Infamous criminals who escaped prison and disappeared for decades.

Some criminals have escaped high-security prisons and disappeared without a trace for decades. Some were eventually caught, but others remain unsolved to this day.

Prison escapes are a perennial subject for public fascination — books, movies, speculation with no end. But how are these criminals able to remain at large for so long? And what about when a fugitive is eventually caught after decades of hiding?

In this article, we’ll look at some of the most notorious prison escapes, how those on the run can remain in hiding and what happens when they are finally apprehended.

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How Do Criminals Evade and Remain Under the Radar?

Some prison breaks are carefully orchestrated, while others are purely opportunistic or due to lapses in security. But vanishing for decades takes more than escaping — it requires stealth, strategy and secrecy. Here Videos! 

How Do Prisoners Escape?

 Tunneling Out — Some inmates spend years tunneling beneath their cells. The Mexican drug lord El Chapo escaped in 2015 via a milelong tunnel.

 Bribing Guards — Money can buy freedom in corrupt prison systems. Certain criminals bribe guards to turn a blind eye or even help them escape.

 Impersonation and Forged Documents — A handful of escapees rely on counterfeit paperwork to fabricate new identities, dressing up as prison staff sometimes.

 Overpowering Guards & Violence — Physical force is part of high-risk escapes, though it may involve weapons smuggled into prison. Where criminal can go?

How Can People Go Undetected for Years? 

 Altered Identities – Many criminals have used no-identities, fake IDs and stolen identities to start a whole new life.

 Dedicating Their Lives To All Out Absconding — Some are born jurisdiction jumpers, hiding in rural areas of the world or nations without extradition from their base, making them a bit more untraceable for law enforcement

 Cash Only — This: No credit cards, no bank accounts, no ingrained records, which keeps fugitives off the grid.

 Aid from Family or Criminal Networks — Some escapees get financial or logistical support from family members or organized crime groups. See networks!

& An Infamous list of criminals who escaped and went missing

1. The Mystery of Lester Eubanks (Escaped 1973 – Still Missing)

Lester Eubanks was found guilty of killing a 14-year-old girl in 1965. It should have been simple: In 1973, as he served a life sentence in an Ohio prison, Eubanks went on temporary furlough to do some Christmas shopping — a common enough practice in those days.

He disappeared instead of coming home. Despite numerous leads, Eubanks has never been located.

 Status Today: The U.S. Marshals Service thinks he may be living under an assumed identity. He is still on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

2. The Plot to Kill Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán (2016)

El Chapo, one of the most infamous drug lords in history, broke out of a Mexican maximum-security prison in 2015 through a milelong tunnel that opened directly into his shower.

How he escaped:

Members of his cartel constructed a tunnel directly beneath his cell.

The tunnel had lights, ventilation and a motorcycle to accelerate his escape.

El Chapo was later recaptured, in 2016, and extradited to the United States, where he is currently serving a life sentence in a supermax prison.

3. The Vanishing Act of Frank Freshwaters (Escaped 1959, Found 2015)

Frank Freshwaters was convicted of manslaughter in Ohio in 1957. After spending a short time in prison, he was moved to a low-security facility, where he escaped in 1959.

He had assumed a false identity for 56 years, working as a truck driver in Florida.

 How they caught him: In 2015, police located him after matching an aged mug shot to a contemporary sketch. His identity was confirmed through his fingerprints. Some evidence! 

4.The Great Escape to Freedom from Alcatraz (1962 – Never Found)

Alcatraz, one of the world’s most secure prisons, became famous because of an impossible escape in 1962.

 The Escape:

Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin had made improvised tools and chipped away at their cell walls.

— They made decoy heads out of soap, paper and real human hair to trick guards during bed checks.

They constructed a rafts and vanished into the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay.

Were they caught? No one knows. Their bodies were never located, prompting theories that they must have survived and escaped to South America. Murder weapons!

5. The Mysterious Story of Marie Dean Arrington (Escape 1973 – Discovery 1975)

Marie Dean Arrington was one of small number of women on death row in Florida. She was convicted of killing a legal secretary and escaped in 1973.

When she was recaptured in 1975, she was living under a fake identity in New Orleans.

What Happens When a Fugitive Is Found Decor decades? 

Whether caught criminals face punishment after years — or even decades — on the run depends on legal factors like statutes of limitations, prior convictions and international laws.

 Are They Still Prosecutable?

 Yes, in most cases.

Crimes such as murder have no statute of limitations, so longer time frames can lead to trials of fugitives.

If they had already been convicted, they go back to prison to serve their original sentence.

 No, in some cases.

Some less serious offenses have a statute of limitations, meaning that the passage of time bars prosecution.

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Conclusion

Prison escapes have intrigued people for centuries, but relatively few criminals ever elude capture for decades. Some are eventually rediscovered and reappear; others remain ghosts of history.

When was the last time these fugitives were spotted? Leave your thoughts in the comments!