| Frank Morris | |
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| Born | Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | Criminal |
Frank Lee Morris (September 1, 1926 – missing since June 11, 1962) is an American criminal who took part in the June 1962 Alcatraz escape and was never seen again.
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Morris was born in Washington, D.C.[1] and spent most of his early years in jail serving lunch to prisoners. He was convicted of his first crime at the age of 13, and by his late teens had been arrested for crimes ranging from possession of narcotics to armed robbery. Morris is said to have an IQ of 133, which is in the top 3%.
On January 3, 1960, Morris was shipped to Alcatraz, where he became prisoner #AZ1441. Morris reportedly began devising his escape within a year of his arrival at Alcatraz.[2] There were three others involved: John Anglin, his brother Clarence Anglin and Allen West (who was unable to join the escape when it was eventually carried out). The escape was long and complicated. Over a period of two years, Morris and the Anglins created a raft and lifelike dummies, and stole a number of tools to dig with. So many escape materials had been used by Morris and the Anglin brothers that they had actually created a workshop above their cell row.
Allen West was painting above his cell and asked prison guards if he could cover the area with blankets. West explained his painting area was extremely dusty and dust was falling down on the prison floor. These blankets completely covered West's workshop area. By May 1962, they had already dug through the vents at the back of the cells, working in shifts, with someone keeping lookout while others dug. On the night of June 11, 1962, the attempt went ahead. The group placed the dummies in their beds, escaped through the vents at the back of their cells and into the utility corridor. They then proceeded onto the roof and down to the bay. There they boarded the raft they had constructed and disappeared into the night.
The following morning prison officers awoke to find dummies lying in the beds and the prisoners missing. The FBI conducted one of the largest manhunts since the Lindbergh kidnapping. Parts of the raft and life preservers were later found in the bay together with a waterproof bag containing personal effects of the Anglins. Although the authorities never found any bodies, they were certain the men had drowned.[3] They cited the fact that "the individuals' personal effects were the only belongings they had, and the men would have drowned before leaving them behind."
However, when authorities searched for any bodies, they found nothing. Another inmate of Alcatraz claimed to have known of the plot and later told authorities the men had arranged for a boat to pick them up from the bay. However, the inmate's testimony was given little credit due to his background and prior attempts of lying to gain favor or plea deals. A Norwegian ship said that a body was discovered floating in the bay 5 weeks after the escape. Although they were unable to retrieve it, they told the police the clothes of the body resembled clothes that prisoners on Alcatraz used, and that the body resembled Frank Morris. According to the 2011 National Geographic documentary, "Vanished from Alcatraz", bones from a human were found 8 months after the escape on the shore near the place where the Norwegian ship had spotted a body. The bones were recovered and buried and on the documentary, "Vanished from Alcatraz", the bones were dug up, and DNA from the bones was compared to one of Morris' paternal relatives. The DNA did not match, and it is unlikely that the floating body was Morris, although it is not certain if the bones belonged to the body the Norwegian ship spotted.
In the end, authorities pointed out that the chances of all three surviving the trip across the bay were slim. There were no robberies or car thefts that could have been attributed to them, and the men were habitual criminals yet were never arrested again. The FBI officially closed the case on December 31, 1979, concluding that "no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive". Though since there have been many reconstructions and triathlon events held yearly to commemorate the event, there have been sightings of the three over the years which provides circumstantial evidence that the men may have survived. If Morris is still alive today, he is 85 years old.[3]
In 1963, J. Campbell Bruce published his book Escape from Alcatraz about escapes from Alcatraz Island, including that of Morris and the Anglin brothers.[4] The 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz starred Clint Eastwood, Fred Ward, and Jack Thibeau as Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin respectively. Allen West was played by Larry Hankin; his character's name was changed to Charlie Butts.[5]
Frank Morris and the 1962 escape were examined in a 2011 National Geographic Channel program entitled "Vanished from Alcatraz". According to the newly uncovered official records discussed on the program, a raft was discovered on Angel Island with footprints leading away. Furthermore, there was also a report of a stolen car in the area that night, which could have been used by Morris and the other escapees. However, while confirming these facts, which were hidden from the officials for quite some time, the findings of further investigations remain inconclusive. As a result, the U.S. Marshall’s office is still investigating this case, which will remain open on all three escapees until their 100th birthday.[6]
The TV show MythBusters showed that in similar conditions a raft made of raincoats could be successfully paddled across to the Marin Headlands with three men aboard — the raft was piloted by the show's main cast members Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage, together with an intern from the shop named Will Abbott. Also mentioned at the end of the show, was a compelling report of a paddle found on a part of Angel Island where the current led directly (and only) from the Marin Headlands, it is “plausible” that the prisoners may have survived their intricate escape attempt.
Capital Lights recorded the song "Frank Morris" about the escape on their album This Is an Outrage!