Official Records on Alcatraz Escapes
The Federal Bureau of Prisons officially records 36 inmates who made 14 escape attempts from Alcatraz Island between 1934 and 1963. Of those, 23 were captured, 6 were shot and killed during the attempt, 2 drowned, and 5 remain listed as missing and presumed drowned by the Bureau of Prisons and the National Park Service. The most famous case is the June 1962 escape of Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, whose fate the FBI closed in 1979 with the conclusion that they likely drowned in the cold, fast-moving currents of San Francisco Bay. The official position is that no inmate has ever been confirmed to have successfully escaped and evaded capture or death. Bureau of Prisons FAQ on Alcatraz
Modern searches and reviews continue to examine the 1962 case using new evidence. In 2013, the FBI received a letter claiming the Anglin brothers survived, accompanied by a photo and a possible raft fragment. The FBI Crime Lab reviewed the materials and concluded the photo was not of the Anglins and the letter was a hoax. The case remains open in the FBI's records, but the Bureau has not reversed its official finding that no successful escape occurred. FBI History: Escape from Alcatraz
Inmate Profiles and Escape Attempt Details
Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers
Frank Morris arrived at Alcatraz in 1960 after serving sentences for bank burglary and armed robbery. John Anglin was sentenced for bank robbery, and Clarence Anglin for burglary and bank robbery. The trio spent months widening ventilation ducts in their cells using spoons and improvised tools, creating papier-mâché dummy heads to fool guards during headcounts, and constructing a raft from over 50 raincoats. On the night of June 11, 1962, they crawled through the ducts, left the dummies in their beds, and entered the bay. The FBI's case file notes that no bodies or significant debris were ever recovered, and the official presumption is that they drowned before reaching the mainland or Angel Island. National Park Service: The 1962 Escape
Other Notable Attempts
Other documented attempts include the 1946 Battle of Alcatraz, where six inmates seized control of a cellhouse, resulting in the deaths of two inmates, two guards, and three of the escapees. In 1937, Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe cut through window bars and entered the bay during a storm; their bodies were never found, but the Bureau of Prisons lists them as presumed drowned. These cases reinforce the official record that no inmate has been confirmed to have reached shore and evaded capture. Forbes: Alcatraz Escape History
Search Efforts and Modern Analysis
Recent Investigations
The FBI, the National Park Service, and independent researchers have used modern sonar, dive teams, and archival reviews to revisit Alcatraz escape cases. In 2015, the History Channel funded a forensic analysis of the 1962 raft and personal effects found on the bay shore