The Alcatraz Escape: 5 Shocking Pieces Of Evidence That Prove The 3 Men Survived (Latest Update)

The 1962 Alcatraz escape remains one of the most enduring mysteries in American criminal history, a cinematic, real-life drama that challenges the official narrative to this day. On the night of June 11, 1962, three inmates vanished from the seemingly impenetrable maximum-security prison known as "The Rock," launching an investigation that has spanned over six decades and continues to generate new, compelling evidence.

As of December 2025, the official stance from the FBI remains that the men drowned in the frigid, treacherous waters of the San Francisco Bay. However, the case is far from closed. The U.S. Marshals Service maintains an active fugitive investigation, and recent discoveries—including a mysterious letter and an alleged photograph from South America—have fueled the belief among many researchers and the escapees' own family members that Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin successfully pulled off the impossible and lived free lives.

Profiles of the Fugitives: Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin

The three men who executed the legendary breakout were not petty criminals; they were career felons with extensive histories of escape attempts, which is precisely why they were sent to the notorious Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in the first place.

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Frank Lee Morris (The Mastermind)

• Born: September 1, 1926, Washington, D.C.
• Criminal History: Convicted of his first crime at age 13. His adult record included narcotics possession, armed robbery, and burglary.
• Alcatraz Arrival: January 1960.
• Key Role: Morris was the undisputed mastermind of the escape. He possessed a high IQ (allegedly 133) and was known for his meticulous planning and previous success in escaping other institutions.
• Status: Wanted fugitive by the U.S. Marshals Service.

John William Anglin (The Brother)

• Born: May 2, 1930, Donalsonville, Georgia.
• Criminal History: Along with his brother Clarence, John was primarily involved in bank robbery and burglary. The brothers had a close relationship and often committed crimes together.
• Alcatraz Arrival: January 1961.
• Key Role: Instrumental in the escape’s execution, particularly the construction of the life raft and life vests using raincoats.
• Status: Wanted fugitive by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Clarence Anglin (The Brother)

• Born: May 11, 1931, Donalsonville, Georgia.
• Criminal History: Shared a similar criminal history with his brother John, specializing in bank heists. The brothers were known for their resourcefulness.
• Alcatraz Arrival: January 1961.
• Key Role: Worked alongside John and Morris to carve out the escape route through the utility corridor and assemble the flotation devices.
• Status: Wanted fugitive by the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Impossible Breakout: How They Vanished from "The Rock"

The escape, which took place on the night of June 11, 1962, was a feat of engineering and patience. For months, the men—including a fourth conspirator, Allen West, who failed to escape—used a variety of crude tools to chip away at the deteriorated concrete around the ventilation vents in their cells.

The tools were fashioned from stolen metal, a vacuum cleaner motor, and spoons. They worked during the prison's music hour to mask the noise.

To buy time, they created incredibly realistic "dummy heads" from a mixture of soap, plaster, paint, and real human hair salvaged from the barbershop floor. These decoys were placed in their beds, fooling the guards during routine checks on the morning of June 12.

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The men squeezed through the holes, climbed up plumbing pipes to the cell block roof, and then descended to the ground outside. Their final act was to inflate a makeshift raft, a 12-foot-long vessel constructed from over 50 stolen raincoats sealed together with heat from the prison's steam pipes.

They entered the cold, turbulent waters of the San Francisco Bay near the prison's northeast shore, aiming for Angel Island or the mainland. Allen West, the fourth man, was unable to enlarge his vent opening in time and was left behind, later providing the full details of the escape plan to the FBI.

The Lingering Mystery: 5 Pieces of Evidence That Suggest Survival

Despite the FBI officially closing its investigation in 1979 with the conclusion that the inmates drowned, the U.S. Marshals Service continues to pursue the case. No bodies were ever recovered, and several key pieces of evidence have surfaced over the decades, suggesting the men successfully reached land and evaded capture.

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1. The 2013 "John Anglin" Letter

In 2013, a letter allegedly written by John Anglin was received by the San Francisco Police Department. The letter's contents were explosive, claiming that all three men survived the escape.

The letter stated: "My name is John Anglin. I escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I’m 83 and in bad shape. Frank died in 2008. His grave is in Alexandria under a different name. Clarence died in 2011. I want to tell you this is all real."

While the FBI crime lab was unable to make a definitive match between the letter’s handwriting and John Anglin's known samples, the letter was considered credible enough to warrant further investigation.

2. The "Brazil Photo" from 1975

Perhaps the most compelling visual evidence is a photograph allegedly taken in Brazil in 1975, 13 years after the escape. The photo, which was provided by a family friend of the Anglins, shows two men who strongly resemble a composite of John and Clarence Anglin.

The family friend, Fred Brizzi, was a former criminal associate who claimed to have run into the brothers in Rio de Janeiro. A forensic expert who analyzed the image determined that the two men in the photo were "more than likely" the Anglin brothers.

3. The Anglin Family's Postcards and Phone Calls

The Anglin family has long insisted the brothers survived. They claim to have received Christmas cards and postcards from the brothers in the years immediately following the escape. Furthermore, the family claims to have been in contact with the brothers in Brazil up until the early 1990s.

One of the most emotional pieces of family evidence is the story of a bouquet of flowers sent to the Anglin mother every Mother's Day for 10 years after the escape, with no return address. The family believes this was a signal from the brothers.

4. Raft and Personal Items Found

While the FBI concluded that any raft would have disintegrated, a makeshift paddle and a sealed plastic bag containing personal effects were found on Angel Island. The next day, parts of the raincoat raft were found near the Golden Gate Bridge.

Crucially, a German forensic scientist, in a 2014 study, concluded that the men could have survived by paddling to Angel Island or the Marin Headlands, especially if they had timed their escape to coincide with the slack tide, which they were known to have researched.

5. The Unbroken Chain of Investigation

Despite the FBI closing its file, the U.S. Marshals Service continues to investigate the case, a strong indicator that the official "drowned" conclusion is not considered definitive. The Marshals Service has even released age-progressed photos of the three fugitives, updating their appearance to what they might look like today (in their 90s).

The legal status of the men remains "wanted fugitives," and the U.S. Marshals Service maintains jurisdiction until the age of 99, or until irrefutable proof of death is established. This ongoing pursuit keeps the possibility of survival alive in the eyes of law enforcement.

Conclusion: The Legacy of the Great Alcatraz Escape

The escape of Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1962 remains a powerful symbol of human ingenuity and the pursuit of freedom. While the official record maintains the men drowned, the fresh, circumstantial evidence—the mysterious letter, the South American photograph, and the enduring family claims—suggests a different, far more intriguing conclusion: that the three men successfully navigated the treacherous San Francisco Bay and disappeared into the world.

The case is a testament to the fact that no prison is truly escape-proof and that some mysteries, especially those involving a "perfect crime," may never be fully solved. The legend of the three men who escaped "The Rock" will continue to captivate the public and the U.S. Marshals Service for as long as new evidence keeps surfacing.