A Criminal Mind

Frank Morris may have been born to plan a prison-break. Said to possess an impressive IQ and a penchant for escaping, Morris was sent to Alcatraz in 1960 after a string of attempted escapes at other facilities. Shortly after entering Alcatraz, Morris hooked up with three other career criminals: Allen West, and bank-robbing brothers John and Clarence Anglin. According to newspaper reports from the time, the four men had all done time in the Atlanta Federal Prison prior to Alcatraz.

Planning The Big One

For months, Morris, with the aid of West and the Anglin brothers, masterminded a clever and elaborate plan to get off the "Rock." Over the course of two years, the men executed an escape that involved climbing through vents, crafting a raft from raincoats, drilling through walls and making lifelike dummy heads using plaster and human hair.

Although Alcatraz was known for its tight security, Morris and his accomplices managed to play the system through a series of lucky streaks and pure ingenuity. The men's cells were in close proximity to one another on the cell block, and they took turns drilling through the vent holes in their cells--at one point, with a vacuum cleaner motor that Morris managed to acquire. They worked diligently and stealthily on the escape, and after months of toiling, they had everything in place.

Lingering Questions

On June 12, 1962, Morris told his fellow inmates that they would make their escape that night. Morris and the Anglin brothers removed the decoy ventilator grills they had positioned in front of the holes the dug in their cells and climbed up to the roof through the cell plumbing. Because he had not dug enough, West was unable to get his ventilator grill out in time to join the other men. He would later give details about the escape to police and take credit for most of its conception.

Although no one has been able to prove the success or failure of the men's escape, some authorities presume the men dead from drowning in the chilly, choppy waters of the San Francisco Bay. Police say that the men planned to steal clothes and a car once they made it to dry land, but there were no thefts or crimes involving men matching their descriptions for weeks after their escape. Furthermore, none of the men's friends or family heard anything from them after the escape.

Whatever happened to Morris and the Anglin brothers, they managed to stir up a more than 40-year-old mystery that continues to fascinate people even now.

Wanted For:

• Escape , Alcatraz , CA ; Jun 11, 2005

(Information valid as of August 9, 2009)

Associated Persons:

Clarence Anglin
Fugitive
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John Anglin
Fugitive
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Television Airings:

• »August 8, 2009
• »November 19, 2005