I say episode because this was possibly among the longest segments ever LOL.

Given everything this crew had going for them I really do believe they made it and stayed off the radar and lived into their old age. They planned this thing to a T and they were very skillful. I do not think any of them drowned or died during the escape. That FBI letter years later seems authentic and the photo of the brothers seemed real too.

I feel like everyone seemed to dismiss their having made it as wishful thinking but rewatching the episode they were very brilliant and meticulous. Thoughts?

3 guys who not only came from either no family or poor families, who also repeatedly would escape prison and start robbing again seemingly stopping to live the rest of their lives in anonymity without leaving any trace of their existence behind seems like a stretch to me. They would have been in frigid waters and if they did make it to land, you would think they would have stolen a vehicle or new clothes. No thefts were ever reported. None of the relatives ever said they were still alive, nor did they have the means to help support them. I think they died in the water that night.

3 guys who not only came from either no family to poor families, who also repeatedly would escape prison and start robbing again seemingly stopping to live the rest of their lives in anonymity without leaving any trace of their existence behind seems like a stretch to me. They would have been in frigid waters and if they did make it to land, you would think they would have stolen a vehicle or new clothes. No thefts were ever reported. None of the relatives ever said they were still alive, nor did they have the means to help support them. I think they died in the water that night.

I agree. Though there has been the occasional thing I've heard that maybe there was a car stolen from the area at the time.. I kinda write that off because.. First, it doesn't really matter and second, the story has been retold so many times, I'm not certain that it's true.

The dead giveaway is that they never turned up again. Other than a supposed picture of them in Brazil or Belize or something like that which.. Didn't really look like them. And a letter supposedly written by one of the brothers to the FBI a few years back

But, you're dead on correct in your assessment that these guys couldn't stay out of jail. All of them were basically career criminals, and we're to believe that they escaped and then just laid low? Never to have a problem with the law again? Not likely.

I use this theory when thinking of the West Memphis Three as well, one of the strongest reasons for the belief of their innocence.. They've had ZERO problems with the law since they were released, which was over 10 years ago now.

Remember also that a body WAS found in the bay, being swept out to the ocean. But it was found by a cargo ship, as I recall. They didn't recover the body and by the time authorities got there, it couldn't be found.

The only known actual Alcatraz escape was carried out by John Paul Scott (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Scott) who pulled it off within six months of the Anglins and Morris. Scott was trying to swim towards land, but the strong currents carried him away until he landed underneath (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/37.8101668,-122.4764253/37.827753,-122.426563/@37.8207784,-122.4420072,4712m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0) the Golden Gate Bridge. He was unconscious and was suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion. Since the three men were trying to reach Angel Island (north of Alcatraz), I'd say the currents pulled them away as well. And even in the unlikely event that they reached Angel Island, how exactly were they planning to get off of that? Remnants of the raft were found. How were they planning on getting off of the island? And why would they go there if their intentions were to steal a car?

I don't think the fact that they never turned up again is really a proof that they did not make it out.
Its quite possible the difficulty of the escape, and the possibility that one of them died in the act, had some reforming influence on them.
(anybody remember how the song Amazing Grace came to exist?)

Or alternatively they may well have fled the country after a successful escape.

I don't think the fact that they never turned up again is really a proof that they did not make it out.
Its quite possible the difficulty of the escape, and the possibility that one of them died in the act, had some reforming influence on them.
(anybody remember how the song Amazing Grace came to exist?)

Or alternatively they may well have fled the country after a successful escape.

Other countries have police, too.

Nothing's impossible. Some things are highly unlikely.

Other countries have police, too.

Nothing's impossible. Some things are highly unlikely.

Yes, but many have far lower levels of enforcement than the US, and even if they were caught for some petty crime its not likely that information would be connected to their past in the US.

I don't consider it "highly unlikely" that 3, possibly 2, surviving men that lived in that place and managed to make it to shore after a near death experience on a makeshift raft, knowing they were still wanted criminals, chose to lay low and stay out of trouble.

I watched this segment again about a month ago. I just don't see any way that these guys survived. Not just the waters or the temperature, but the simple fact that all of thee guys were career criminals and not a single one was ever arrested again. That tells me they didn't survive.

Or they stayed out of trouble after escaping.......

