What belongs to us.

[kewidner]

My mother is one of the Anglin brother’s sisters. The Anglin brothers are the two that escaped Alcatraz in 1962. The family received all of the items that belonged to them excepted for two things. The dummy heads that they made and placed in their beds to fool the guards during their escape. I’d like to know if we have any rights to them as they are being held at the Alcatraz museum today.

[justalayman]

I doubt it.

First, I suspect they would be considered contraband and therefor not legally allowed to be possessed by a prisoner.

Second, they abandoned all belongings when they left. Under abandonment laws, I would suggest that actually, the family was entitled to nothing unless the prison system saw fit to give it to the family.

I bet if one of those brothers were to go and make claim for the heads, something could be worked out

[kewidner]

What if the prison system has declared them dead? The family did receive the paintings that they did. The painting was a cover to get paint used in the construction of the heads. Good point as to the abandonment laws, we may not have any rights to them now.

[justalayman]

a prison system does not and cannot declare them dead. That is a matter for the states courts to perform and there are legal direction for such actions.

The paintings you recieved themselves were probably allowed. Just the same as if they had a fork in the meal room. Once it was possessed in their cell, it would become contraband and was under different rules. As long as the paint was used as allowed, then there is nothing wrong with it. That paint they used against the rules would be considered contraband and therefore, not ownable by the inmate.

I also have a suspicion that the painting themselvs could have been claimed by the prison system unless they actually purchased the materials themselves and even then, they may have been able to be atached by the prison to recoup some of the costs of incarcerating the brothers.


I would'nt be overly hopeful but you may be able to get a local attorney to drum up some media interest that may put some pressure on the state to give them to you. It could look a bit calloused to keep them (although I honestly do not believe you have any true rights to them but that never stopped Bush from accepting the office of president either), especially if he can convince people that the family should have them, regardless of the legalities of ownership.


So, have they told you how they actually escaped?

[kewidner]

Thanks for your advice. As for the last part, let's just say one day the truth will be told.

[justalayman]

Originally Posted by kewidner

Thanks for your advice. As for the last part, let's just say one day the truth will be told.

Aw, come on. Nobody else will know I won;t tell a sole.