The Last Escape: The 1962 Alcatraz Escape with Ken Widner
On the night of June 11, 1962, three Alcatraz inmates, Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin, set out in a raft into the treacherous waters of San Francisco Bay. They were never seen again.
In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with Ken Widner, the nephew of the infamous Anglin brothers involved in the daring escape. Ken dissects the official narrative, showcasing photographs, FBI omissions, and family tales that make the Anglins' survival a compelling probability. Together, they take a deep dive into the evidence, from facial recognition to Google Maps, that could forever change the story of the Alcatraz escapees.
Show Notes:
[0:00] Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum. [3:30] Sheryl introduces guest Ken Widner to the listeners [5:10] Question: Tell everybody about the escape in 1962 from Alcatraz. What were you and your momma doing? [13:00] Using facial recognition to analyze photographs [13:33] Alcatraz Search for the Truth [15:30] Question: Let's talk about family loyalty, and just how far you would go. Tell us about the raft and going across to Angel Island. [18:00] Sheryl and Ken discuss crossing the rough waters and what police ignored the day of escape [25:50] Ken questions the suspicious lack of documentation regarding a key individual, poking holes in the official narrative [26:10] Question: Can you paint the picture for the listeners about Brazil? [33:42] ”You find a wheat penny up there. The date makes sense. The location does not make sense unless they were there.” [38:25] Question: Can you talk a little bit about your letter writing back and forth with Whitey Bulger? [48:57] Alcatraz, The Last Escape [50:35] “When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching. They're your family.” -J.B Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review! How to Leave an Apple Podcast Review: First, Open the podcast app on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad. Then, hit the “Search” tab at the bottom right-hand corner of the page and search for Zone 7. Select the podcast, scroll down to find the subheading “Ratings & Reviews”. and select “Write a Review.” Next, select the number of stars you’d like to leave. Please choose 5 stars! Using the text box which says “Title,” write a title for your review. Then in the text box, write the review itself. The review can be up to 300 words long, but doesn’t need to be much more than: “Love the show! Thanks!” or Once you’re done select “Send” in the upper right-hand corner.
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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.
You can connect and learn more about Sheryl’s work by visiting the CCIRI website https://coldcasecrimes.org
Social Links:
Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollumSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
