
The FBI has reopened its investigation into the escape of three inmates who broke out of Alcatraz in 1962 - after receiving a letter from a man claiming to be one of the escapees now in his eighties.

Brothers John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris tunneled out of their cell in the prison on 11 June 56 years ago, disappeared into the inky waters of San Francisco bay and have never been found - leading many to believe they drowned.

But a handwritten letter, sent to authorities in 2013 but only made public this week, suggests that at least one of the men, John Anglin, may still be alive.

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A handwritten letter claiming to be from 1962 Alcatraz escapee John Anglin, was sent to authorities in 2013 but only made public this week (above)

'My name is John Anglin. I escape[d] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I'm 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer. Yes we all made it that night but barely!' the letter begins

Brothers Clarence (left) and John (centre) Anglin and Frank Morris (right) - all bank robbers - escaped from the prison by drilling holes around their vents

'I'M ALIVE': THE LETTER 'FROM ALCATRAZ ESCAPEE JOHN ANGLIN' SENT TO THE FBI IN 2013 My name is John Anglin. I escape [sic] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I’m 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer. Yes we all made it that night but barely! Frank passed away in October 2005. His grave is in Alexandria under another name. My brother died in 2011. If you announce on T.V. that I will be promised to first go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention, I will write back to let you know exactly where I am. This is no joke this is for real and honest truth. I could tell you that for seven years I lived in Minot North Dakota - [...] in Fargo - 1990 to 2005! But too damn cold had to get the hell out. I lived in Seattle for most of my years after the escape. I'm in Southern California now. [Illegible] if response! Advertisement

'My name is John Anglin. I escape[d] from Alcatraz in June 1962 with my brother Clarence and Frank Morris. I'm 83 years old and in bad shape. I have cancer. Yes we all made it that night but barely!' begins the letter obtained by KPIX.

In the letter he claims he has cancer and tries to do a deal with police - offering to return to prison for a year in return for medical treatment.

The handwriting is barely legible in the last portion of the letter, but appear claim that Anglin lived in Seattle for decades after his escape, lived in North Dakota from 1990 to 2005 and then settled in California.

The letter's claim that Anglin was 83 at that time would be correct given he was born in 1930 - fueling speculation that the escapees made it to shore alive and have have been free for the past half century. However his apprent concerns about his health mean it is also likely that he is by now dead.

The FBI says the letter is the most recent piece of evidence that forced the agency to reopen the iconic cold case. The letter was sent to the San Francisco Police Department's Richmond station in 2013.

His 1962 escape from Alcatraz is legendary and rumors have persisted that the brothers survived their crossing of the San Francisco Bay - depsite US Marshals' insistence that they perished.

The Anglin's mother allegedly received flowers on her birthday from a mystery benefactor for years after the escape. And one tale suggests that the Anglins attended her funeral in disguise.

It was on June 11, 1962, that Morris and the Anglin brothers - all bank robbers - made their cunning escape that was the basis for the 1979 movie Escape From Alcatraz.

The trio squeezed through a network of pipes and plumbing and up to the roof Pictured, a prison guard kneels by a hole in Frank Morris's cell through which the men escaped)

They then used an assemblage of rain coats and inflated life vests and tried to sail for the mainland (Pictured, Alcatraz prison cell)

The next morning, guards found dummy heads made of plaster, papier-mâché, paint and real human hair in their cells (pictured)

They had spent months digging tunnels through their cell walls.

After the prison's last bed check at 9pm, for six months they used a homemade drill made from a broken vacuum cleaner motor to widen the vents in the cells before recovering the holes with a grate before daybreak.

Then on the night of June 11 they filled their beds with elaborate dummy heads made of plaster, paint and real human hair to fool guards.

The trio squeezed through a network of pipes and plumbing and up to the roof. They used an assemblage of rain coats and inflated life vests stolen over previous months and sailed for the mainland.

The next morning, guards found only the heads made of plaster, papier-mâché, paint and real human hair in their beds.

A huge air, sea and land search was mounted over the next ten days but found no trace of the escaped inmates.

Remnants of their raft were found off Angel Island - but the FBI concluded that three men most likely drowned after no thefts of clothes or cars were reported on the island.

The escape was made into a movie in 1979 film titled 'Escape from Alcatraz' starring Clint Eastwood as Frank, Jack Thibeau as Clarence and Fred Ward as John.

The US Marshals, which is the sole agency investigating the case today, says the FBI lab examined the letter for fingerprints and DNA, and the handwriting. Results were inconclusive.

The writer makes a deal: 'If you announce on TV that I will be promised to first go to jail for no more than a year and get medical attention, I will write back to let you know exactly where I am. This is no joke…'

The US Marshals, which is the sole agency investigating the case today, says the FBI lab examined the letter for fingerprints and DNA, and the handwriting. Results were inconclusive (Pictured, Alcatraz seen from above in 2015)

'So that means yes, and it means no, so this leaves everything in limbo,' said KPIX 5 Security Analyst Jeff Harp.

