They Escaped "British Alcatraz" With a Homemade Master Key

How do you escape a prison known as the "British Alcatraz"? Parkhurst was a Category A fortress, the "end of the line" for Britain's most violent criminals. In its entire history, NO ONE had ever escaped. It was considered impossible. But in 1995, three convicted murderers—mastermind Matthew Williams, ex-businessman Keith Rose, and career criminal Andrew Rodger—formed an unlikely team to do just that. Their plan was brilliant: they secretly built a 20-foot ladder from scrap metal in the prison's own workshop and forged a working copy of a master key to unlock the prison from the inside.

This is the incredible true story of the 1995 Parkhurst Prison escape. After distracting guards with a staged inmate fight, the trio used their homemade key to navigate the prison, grabbed their homemade ladder, and scaled the 24-foot perimeter wall. They were out. But the craziest part? Hours later, the three most wanted men in Britain called a taxi and casually told the driver they were heading to Sandown for a "little getaway." Their escape triggered one of the biggest manhunts in UK history, turning the entire Isle of Wight into a trap. Discover how they planned the impossible breakout and what happened when they tried to steal an airplane to get off the island.




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