Isnt it amazing not knowing?? (Mysteries are exciting)

I just don't understand the plan to swim to Angel Island. How were they going to get off the island?! They couldn't do it by car. They would have had to have gotten onto a ferry to get off the island. They had a roughly 8-10 hours head start, but it would have taken them that long, maybe even longer, to successfully get off of Angel Island. And there's also the fact that the other successful escape attempt, done just 6 months after this one, had the escapee swept over towards the Golden Gate Bridge due to the strong currents. Pieces of the raft were discovered on a beach by the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the life jackets was found, deflated, 50 yards off of Alcatraz Island. Every piece of circumstantial evidence suggests that these guys died in the water.

I just don't understand the plan to swim to Angel Island. How were they going to get off the island?! They couldn't do it by car. They would have had to have gotten onto a ferry to get off the island. They had a roughly 8-10 hours head start, but it would have taken them that long, maybe even longer, to successfully get off of Angel Island. And there's also the fact that the other successful escape attempt, done just 6 months after this one, had the escapee swept over towards the Golden Gate Bridge due to the strong currents. Pieces of the raft were discovered on a beach by the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the life jackets was found, deflated, 50 yards off of Alcatraz Island. Every piece of circumstantial evidence suggests that these guys died in the water.

And, even with all that.. It was STILL the best escape plan that anyone had come up with.

As for those who think they survived and just 'laid low'.. You all are entitled to your opinions just as I am.. I can't refute what you say by handing over a body.. So.. Your opinion is no less valid than mine. I just choose to look at the evidence from a different angle.

I will also put out there that human nature plays a part here. All of us, I believe, in a way.. WANT them to have made it. It's just a giant "Eff You" to "The Man".. And... As humans.. We all tend to really get the corners of our mouths turned up hearing about people who beat the system. And.. That does tend to blind us a bit.

The funny thing about it.. We'd feel that way, but then we find out that they did escape and killed 70 more people, we'd be ticked off at the system for allowing them to escape and never finding them before they killed so many more. So.. Our emotions can turn on a dime.

Interesting that the Marshalls service released the final set of age progressed images for the three today.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/alcatraz-escapees-now-in-their-90s-still-sought-by-us-marshals-wielding-digitally-aged-images-of-fugitives

Marshalls service considers cases closed when the perps would be over 100 years old, so.. That's why I say it's the final set of photos.

I chuckled when this article came upon my phone being that I had just re-watched this case a couple of weeks prior and posted this thread.

This article is the one that got my attention:

https://people.com/crime/inmates-escaped-alcatraz-60-years-ago-new-images-age-progressed/

Most people believe they all perished and didn't make it but I think that letter to the FBI was real and they did make it. It is not unheard of for criminals to remain crime free for decades after escaping. We have seen it multiple times with others.

If it was just one guy I could believe they used their "get out of jail free" card and remained law abiding for the rest of their life. 3 guys with long rap sheets without the means to support themselves post escape? No way.

If it was just one guy I could believe they used their "get out of jail free" card and remained law abiding for the rest of their life. 3 guys with long rap sheets without the means to support themselves post escape? No way.

Who said they became law abiding citizens? They simple lived off the grid.

I chuckled when this article came upon my phone being that I had just re-watched this case a couple of weeks prior and posted this thread.

This article is the one that got my attention:

https://people.com/crime/inmates-escaped-alcatraz-60-years-ago-new-images-age-progressed/

Most people believe they all perished and didn't make it but I think that letter to the FBI was real and they did make it. It is not unheard of for criminals to remain crime free for decades after escaping. We have seen it multiple times with others.

Name one with a criminal history even approaching these three.

Hell, even the guy who got stuck in his cell and couldn't escape with them, Allen West.. Was released in 1967 and was right back in jail again in 1968.

If it was just one guy I could believe they used their "get out of jail free" card and remained law abiding for the rest of their life. 3 guys with long rap sheets without the means to support themselves post escape? No way.

Well its interesting they didnt ever find thier bodies!!

Well its interesting they didnt ever find thier bodies!!

Again, it's possible they did find one of them.

That cargo ship that spotted a body floating about 5 days later but couldn't recover it.

But, people are 'lost' after drowning in SF Bay even today. And, based on the current models, they would have been pulled towards the ocean.

Who said they became law abiding citizens? They simple lived off the grid.

With what means?

With what means?

Well, this one, I'll jump in to help the side i don't agree with.. This was the 60's.. It was possible to do back then.

Obviously, they wouldn't have stayed in SF, but.. Think about SF at that time. You literally could have lived in a room at the YMCA for dirt cheap.. Made it through on a part time job.

