The 30 Most Notorious Prison Escapes Of All Time

1. The Great Escape - Now Poland (Escaped 1944)

Image source Geek Vibes NationAs set out in the classic 1963 movie, in 1944 Squadron Leader Roger Bushell RAF led the  escape from Stalag Luft III in Sagan.  A total of 76 men were able to be freed although Bushell had wanted to get 200 out.  Unfortunately , 73 were recaptured and 50 of them, including Bushell, were executed.

2. Alfred Wetzler And Rudolf Vrba - Auschwitz (Escaped 1944)

Image source LovecPokladu czOne of the most poignant and important escapes in history is documented in Wetzler's story when he plotted to get out of Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp.  A Slovakian Jew, he escaped with fellow inmate Rudolf Vrba in April 1944 by hiding in a wood pile that other prisoners had soaked with tobacco and gasoline to fool guard dogs.  He carried his own written report of the inner workings of the death camp including details of the gas chambers.  As a result, 120,000 Hungarian Jews are said to have been saved.

3. Barry Dennis - Mexico (Escaped 1977)

Image source QuoraLabelled' The Red Baron of Dope Smuggling', Barry Dennis (not his real name) managed to escape from a Mexican jail 15 months into his sentence for drug smuggling.  How he even managed to do so is mind boggling as he used crutches, was suffering from malnutrition and had no money.

4. Pascal Payet - Central France (Escaped 2001/2003/2007)

Image source ReleasedCriminlsFrenchman Payet gained notoriety for not one but two daring prison escapes.  He had been sentenced to 30 years for murder and used hijacked helicopters on each occasion. The third escape was a helicopter escape for other convicts which he organised while he was on the run.

5. Mathew Baker And James Whitlock - Pentonville (Escaped 2016)

Image source The GuardianThese two inmate escaped Pentonville in North London by using diamond-tipped cutting equipment to break through the cell bars,  They left mannequins in their beds (not sure how they acquired them!)  Baker was found 2 days later at his sister's house with dyed hair and a broken leg and Whitlock was found at an address in East London that the police had been keeping their eyes on for a different crime!

6. Marc Dutroux - Belgium (Escaped 1998)

Image source Yves Logghe/LPKnown as Belgium's most notorious criminal, Dutroux was rotten to the core.  He abducted, tortured, sexually assaulted and killed 4 young girls and attacked 2 others. He also killed an accomplice (so much for trust!) .  He was captured and taken into police custody but escaped due to negligent police officers.  He was later recaptured but his escape turned into a national embarrassment for the entire Belgian police system.

7. Clauvino Da Silva - Rio De Janeiro (Escaped 2017)

Image source Sky NewsA drug dealer in Brazil escaped from jail in Rio de Janeiro by disguising himself as his 19 year old daughter!  Prison authorities permitted his daughter to visit him and Da Silva changed his appearance by wearing a wig, silicone mask, bra and tight fitting tee-shirt  (smuggled in).  He was recaptured a few days later and 5 years was added to his 73 year sentence.

12. The Great Papago Escape - Arizona (Escaped 1944)

Image source AZCentralThis was Germany's answer to 'The Great Escape' and saw 25 German prisoners of war tunnel out of Camp Papago Park in Arizona.  They were all recaptured and didn't receive any extreme punishment for their break out.  The strangest thing was that one of the prisoners broke back into the camp on several occasions to steal food for himself and the other escapees.

13. Richard Lee McNair - Louisiana (Escaped 2006)

Image source WikipediaAfter the third attempt at escaping, convicted murderer McNair successfully mailed himself out of prison inside a palIet and fled to Canada.  He made it on to America's 'Most Wanted' list before being recaptured 18 months later.  He's now still firmly locked up.

14. Steven Jay Russell - Florida (Escaped 1992-98)

Image source HuffPostRussell escaped from prison 4 times and was the subject of Jim Carey's 'I Love You Phillip Morris'.  He broke out of jail using a variety of scams such as pretending he had AIDS.  When he was eventually re-caught  he was sentenced to 99 years plus another 45 for additional cons.

15. Alcatraz Criminals - California (Escaped 1962)

Image source Sky HistoryIn one of the most notorious prison escapes of all time, American criminals Frank Morris John Anglin and Clarence Anglin escaped from Alcatraz on an inflatable raft and were never heard of again.  The FBI never confirmed if they died during the attempt or whether they were successful.

16. Michael Wheatley - Kent (Escaped 2014)

Image source Daily MirrorSending a prisoner to an open prison after he had been convicted of 13 murders and a string of raids on building societies and banks was not the best idea.  Michael Wheatley (known as the Skull Cracker', failed to return to Standford Hill jail after being out for the day.  He was picked up 5 days later and returned to the open prison before the authorities changed their minds and he was transferred to a high security unit.

17. Jack Shepherd - London (Escaped 1724)

Image source Spitalfields LifeShepherd, a carpenter, turned to crime in 1723 when his obsession for 'ladies of the night' and alcohol stripped him of all his money.  He was imprisoned but escaped no less than 4 times, using various disguises, before the Crown decided enough was enough and they executed him.  By then he had already become notorious.

18. John Dillinger - Indiana (Escaped 1934)

Image source The GuardianLegendary outlaw John Dillinger escaped from the 'escape-proof' Crown Point jail in Indiana.  It was heavily guarded and no one except him had managed to make it to the outside world.  Apparently, according to newspaper reports, he escaped using a fake gun made from wood and blackened with shoe polish.

