In the summer of 1962, three inmates—Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin—carried out what would later become one of the most discussed prison escapes in U.S. history. They were held at Alcatraz, a facility widely regarded as highly secure and difficult to leave. Over many months, they quietly worked on a plan that involved enlarging small ventilation openings, creating simple tools from everyday materials, and crafting lifelike dummy heads to maintain the appearance of normal nighttime routines. What appeared to be ordinary behavior concealed careful preparation.
One of the most notable parts of the plan was the construction of a makeshift raft and flotation gear made from raincoats. On the night of June 11, the men left their cells, moved through internal service areas, climbed onto the roof, and entered San Francisco Bay. By the following morning, guards discovered the dummy heads in the beds and realized the inmates were gone. An extensive investigation followed, and officials later stated that the men were believed to have drowned due to the cold water and strong currents.
Despite those conclusions, public interest never fully subsided. Over the years, new claims and pieces of information continued to surface. A letter that appeared decades later, said to have been written by one of the escapees, suggested survival under assumed identities, though its authenticity could not be confirmed. Additional attention followed the release of photographs taken years later that some believed showed individuals resembling the Anglin brothers, keeping speculation alive.
In more recent years, renewed analysis has added to the discussion. Television programs tested whether a raft like the one described could complete the journey, and in 2018, researchers applied facial-recognition technology to older photographs linked to the case, identifying notable similarities. While the true outcome may never be definitively known, the escape remains a lasting source of fascination. It stands as a story of careful planning, unanswered questions, and a mystery that continues to capture public imagination decades later.