This past summer, we got an exclusive tour of some never-before-seenparts ofAlcatraz. And if so, why keep this handwritten note hidden from the public for five years? The authenticity of the correspondence was never proven, and the FBI appeared to keep the letter private until 2018. John Anglin's nephew David Widner, who lives outside Atlanta, weighed in on the appearance of the letter Thursday. The jurys still out on that one. As soon as the escape was discovered, the prison went into lockdown and officials searched the facility. KPIX 5 exclusively obtained it from asource. A facial recognition expert enlisted by the History Channel for a special on the escape asserted that Brizzi was telling the truth; law enforcement countered that the sunglasses and facial hair would make a definitive conclusion problematic. The Atlanta Federal Penitentiary served as the staging ground for what would happen at Alcatraz. The letter did undergo handwriting analysis. Alfred likely knew as much or as little as anyone else, yet when his body was exhumed it showed no signs of physical abuse. But a letter, obtained by CBS San Francisco, claims all three lived well into old age. A Letter from an Alcatraz Inmate May Give Insight to Carlson inherited the fake-populist shtick used by OReilly and honed it into something like performance art. Its possible thats true, given the content of rest of the letter. Within two days, a packet of letters sealed in rubber and related to the men was recovered. The Marshal Service has reviewed the letter,and a statement from Donald O'Keefe, U.S. If that wasnt enough, Dutch programmers contradicted the FBI when they released a study that found the tides suitable for escape! CBS San Francisco obtained the letter which says that John Anglin was 83 years old and that he was diagnosed with cancer. According to theletter, Frank died in 2008 and John's brother died three years later. This is no joke". It was foggy that night as it often was in the Bay another example of things working to their advantage. The idea was to be prepared for the choppy Bay waters en route to freedom in nearby Marin County. Now, a handwritten letter is again raising questions about whether the men survived the frigid waters and deadly currents of San Francisco Bay long thought to make any escape impossible. And as if that was not enough, they even figured out the perfect tool for inflating the raft: Morriss own accordion. New York Post In order to fit four men, the raft was going to have to be big, and the seams needed to hold to keep them out of the water with conditions rife for drowning. Citing separation of powers concerns, Roberts noted how rare it is for chief justices to testify A mysterious letter has come to light purportedly from one of three inmates who famously escaped Alcatraz in 1962. Merry Christmas.. I'm 83 years old and in bad shape. The building itself was reinforced with barbed wires and watchtowers that were stations for armed guards. The US Marshals Service has committed to finding the men until they find credible evidence as to their fate, or the men turn 99 years old. The men may have made it after all. Their brother Robert also claimed on his death bed that he had been in touch with John and Clarence, but lost contact with them in 1987. Quietly, they tiptoed to the roofs edge and then shimmied down 50 feet of pipes. UPDATE:Relative Of Escaped Alcatraz Inmates Speaks Out About Letter. Marshal for northern California,falls far short of putting the matter to rest. Just, yknow watch out for the ghosts. The night guards apparently didnt notice the replacements when they did their rounds. 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Personally, as someone who swims in the bay, and we have a triathlon that goes on every year, and there's not a single person that doesn't make that swim," he added. My name is John Anglin, the letter, which was provided to KPIX 5 by an unnamed source, began. He had met them in Brazil in 1975, Brizzi said, and later gave the photos to their relatives. Not that they had time to do much with the money. KIRO 7 News Seattle facebook feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle twitter feed(Opens a new window), KIRO 7 News Seattle youtube feed(Opens a new window), Multiple-vehicle collision completely blocks westbound I-90 near Issaquah, Man accused of raping same woman he was convicted of assaulting 5 years ago, Seattle Kraken defeat Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of Round 1 of Stanley Cup playoffs, Washington State Patrol responds to 5-car wrong-way crash in Milton, 2 injured in Pierce County crash after driver fails to yield for red light. At first glance, the fact that these four prisoners were housed right next to each other seems like a glaring oversight, or a poor attempt at a joke. More than 55 years and oneClint Eastwood movielater, the escape has earned its place in history as the most infamousprison break of the 20thcentury. Someone claiming to be John Anglin wrote to