Carter Roy

The two most suggested destinations were Angel Island or the Marin Headlands, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. According to Allen West, they chose Angel Island. From there, they could get to the mainland and steal guns and clothes. They'd use the guns to hijack a car and drive off to freedom. By June 1962, everything was in place.

When the new warden went on a two-week vacation, the men got their crystal-clear window of opportunity. It was time to escape the inescapable. On the evening of June 11th, 1962, the four inmates put their escape plan in motion. Between head counts, Frank, John, and Clarence opened their vents. They placed their body doubles in bed, pocketed a few treasures, and slipped out through the vent hole.

When the new warden went on a two-week vacation, the men got their crystal-clear window of opportunity. It was time to escape the inescapable. On the evening of June 11th, 1962, the four inmates put their escape plan in motion. Between head counts, Frank, John, and Clarence opened their vents. They placed their body doubles in bed, pocketed a few treasures, and slipped out through the vent hole.

When the new warden went on a two-week vacation, the men got their crystal-clear window of opportunity. It was time to escape the inescapable. On the evening of June 11th, 1962, the four inmates put their escape plan in motion. Between head counts, Frank, John, and Clarence opened their vents. They placed their body doubles in bed, pocketed a few treasures, and slipped out through the vent hole.

Alan did not. When chipping his hole in the weeks before, he'd accidentally made it too big. No matter how much soap and cardboard he used, the vent wouldn't stay in place. So when he learned new toilets were being installed, he filled up his shoes with concrete and used that to refill the edges of his hole. The grill stayed put well. A little too well. At go time, Alan couldn't remove the grate.

Alan did not. When chipping his hole in the weeks before, he'd accidentally made it too big. No matter how much soap and cardboard he used, the vent wouldn't stay in place. So when he learned new toilets were being installed, he filled up his shoes with concrete and used that to refill the edges of his hole. The grill stayed put well. A little too well. At go time, Alan couldn't remove the grate.

Alan did not. When chipping his hole in the weeks before, he'd accidentally made it too big. No matter how much soap and cardboard he used, the vent wouldn't stay in place. So when he learned new toilets were being installed, he filled up his shoes with concrete and used that to refill the edges of his hole. The grill stayed put well. A little too well. At go time, Alan couldn't remove the grate.

Months of work and he was still trapped. He spent the next few hours chipping away, finally breaking open the grate, racing through the vents, scaling three stories of pipes, bursting onto the roof, and realizing they'd left without him. Don't feel too bad for him. A prison guard once described him as devoid of honor and said he respected no human being. Oh, and he was a notorious liar.

Months of work and he was still trapped. He spent the next few hours chipping away, finally breaking open the grate, racing through the vents, scaling three stories of pipes, bursting onto the roof, and realizing they'd left without him. Don't feel too bad for him. A prison guard once described him as devoid of honor and said he respected no human being. Oh, and he was a notorious liar.

Months of work and he was still trapped. He spent the next few hours chipping away, finally breaking open the grate, racing through the vents, scaling three stories of pipes, bursting onto the roof, and realizing they'd left without him. Don't feel too bad for him. A prison guard once described him as devoid of honor and said he respected no human being. Oh, and he was a notorious liar.

So, while his account is the primary source for the Alcatraz escape plot, we can't completely take him at his word. As the FBI questioned him, Alan's description of the homemade raft changed multiple times, which was odd. If he was helping build and design it, he should have known what it looked like. Unless he didn't know the full plan. He wasn't the mastermind. That was Frank Morris.

So, while his account is the primary source for the Alcatraz escape plot, we can't completely take him at his word. As the FBI questioned him, Alan's description of the homemade raft changed multiple times, which was odd. If he was helping build and design it, he should have known what it looked like. Unless he didn't know the full plan. He wasn't the mastermind. That was Frank Morris.

So, while his account is the primary source for the Alcatraz escape plot, we can't completely take him at his word. As the FBI questioned him, Alan's description of the homemade raft changed multiple times, which was odd. If he was helping build and design it, he should have known what it looked like. Unless he didn't know the full plan. He wasn't the mastermind. That was Frank Morris.

And he wasn't the one contacting the outside. That was the Anglins. But in the end, officials accepted most of what Allen said at face value. After all, the physical evidence around Alcatraz lined up. Going off Allen West's account, detectives, FBI operatives, and soldiers combed every inch of the bay.

And he wasn't the one contacting the outside. That was the Anglins. But in the end, officials accepted most of what Allen said at face value. After all, the physical evidence around Alcatraz lined up. Going off Allen West's account, detectives, FBI operatives, and soldiers combed every inch of the bay.

And he wasn't the one contacting the outside. That was the Anglins. But in the end, officials accepted most of what Allen said at face value. After all, the physical evidence around Alcatraz lined up. Going off Allen West's account, detectives, FBI operatives, and soldiers combed every inch of the bay.

Two days after the breakout on June 13th, a crewman on a patrol boat spotted a small object floating in the water. A homemade oar. Investigators showed the item to Allen West, and he confirmed it was one of theirs. Four days later, a handmade life jacket washed ashore near Fort Cronkite Beach in the Marin Headlands.

Two days after the breakout on June 13th, a crewman on a patrol boat spotted a small object floating in the water. A homemade oar. Investigators showed the item to Allen West, and he confirmed it was one of theirs. Four days later, a handmade life jacket washed ashore near Fort Cronkite Beach in the Marin Headlands.

Two days after the breakout on June 13th, a crewman on a patrol boat spotted a small object floating in the water. A homemade oar. Investigators showed the item to Allen West, and he confirmed it was one of theirs. Four days later, a handmade life jacket washed ashore near Fort Cronkite Beach in the Marin Headlands.

The next week, another life jacket was recovered, this time with human teeth marks on the inflation tube. Again, one of theirs. Shortly after that, investigators found a rubber packet filled with photographs of the Anglin brothers' friends and family and a list of names and addresses, everyone the escapees trusted most.