Context:

In 1962, Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin executed a daring escape from Alcatraz using a homemade raft and dummy heads to fool guards, disappearing into the San Francisco Bay. Despite exhaustive searches and numerous theories, their fate remains unknown, with some believing they survived and lived in hiding. The escape continues to intrigue, bolstered by a 2003 MythBusters episode suggesting survival was possible. President Donald Trump proposes reopening Alcatraz, citing its escape-proof reputation, despite its closure due to high operational costs. The Anglin family's belief in the brothers' survival adds a layer of mystery, as government agencies remain unable to confirm their fate decades later.

Dive Deeper:

• Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers managed to escape Alcatraz on June 11, 1962, by using a homemade raft crafted from raincoats and creating dummy heads to deceive the guards, leading to an ongoing mystery about their fate.

• The escapees were known for their repeated attempts to break out of other prisons, with the Anglin brothers having a history of theft and burglary, which led them to Alcatraz after an unsuccessful escape from Leavenworth prison.

• Despite President Trump's claims of Alcatraz's inescapability, evidence from the escape and subsequent investigations has kept public interest alive, as some believe the men reached the shore and lived secretly.

• The FBI's investigation into the escape was extensive, involving searches of nearby islands and waters, but ultimately concluded in 1979 with the presumption that the escapees had perished, although the US Marshals never closed the case.

• Theories about their survival were bolstered by a MythBusters episode and scientific studies suggesting it was feasible for the escapees to reach the mainland, with the Anglin family receiving potential evidence of survival, including a photo from Brazil.

• Alcatraz, once deemed too costly to operate, was closed in 1963 and later turned into a museum, but Trump's desire to reopen it reflects a view of the prison as a symbol of law and order, a notion at odds with its historical and cultural significance.

• The Anglin family's conviction that the FBI is withholding information adds to the allure of the escape story, as aging portraits of the escapees continue to be maintained, reflecting the enduring fascination with this unsolved mystery.