Hello everyone, an incredible new theory has emerged about what really happened to the three men who famously escaped from Alcatraz in 1962. Brothers John and Clarence Anglin, along with their friend Frank Morris, tunneled out of their cells in the maximum-security prison and disappeared into the waters of San Francisco Bay. Despite extensive searches, they were never found, and their fate has remained a mystery—until now.
Writers Ken Widner and Mike Lynch have proposed a fascinating new theory in their book, “Alcatraz: The Last Escape.” According to them, the trio successfully escaped from the notorious prison on a makeshift raft and used wires to hitch a ride on a passing boat. The book claims that the fugitives then transferred to a second boat in the San Francisco Bay area, which took them to dry land. From there, a private plane chartered from a small airport in neighboring Marin County flew them to Mexico to start a new life. Widner and Lynch believe that at least two of the men survived in Brazil until the 1990s.
Federal investigations into the escape, which inspired the 1979 film “Escape From Alcatraz” starring Clint Eastwood, concluded that the Anglin brothers and Morris likely drowned in the cold, shark-infested waters. However, Widner and Lynch’s theory is supported by family interviews, historical documents, and photo evidence. Ken Widner, who is the nephew of the Anglin brothers, has delved deep into their history to shed light on their lives before and after the escape.
The Anglin brothers, John and Clarence, along with another brother, Alfred, were originally sentenced to prison for an armed bank robbery in Alabama. After attempting to escape from a different prison, they were transferred to Alcatraz, where they met Frank Morris and began plotting their breakout. Their escape plan took shape in December 1961 when Allen West, another inmate who did not escape with them, started collecting old saw blades from a utility corridor.
The escapees spent months chiseling through their cell walls using spoons and other utensils. They crafted decoy heads from plaster, paint, and hair to fool the night guards into thinking they were asleep. On the night of June 11, 1962, they shimmied through the holes they had created, climbed up to the cellhouse roof, traversed the rooftop, and maneuvered down 50 feet of piping to the ground. They left behind the dummy heads, which bought them valuable time before the guards discovered their absence the next morning.
One of the biggest challenges they faced was the icy waters of San Francisco Bay. Infamous mob boss Whitey Bulger, a fellow inmate, reportedly advised them to prepare their bodies for the cold by soaking towels in cold water and wrapping themselves in them before lying on the cement floor. This preparation may have played a crucial role in their survival.
Widner and Lynch’s book details the men’s journey after their escape. According to their findings, the trio used electrical cords to hitch a ride on a transport boat in the bay, which took them to a small airport in Marin County. From there, they flew to Mexico and eventually settled in Brazil.
Widner claims his family had contact with the Anglin brothers in Brazil until at least the early 1990s. A photograph believed to have been taken in the 1970s shows two men among termite mounds in a jungle, which facial recognition software identified as John and Clarence Anglin.
This new theory challenges the long-held belief that the escapees perished in the bay. It suggests that they managed to forge new lives for themselves far from Alcatraz, living peacefully and quietly in Brazil. While the U.S. Marshals Service continues to maintain an active file on the three men, Widner and Lynch’s
theory offers a compelling alternative to the official account.
Stay tuned for more updates on this captivating story and other intriguing developments in the world of true crime and historical mysteries.