San Francisco police in 2013, but it has only now been made public. It was given toSan Francisco television station KPIXfrom an unnamed source. Not only was there the Christmas card, but theories abound that the Anglins ended up in Brazil. From there, they made it to the roof of the cell block, where they had stashed the rest of their supplies including life preservers and a rubber raft they had fashioned from over 50 raincoats. He escaped from Alcatraz, but did he escape to North Dakota? Letter Allegedly Written by Alcatraz Escapee John Anglin Brings However, one thing is certain: They initiated a daring escape from a prison deemed inescapable, and filled the pages of history with their brilliant plan and craftsmanship. The letters author claims that after escaping the prison, he lived in Seattle before moving on to North Dakota and eventually settling in Southern California. 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Marshals, which is the sole agency investigating the case today, says the FBI lab examined theletterfor fingerprints and DNA, and the handwriting. While serving time, he didnt sit around and count the days until his release; he figured out ways to speed up his departure. Brothers John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris did the unthinkable when they squeezed through the vents of the cells and disappeared from what was regarded as the most secure federal prison in the U.S. on June 11, 1962. The prison, built on a rocky outcrop in the middle of the bay, was shut down in 1963, a year after the men's escape. Eventually, John and Clarence ended up at Leavenworth, a penitentiary in Kansas, where Clarence attempted to make a break for it by trying to smuggle himself out in two enormous bread boxes; John likely assisted him. The men grabbed their gear, climbed the bars and pipes in the corridor, and bang! Theres no doubt in my mind they escaped from prison and lived out their lives.. Alcatraz Was A Success, Recent Evidence As for Morris and the Anglins, God only knows what became of them. One of the photos shows two men, one bearded, both wearing sunglasses. What is sort of interesting, though, is this: The Anglin brothers were David Widners uncles and although Widner told CBS News in a follow-up report, I really havent come to a conclusion whether I believe that its John reaching out or not, he also noted that for a number of years following the escape, his grandmother would randomly receive roses. If they are not alive, said a nephew named Dave Widner to a local newspaper, then why is the government still looking for them? Its a mystery that will continue to be discussed by armchair historians for years to come. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. "He's not given to rash violence. This much is known: In the early morning hours of June 12, 1962 John and Clarence Anglin, and Frank Morris escaped from Alcatraz prison. The nephew of John and Clarence Anglin told CBS that his grandmother used to receive roses with John and Clarence's signature on the cards several years after the escape. 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Frustrated officials tried to profile the men involved and determine who may have been chiefly responsible. The doppelgngers were convincing enough to fool the guards the evening of June 11, 1962. The Anglin brothers were reportedly inseparable, and the one thing they could not (or chose not) escape was each other. This is no joke.. Babyak was 15 years old and livingon the island with her familywhen the men broke free. Once they crawled through, theyclimbed up a network of pipes and plumbing ina commonly unguarded space. The FBI says this is the most recent piece of evidence that forced the agency to reopen the iconic cold case. After months of meticulous planning- on the night of June 11, 1962 - the trio of bank robbers squeezed through the vents in the back of their cells. From there, the trail grew cold. Chief Justice John Roberts will not testify before Congress about By Amy B Wang. I could tell you that for seven years I lived in Minot North Dakota - [] in Fargo - 1990 to 2005! Both had unusually long arms, he says. Until 56 long years later, when the letter made it way to the FBI. "The FBI examined the letter received in 2013 at the request of the U.S. West wouldve certainly been privy to the prisons dilapidated state, having served a previous stretch at Alcatraz. In 1979, the FBI closed the case on the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris, stating according to the Washington Post, For the 17 years we worked on the case, no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive, either in the U.S. or overseas but the possibility still remained ever since that they had, in fact, made it out of Alcatraz alive. It wasnt the most sanitary of methods, but it got the job done. Letter Allegedly Written By 1962 Alcatraz Island Escapee When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. Come daylight, the illusion stopped working.