19. Taliban Sarposa Prison Attack - Afghanistan (Escaped 2008)

Image source Voannews.comThis was a raid by Taliban insurgents on the prison in Kandahar, Afghanistan in 2008. Due to a coordinated attack by 30 rebels with machine guns on motorbikes, 1,200 prisons were able to escape.  This mass  escape led directly to the Battle of Arghandab.

20. IRA Maze Prison Breakout - Belfast (Escaped 1983)

Image source Irish NewsA total of 38 inmates, all members of the Irish Republican Army, broke out of jail and this was the Britain's biggest ever escape. They had guns and knives smuggled in and overpowered guards.  They then hijacked a truck delivering food to the prison and when police officers tried to block the vehicle, the escapees jumped and ran.  Only 19 were ever recaptured.  The Maze prison was closed in 2000 as part of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.

21. Alfred Hinds - Nottingham (Escaped 1957)

Image source Irish Mirror'Alfie' Hinds was a British criminal and escape artist who was serving 12 years for robbery.  He escaped from 3 high security prisons,  one of them by sneaking through a locked door and tackling a 20 feet prison wall.  Following this he became known in the Press as 'Houdini' Hinds.  On another occasion he managed to 'pick' the lock on his handcuffs to break free.  He was recaptured each time but was pardoned some years later as he had immersed himself in reading about the law and his conviction was overturned on a technicality.

22. Richard Matt And David Sweat - New York (Escaped 2015)

Image source Irish MirrorTwo American prisoners, Richard Matt and David Sweat crawled along a 200 feet tunnel in the all male prison Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York.  Even though there was security at the end of it they were not spotted!  The two men, who were both serving time for murder, left guards a note that read “Have a nice day”.  Matt was found and shot dead 20 hours later and Sweat was discovered 2 days later and returned to custody.

23.  Choi Gap-Bok - Korea (Escaped 1974)

Image source RedditNicknamed 'the Korean Houdini, yoga teacher Gap-Bok discovered a way of escaping from his cell.  Rather than bending the cell bars out of shape he decided to bend himself out of shape and slipped through the tiny slot at the bottom of the cell that was used to pass food through to the prisoner.  The manoeuvre only took 34 seconds and he was able to make his way for freedom.  It was short lived though as he was rearrested 6 days later and placed in a cell with a smaller food slot!

24. Ted Bundy - Utah (Escaped 1977)

Image Source The Salt Lake TribuneTed Bundy murdered at least 30 women and escaped from custody twice before his final arrest.  The first one was when he jumped out of a second storey law library window, nothing too bizarre about that but the second he lost 30 pounds in weight so he could squeeze through a hole in his cell ceiling.  Talk about a crash diet.  His escapades have been documented in a Netflix biopic 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'.

25. Zdzislaw Najmrodzki - Poland (Escaped 1974-1989)

Image source KrymimatoriumNajmrodzki escaped from jail via a tunnel.  While walking in the prison yard he fell underground into the tunnel, dug over the course of a month by his mother and a crewmate.  From the tunnel he made his way to the motorcycle waiting for him outside the prison!  This was the 29th time in total that he had escaped from prisons and authorities, obviously not well enough!  Again, he was found 2 days later.

26. Albanian Inmates - Greece (Escaped 1995)

Image source NBC NewsAlbanian  inmates planned a daring escape from a prison which used to be a Turkish Administration building.  They used dumb bells to break the locks of the gate and bed springs to scale the wall.  A total of 29 prisoners escaped and made their way to Albania, never to be caught..

27. Victor Folke Nelson - Massachusetts (Escaped 1921)

Image source DigBostonAt the age of 22 Nelson made an incredible and highly publicised escape in front of a line of 13 prisoners attending chapel at the Charlestown State Prison.  He ran past the bullet of an armed officer, scaled a 40 feet high wall and then threw his whole body across a 10 feet space.  He then attached himself to a structure on the other side before dropping 30 feet on to a railway track.  The nifty prisoner could not be found but a friend encouraged him to give himself up (what, after all that!) and he did so around 6 months later.

28. Billy The Kid (Escaped 1881)

Image source WikipediaReal name Henry McCarty, outlaw and gunfighter 'Billy The Kid' was so named as he was barely 21 when he had murdered 8 men.  He had spent dozens of times in prison but always broke free - the jail was known to have very poor security measures. On the last occasion he tricked the prison warden into thinking he needed urgent medical attention.  The hapless officer ran off, leaving the cell door open and the key still in the lock!  Billy The Kid crawled his way through the grounds, still unnoticed and made his escape!  He was shot dead 4 months after the 8th murder he committed.

29. Peter Kropotkin - St Petersburg (Escaped 1874)

Image Source Moscovery.comKropotkin was arrested and imprisoned for being a political activist.  As he had an aristocratic background he received special privileges such as being allowed to continue his geographical work in his cell.  It was a low security prison and he manged to escape, hiding in one of the finest restaurants in the city.  His plan was to move to England but he was in no hurry as the food he was stealing daily was of the highest quality!  He did eventually move to the UK and carried on with his work.

30. Hugo De Groot - Netherlands (Escaped 1621)

Image souce vAmsterdameDe Groot was a Dutch author and was imprisoned for his involvement in the Intra- Calvinist Disputes of the Dutch Republic.  His escape made world news which is not surprising as he hid in a book chest and was smuggled out.  It was his clever wife who came up with the idea!  No attempt was made to recapture him.