looking for people," he said. "In this case, this would be like saying, 'Well, yeah, they probably are dead. We're going to quit looking.' Well, there's no proof they're dead, so we're not going to quit looking." Dyke said that he still receives leads, including one as recently as two weeks before the story aired.
A 2011 National Geographic Chanel program called "Vanished from Alcatraz" showed a previously unreleased FBI teletype dated June 12, 1962 that indicates that a raft was found on Angel Island and a US Government Memorandum dated June 13, 1962 that reports that footprints are seen leading away from the raft, and that three men had carjacked a blue Chevrolet in Marin County.
In the first season of Mythbusters (eighth episode, first aired December 12, 2003) the feasibility of escaping Alcatraz on a makeshift raft was tested, and judged to be possible.
In popular culture
In 1963, J. Campbell Bruce published his book Escape from Alcatraz about escapes from Alcatraz Island, including that of Morris and the Anglin brothers.The 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz
Escape from Alcatraz (film)
Escape from Alcatraz is a 1979 American thriller film, directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood. It dramatizes possibly the only successful escape attempt from the maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island. The film co-stars Fred Ward, and also features Patrick McGoohan as the...
starred Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
, and Jack Thibeau as Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin respectively. Allen West was played by Larry Hankin
Larry Hankin
Larry Hankin is an American actor, performer, director and producer.Hankin studied acting at Syracuse University. He is known for his roles in TV shows Friends and Seinfeld; as well as for his major role in the movie Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood...
; his character's name was changed to Charlie Butts. The film strongly implied that the three made it.
Northern Virginian Metal/Hardcore band, In Alcatraz 1962, is named after the 1962 escapes.
Pop-rock band Capital Lights
Capital Lights
Capital Lights was a pop rock band that was formed in 2002. The band released one full-length album and several EPs. On Christmas Eve 2010, Bryson Phillips appeared on RadioU's morning show, The R!OT...
recorded a song entitled "Frank Morris" about the 1962 escape on their debut album This is an Outrage!
This is an Outrage!
This Is an Outrage! is the second album by American Power Pop band Capital Lights, but is the first album by the band under that name, as they were previously known as AfterEight...
See also
- John Paul ScottJohn Paul ScottJohn Paul Scott was the only inmate of Alcatraz to conclusively reach the San Francisco shore by floating...
- Theodore Cole and Ralph RoeTheodore Cole and Ralph RoeTheodore "Ted" Cole and Ralph Roe took part in the second documented escape attempt from Alcatraz, in 1937...
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously