37°49′36″N 122°25′24″W / 37.82667°N 122.42333°W
 Alcatraz, with Angel Island (the fugitives' intended destination) in background, San Francisco Bay, March 1962 | |
| Date | June 11–12, 1962 |
|---|---|
| Time | Approximately 10:30 p.m. (UTC–7)[1] |
| Location | Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California, U.S. |
In June 1962, inmates Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris escaped from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a maximum-security prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California, United States.[2] Late on the night of June 11 or early morning of June 12, the three men tucked papier-mâché heads resembling their own likenesses into their beds, broke out of the main prison building via ventilation ducts and an unused utility corridor, and departed the island aboard an improvised inflatable raft to an uncertain fate.[3] A fourth conspirator, Allen West, failed in his escape attempt and remained on the island.
Hundreds of leads were pursued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement officials in the ensuing years, but no conclusive evidence has ever surfaced favoring the success or failure of the attempt.[4] Numerous theories of widely varying plausibility have been proposed by authorities, reporters, family members, and amateur enthusiasts.[5] In 1979 the FBI officially concluded, on the basis of circumstantial evidence and a preponderance of expert opinion, that the men drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay without reaching the mainland.[6][7] The U.S. Marshals Service case file remains open and active, and Morris and the Anglin brothers remain on its wanted list.[8]
New circumstantial and material evidence has continued to surface, stoking new debates on whether the inmates managed to survive.
- ^ FBI Investigation File 76-26295, pp. 32
- ^ "A Brief History of Alcatraz". Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved September 6, 2012.
- ^ "3 Robbers escape from Alcatraz cells". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. June 12, 1962. p. 1A.
- ^ "3 prisoners are missing from 'Rock'". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 13, 1962. p. 1.
- ^ "Massive search made for Alcatraz escapees". Bend Bulletin. (Oregon). UPI. June 12, 1962. p. 1.
- ^ "Alcatraz – Page 6". Legendsofamerica.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2012.
- ^ "Alcatraz Escape". FBI Records: The Vault. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
- ^ "After 50 Years, the U.S. Marshals Remain Diligent in Hunt for Renowned Alcatraz Escapees". www.usmarshals.gov. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.