On the night of 11 June 1962, Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin climbed out of Alcatraz through holes they had spent months widening with sharpened spoons, left dummy heads in their bunks, and disappeared into San Francisco Bay. The case has never been formally closed.
Who was Frank Morris?
Frank Lee Morris arrived at Alcatraz in January 1960 after a life of institutional custody beginning in childhood and a string of convictions for burglary and bank robbery, including escapes from other facilities. He tested in the very top percentile for intelligence — a detail that shaped both the plan and the legend.
The Anglin brothers
John and Clarence Anglin were Florida-born bank robbers, close in age and inseparable, who had also escaped custody before. A fourth conspirator, Allen West, worked on the plan but did not get out of his cell in time on the night.
How they did it
- Widened the vents. Using sharpened spoons and an improvised drill, they enlarged the ventilation grilles at the back of their cells over several months.
- Hid the holes. Fake grilles made from cardboard, soap and paint concealed the work during counts.
- Built a workshop. The utility corridor behind the cells and the space above the cell block became an unobserved construction site.
- Made dummy heads. Soap, toilet paper, concrete dust and real hair from the barbershop produced heads convincing enough at night.
- Built a raft and life vests. More than 50 stolen raincoats were stitched and heat-sealed into a rubberised raft, inflated with a modified concertina.
- Left the island. They climbed the ventilation shaft to the roof, descended a kitchen pipe, crossed the fence and launched from the northeast shore.
What investigators found
- Paddle-like fragments and pieces of the raincoat raft recovered near Angel Island.
- A sealed bag of personal effects belonging to the Anglins found floating in the Bay.
- No bodies, and no confirmed sighting of any of the three men afterwards.
Did they survive?
The FBI concluded they most likely drowned in cold water and strong outgoing currents, closing its investigation in 1979 and referring the case to the US Marshals Service, which keeps it open to this day. Counterarguments point to the tide window that night, a family letter surfacing decades later, and a photograph alleged to show the Anglin brothers in South America. None of it is conclusive.
Why the escape mattered
Coming near the end of the penitentiary's life, the escape reinforced the argument that a crumbling island prison was no longer secure enough to justify its cost. Alcatraz closed in March 1963, less than a year later — see why Alcatraz prison closed.
Seeing the escape route on a visit
The cellhouse tour passes the escape cells, where replica dummy heads sit in the bunks and the widened vents are visible. The utility corridor is part of the standard route. Background reading before you go: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary; booking on Alcatraz tickets.
Frequently asked questions
Who escaped from Alcatraz in 1962?
Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin. A fourth man, Allen West, was part of the plan but failed to get out of his cell that night.
What happened to Frank Morris?
He was never found. The FBI concluded he most likely drowned; the US Marshals Service still lists the case as open.
How did they escape from Alcatraz?
They widened cell ventilation openings with sharpened spoons, hid the work behind fake grilles, built a raft from raincoats, and launched from the island's northeast shore.
Did anyone ever escape Alcatraz and survive?
No escape has ever been officially confirmed as successful. Five men across all attempts remain missing and presumed drowned.