The writer of the letter says he spent many years after his escape from Alcatraz living in Seattle. He also mentions that he lived in North Dakota for eight years, and currently lives in Southern California.

According to the letter, Frank died in 2008 and John's brother died three years later.

The escape was made into a movie in 1979 film titled 'Escape from Alcatraz' starring Clint Eastwood as Frank (pictured), Jack Thibeau as Clarence and Fred Ward as John

The film implied that the escape had been successful. Alcatraz was closed shortly after the true events on which the film was based (Pictured, Eastwood as Frank Morris)

In a statement to KPIX 5, the US Marshals Service wrote: 'There is absolutely no reason to believe that any of them would have changed their lifestyle and became completely law abiding citizens after this escape.'

The Anglin brothers began robbing banks with their other brother, Alfred Ray Anglin, and found themselves on Alcatraz after failed escapes from the Atlanta Penitentiary.

Rumors have persisted that the brothers made it out alive.

In 2012 the Anglins sisters spoke out to claim that the brothers were still alive, claiming to have received a phone call and Christmas card from them shortly after their escape.

One friend and the brothers' nephews even claimed that the escapees made it to South America, and produced a photograph purporting to show them alive and well in a farm in Brazil in 1975.



Fred Brizzi, who grew up with the Anglin brothers, handed over pictures he claimed he took of the pair after bumping into them in Rio De Janeiro

There even exists a photograph said to show the brothers on a farm in the South American country in 1975. Fred Brizzi, who grew up with the Anglin brothers, handed over pictures he claimed he took of the brothers after bumping into them in Rio De Janeiro

Even after an extensive FBI investigation there is still no conclusive proof about what happened to the escapees after they broke out of the prison

Did any escapees make it off Alcatraz alive? Six shot and killed, 23 recaptured and two drowned In total there were 14 attempts to escape from Alcatraz from 1936 to 1962, involving a total of 36 inmates. Of that number, 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, and two drowned while two - Joseph Cretzer and Sam Shockley - tried twice. Two of the men who were caught were later executed in the gas chamber at the San Quentin prison for their role in 'Battle of Alcatraz' escape attempt in which an officer was killed. April 27, 1936 - Joe Bowers began climbing up and over the chain link fence at the island's edge while working burning trash at the incinerator. He refused orders to climb down and was shot dead December 16, 1937 - Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe took advantage of their job at the mat shop in the model industries building to file their way through the flat iron bars on a window. The pair climbed through the window, made their way down to the water's edge and disappeared into San Francisco Bay, during a storm when the currents were especially strong. Officially, they are listed missing and presumed dead. May 23, 1938 - Thomas Limerick, Jimmy Lucas, and Rufus Franklin killed unarmed correctional officer Royal Cline with a hammer while working at the in the model industries building. They then climbed to the roof in an attempt to disarm the correctional officer Harold Stites in the roof tower but the Limerick and Franklin. Limerick died from his injuries. Lucas and Franklin received life sentences for the correctional officer's murder. January 13, 1939 - Arthur 'Doc' Barker, Dale Stamphill, William Martin, Henry Young, and Rufus McCain escaped from the isolation unit by sawing through the cell bars and bending bars on a window. The inmates made their way to down to the water's edge and correctional officers found the men at the shoreline on the west side of the island. Martin, Young, and McCain surrendered, while Barker and Stamphill were shot when they refused to surrender. Barker died from his injuries. May 21, 1941 - Joe Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Arnold Kyle, and Lloyd Barkdoll took several correctional officers hostage while working in the industries area. The officers, including Paul Madigan, who later became Alcatraz's third warden, were able to convince the four that they could not escape and they surrendered. September 15, 1941 - John Bayless attempted to escape while on garbage detail but gave up shortly after entering the cold water of San Francisco Bay. Later, while appearing in Federal court in San Francisco, Bayless tried, again unsuccessfully, to escape from the courtroom. April 14, 1943 - James Boarman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton, and Fred Hunter took two officers hostage, climbed out a window and made their way down to the water's edge One of the hostages was able to alert other officers and shots were fired at Boarman, Brest, and Hamilton, who were swimming away from the island. Hunter and Brest were both apprehended. Boarman was hit by the gunfire, sinking below the water before officers were able to reach him and his body was never recovered. Hamilton was initially presumed drowned but after hiding for two days in a small shoreline cave made his way back up to the prison, where he was discovered by correctional officers. August 7, 1943 - Huron 'Ted' Walters disappeared from the prison laundry building but was caught at the shoreline, before he could even attempt to enter San Francisco Bay. July 31, 1945 - John Giles was able to take advantage of his job unloading army laundry sent to the island to be cleaned and over time stole an entire uniform. He walked aboard an army launch to what he thought was freedom but the launch was headed for Angel Island, where correctional officers met him and returned him to Alcatraz. May 2-4, 1946 Bernard Coy, Joe Cretzer, Marvin Hubbard, Sam Shockley, Miran Thompson, and Clarence Carnes staged a break out known as the 'Battle of Alcatraz' They managed officers and gain access to weapons and cellhouse keys as well as take officers hostage but their plan began to fall apart when the inmates found they did not have the key to unlock the recreation yard door. Soon after, prison officials discovered the escape attempt but instead of giving up, they decided to fight it out. Two officers were killed before U.S Marines helped to restore order. In total 18 officers were injured and Shockley and Thompson were executed December 1948. July 23, 1956 - Floyd Wilson disappeared from his job at the dock and after hiding for several hours among large rocks along the shoreline, he was discovered and surrendered. September 29, 1958 - Aaron Burgett and Clyde Johnson overpowered a correctional officer and attempted to swim from the island while working on the garbage detail. Johnson was caught in the water, but Burgett disappeared and his body was found floating in the Bay two weeks later. June 11, 1962 - Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin vanished from their cells and were never seen again. A fourth man, Allen West, believed by some people to have been the mastermind, was also involved but he was still in his cell the next morning when the escape was discovered. The escape plot involved homemade drills to enlarge vent holes, false wall segments, and realistic dummy heads, complete with human hair, placed in the beds so the inmates would not be missed during night time counts. After making their way through vent holes located in the rear wall of their cell, they made their way to the water. They used prison-issued raincoats to make crude life vests and a pontoon-type raft to assist in their swim. Several weeks later a man's body dressed in blue clothing similar to the prison uniform was found a short distance up the coast but the body was too badly deteriorated to be identified. Morris and the Anglins are officially listed as missing and presumed drowned. December 16, 1962 - John Paul Scott and Darl Parker bent the bars of a kitchen window in the cellhouse basement, climbed out, and made their way down to the water. Parker was discovered on a small outcropping of rock a short distance from the island and Scott attempted to swim towards San Francisco. But the currents began pulling him out to sea and he was found by several teenagers on the rocks beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, then taken to the military hospital before being returned to Alcatraz. 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Brizzi gave the photo to the family in 1992, nephew Ken Widner said. It shows two men in sunglasses on farmland, standing next to a mound of earth, alongside a road.

