Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe were prisoners at the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. On the night of December 16, 1937, the two men attempted to escape from the island prison.
They were last seen in the prison’s recreation yard, where they were believed to have climbed over a fence and disappeared into the darkness. A massive manhunt was launched, but neither Cole nor Roe was ever found despite an extensive search.
It is believed that the men may have drowned while attempting to swim to shore, as the waters around Alcatraz are notoriously cold and treacherous. Some have speculated that they may have made it to land and started new lives under assumed identities, but there is no evidence to support this theory.
Cole and Roe’s escape remains one of the most enduring mysteries in the history of Alcatraz.
Despite the intense search and the harsh conditions of the Bay, Cole and Roe were never seen or heard from again. Their fate remains a mystery to this day, and their names have become synonymous with the infamous prison on Alcatraz Island.
References:
https://www.alcatrazhistory.com/escapes1.htm
https://www.history.com/news/alcatraz-prison-escape-attempts