Now.. Would any of these knuckleheads been able to do that? Be happy with their life like that? Most probably not, but.. Certainly, this COULD have been done. Do I believe it did? Not at all.

Oh, and for modern times.. Look at Eric Rudolph. He pulled it off for a number of years. Yeah, totally different I don't see any of those three living 'off the land'.

Well, this one, I'll jump in to help the side i don't agree with.. This was the 60's.. It was possible to do back then.

Obviously, they wouldn't have stayed in SF, but.. Think about SF at that time. You literally could have lived in a room at the YMCA for dirt cheap.. Made it through on a part time job.

Now.. Would any of these knuckleheads been able to do that? Be happy with their life like that? Most probably not, but.. Certainly, this COULD have been done. Do I believe it did? Not at all.

Oh, and for modern times.. Look at Eric Rudolph. He pulled it off for a number of years. Yeah, totally different I don't see any of those three living 'off the land'.

The fact of the matter is anything is possible especially back then. They could have taken over the identities of of deceased people and lived amongst society. You all do realize there are tons of people who dip in and out of criminal activity and do not get caught right?

That sentiment is what made Unsolved Mysteries the cult classic it is because so many people live dual lives and get away with a lot of heinous crimes. These guys were not your regular criminals together they obviously had a lot of collective creativity and the ability plan and execute well with one another.

Not one body was found and the alleged photo of the brothers and the letter sent to the FBI lead me to believe they were successful.

Many people make the mistake of thinking just because a person has lived a life of crime they cannot continue and not be caught or successfully reintegrate into society.

I always found this case interesting and the fact that the Anglin brother's mother would get flowers each birthday and mother's day with no message.

Someone mentioned how they were able to survive with no resources and not commit petty crimes and get caught? They clearly had help from their family.

The fact of the matter is anything is possible especially back then. They could have taken over the identities of of deceased people and lived amongst society. You all do realize there are tons of people who dip in and out of criminal activity and do not get caught right?

That sentiment is what made Unsolved Mysteries the cult classic it is because so many people live dual lives and get away with a lot of heinous crimes. These guys were not your regular criminals together they obviously had a lot of collective creativity and the ability plan and execute well with one another.

Not one body was found and the alleged photo of the brothers and the letter sent to the FBI lead me to believe they were successful.

Many people make the mistake of thinking just because a person has lived a life of crime they cannot continue and not be caught or successfully reintegrate into society.

I always found this case interesting and the fact that the Anglin brother's mother would get flowers each birthday and mother's day with no message.

Someone mentioned how they were able to survive with no resources and not commit petty crimes and get caught? They clearly had help from their family.

And the bold is what destroys your argument in my eyes.

They didn't dip. They full on cannonballed into the deep end and there was no ladder.

Someone who snaps and murders someone? Ok.. Heat of the moment and all, I can see them not doing it again. But people who spent the majority of their adult lives in prison suddenly "Breaking Good"?

Much less THREE people doing it?

Look, stranger things have happened.. But you're going to have to have better proof for me than the lack of bodies and a handwritten letter that "might" have been written by one of them. Oh, and the grainy photo next to the anthill that could POSSIBLY be them..


that amount of evidence is only good enough to get a special on the History Channel called "They made it!" .. Produced and directed by TIGHAR.

And the bold is what destroys your argument in my eyes.

They didn't dip. They full on cannonballed into the deep end and there was no ladder.

Someone who snaps and murders someone? Ok.. Heat of the moment and all, I can see them not doing it again. But people who spent the majority of their adult lives in prison suddenly "Breaking Good"?

Much less THREE people doing it?

Look, stranger things have happened.. But you're going to have to have better proof for me than the lack of bodies and a handwritten letter that "might" have been written by one of them. Oh, and the grainy photo next to the anthill that could POSSIBLY be them..


that amount of evidence is only good enough to get a special on the History Channel called "They made it!" .. Produced and directed by TIGHAR.

I'm just someone who watched the show like you so I have no argument and have no burden to provide proof. Don't be offended this is only my opinion ain't nothing that I'm saying law.

3 guys who not only came from either no family or poor families, who also repeatedly would escape prison and start robbing again seemingly stopping to live the rest of their lives in anonymity without leaving any trace of their existence behind seems like a stretch to me. They would have been in frigid waters and if they did make it to land, you would think they would have stolen a vehicle or new clothes. No thefts were ever reported. None of the relatives ever said they were still alive, nor did they have the means to help support them. I think they died in the water that night.

Yeah, I agree. It seems very unlikely that none of them would ever have popped up again.