Ken has previously swum the supposed route for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. He said: 'I can tell you for a fact that they successfully escaped, all three. I don't condone what they did in the robbery, that was wrong. [But] I did the swim and if I could do that, I know they could have.'

He also said he was the only one who knew for certain that John and Clarence had survived and that they wanted their family to know they were alive and well. Brizzi died of lung cancer in 1993.

Ken said: 'It's my personal belief that Brizzi felt it was the right time to share the picture with the family.

'He had to wait until a certain time that would not get the brothers or family in trouble. When the photo was taken, the FBI were still focused on the case and had threatened family who had any knowledge of the escape.'

He added: 'I think Alcatraz was a life change for them. I mean this prison was the last stop for any prisoner. After they left, it was a never-come-back trip.

The FBI maintained the brothers drowned in their escape, but the Anglin family insist they survived, stayed in contact with some of them, and possibly settled in Brazil (Pictured, press Photo from the Alcatraz escape, June 1962)

The US Marshals Service, however, said: 'There is absolutely no reason to believe that any of them would have changed their lifestyle and became completely law abiding citizens after this escape' (Pictured, tools and other items used during the Alcatraz escape)

'They knew if they were caught that it would be the end of the road for them. So, in some ways Alcatraz saved them and put them on a new road of life.'

The family has previously produced letters and other written material they say are from the brothers over the decades, however they kept these a closely guarded secret until recent years to avoid the possibility of the brother's recapture.

The US Marshals Service, which is responsible for hunting down escaped fugitives, maintains an active file on all three men.

Matt Loughrey, who spent over 100 hours bringing the subjects to life, also believed that the men had managed to escape.

Recently colorized mugshots provided a fascinating glimpse into the three convicts. John Anglin is shown (left) at Alcatraz prison in 1960, and Clarence Anglin (right) there in 1961

Morris and the Anglin brothers constructed papier-mache heads to hide under their blankets and make guards believe they were asleep in bed

Clarence Anglin at Leavenworth Kansas after his arrest in 1958. The Anglin brothers are said to have always tried to make sure no one got injured when they robbed banks

The family photos showed a different side to the brothers, originally from Georgia. Clarence is seen playing the guitar at home in the mid 1950s while John is in front of a motel in Ruskin, Florida, during the mid 1950s

He said: 'There's every reason to believe the Anglin brothers made it to land, albeit the authorities of the time convinced the public otherwise.

'Over the last few decades, a lot of their reasoning has been disproven officially and it gives way for a new dialogue. It's a mystery unsolved.'

Jolene Babyak, whose father was acting warden the night of the escape, said she 'didn't believe that they made it' - but added that that was based on what the officers told her.

The author, who has written several books about Alcatraz, said she remembered being awoken by the siren after the breakout.

But when she was shown the newly released letter, she said: 'No evidence, lots of allegations, no real evidence, nothing you can follow up on.'