The Chilling Mystery Behind The Only Inmates To Ever Escape The Infamous Alcatraz Prison

Jailed Several Times

Frank Lee Morris, an enigmatic figure, found himself in a whirlwind of incarceration as an adult, consigned to the formidable Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as the “Alcatraz of the South.” Yet, the world remained oblivious to the greatness he was destined to achieve. Arrested for a bank heist, he received a 10-year sentence, but Frank was not one to be confined. He broke free, leaving the law confounded.

However, the pursuit of crime led him straight into the jaws of the ultimate prison, Alcatraz. Little did the world know that within its inescapable walls, Frank Lee Morris was about to script a chapter of audacity that would elevate him to the realm of legends.

The Brothers

In the forbidding confines of Alcatraz, Frank Lee Morris assembled a team that would come to be known as “The Rock.” Among its ranks were two intriguing brothers, John and Clarence Anglin, and a fellow inmate named Allen West. Hailing from the wandering roots of Georgia, the Anglin brothers had traversed the Southern landscape, their family a clan of nomadic farmers chasing seasonal harvests.

Their annual migration, like clockwork, took them northward in June, a seemingly innocuous routine that would soon become a key piece in the puzzle of their audacious Alcatraz escape. Little did they know, their past would provide the cunning advantage they needed to challenge the prison’s unyielding grip.

Criminal Skills

John and Clarence Anglin, inseparable in childhood, forged an unbreakable bond as they entered adulthood. Cherries were their annual companions, plucking fruit in June, occasionally venturing as far as Michigan. Lake Michigan’s waters became their playground, where whispers of their exceptional swimming prowess surfaced. Little did they know, these aquatic escapades would soon play a pivotal role in their fate.

As grown men, the Anglin brothers embarked on a different path, one fraught with crime. The year 1956 saw their first brush with the law, a mere prelude to the audacious exploits that lay ahead. United by blood and shared escapades, the Anglins were destined to etch their names into the annals of outlaw legend.

The Group Forms

The Anglin brothers’ relentless spirit for freedom did not wane during their stint at the Atlanta Penitentiary, marked by a string of escape attempts that ended in bitter defeat. Their dogged determination earned them a one-way ticket to Alcatraz, the pinnacle of maximum-security prisons. Within its unforgiving walls, they found kindred spirits, notably Frank Lee Morris, the architect of their shared dream.

Alongside Allen West, this formidable quartet hatched an audacious plan, a symphony of brilliance that would transform their lives forever. As the shadows of “The Rock” loomed large, these four souls vowed to defy the odds and inscribe their names into the annals of escape legend.

Gathering The Resources

The quartet’s audacious escape plan was underpinned by a unique advantage: Alcatraz was not just a prison; it doubled as a productive factory. While federal inmates elsewhere toiled, “The Rock’s” incarcerated craftsmen seized opportunities to gather essential resources. As the prison catered to the U.S. military, it churned out furniture, clothes, and shoes, providing a covert lifeline to the escapees.

Remarkably, these four men’s non-violent convictions afforded them a precious reprieve from the relentless scrutiny that imprisoned their peers. They moved in the shadows, free from microscopic surveillance, laying the foundation for a daring gambit that would soon challenge the very essence of Alcatraz’s infamy.

The Items

With meticulous precision, the daring quartet advanced their audacious plot. Their scheme, a labyrinthine web of complexity and brilliance, was a calculated masterpiece. The goal: a miraculous escape from the formidable Alcatraz.

Their strategy, both ingenious and unnerving, centered on leaving lifelike dummies behind as decoys, a phantom ruse to deceive the ever-watchful guards. The path to freedom demanded they navigate the treacherous labyrinth of prison halls and the treacherous waters surrounding the island, all while avoiding the trigger-happy guards. In this high-stakes game of cat and mouse, the quartet would have to outwit not just the prison, but the very real specter of bullets in their quest to defy the unforgiving confines of Alcatraz.