Name: Alcatraz Escape: The Truth Behind America’s Most Famous Prison Break
Start: 2026-05-29T16:15:00-0700
End: 2026-05-29T17:15:00-0700

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Alcatraz Escape: The Truth Behind America’s Most Famous Prison Break

Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT

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For more than 60 years, one question has haunted investigators and fascinated the world: did anyone actually escape from Alcatraz?

On the night of June 11, 1962, inmates Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin carried out one of the most daring prison breaks in American history - digging through air vents with sharpened spoons, fooling guards with papier-mâché heads in their beds, and slipping into the darkness of San Francisco Bay on a makeshift raft stitched together from prison raincoats.

The FBI concluded the men drowned in the icy waters. But their bodies were never found. Now, newly revealed FBI files, fresh forensic analysis, and decades of unanswered questions suggest the story may not be over.

Coinciding with a brand-new Discovery series investigating the escape, this riveting session brings the experts featured in the show to the CrimeCon stage: CSI authority Sheryl McCollum, Anglin family nephew Ken Widner, podcast hosts and producers Rob and Cindy Dorfmann, former U.S. Marshal Lenny DePaul, and retired FBI agent Stewart Fillmore. Together, they’ll take us inside the legendary prison break and the mystery of what may have happened after three men vanished into the night.

Speakers

Stewart Fillmore

Retired Special Agent, FBI

Stewart Fillmore retired from the FBI in 2016 following a 29-year career as a Special Agent. He served in Dallas, Little Rock, Chicago and Tyler, Texas. In 2017, he published Tenaha: Corruption And Cover-Up In Small Town Texas, about a case he worked involving public corrupt... Read More →

Sheryl McCollum

Crime Scene Investigator

Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an three time nominated Emmy Award winning CSI from CSI Atlanta, National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of Fame Inductee, Director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories... Read More →

Ken Widner

Author

Ken Widner is the nephew of John Anglin and Clarence Anglin and author of, Alcatraz: The Last Escape. His years of research challenge the official account of the 1962 Alcatraz escape.

Rob Dorfmann

Filmmaker, Producer & Podcaster

Rob and Cindy Dorfmann are not only partners in life but partners in true crime. They are award-winning filmmakers, television producers and podcasters who have produced over 600 hours of true crime content for networks and online platforms around the globe.

Cindy Dorfmann

Filmmaker, Producer & Podcaster

Lenny DePaul

Retired Chief Inspector/Commander, U.S. Marshal Service

Lenny DePaul, is a retired Chief Inspector/Commander of the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force (RFTF) after 24 years of service with the U.S. Marshal Service. He was one of the original members of the RFTF when it was established in 2002. Prior to that, he spent 12 years in the Warrant... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm PDT
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Case File

CrimeCon 2026