7. Whilst not housing those sentenced to death, Alcatraz was home to more than a few murders including, most famously, that of Rufus McCain in 1940
Notwithstanding the notoriety of Alcatraz, the federal prison did not possess a death row, nor the facilities to conduct an execution. Consequently, Alcatraz rarely housed inmates convicted of capital offenses and instead such individuals commonly resided at San Quentin. In spite of this, and the immense levels of security surrounding inmates, Alcatraz was the home to several murders within its own walls. In total, it is believed eight murders took place within the penitentiary, the most famous of which was the murder of Rufus McCain at the hands of Henri Young on December 3, 1940.
A convicted bank robber and murderer, Young, McCain and two others attempted an escape from Alcatraz in 1939. Captured and sentenced to three years in solitary confinement, just eleven days after the pair returned to the general population Young charged downstairs into the tailor’s shop and violently murdered McCain. Defending his actions at trial as a product of the harsh conditions on Alcatraz, detailing the brutal life in solitary confinement and alleging “cruel and unusual punishment”, Young was nevertheless found guilty. Released on parole in 1972, then-aged 61, Young jumped parole and his whereabouts and ultimate fate remain unknown.