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- A brilliant safecracker...
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- He spoke five languages.
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- Locked up in
a dangerous prison
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nicknamed "The Wall."
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- It was only a matter of time
until I either got killed,
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or killed somebody.
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- Hand picks a team of
five hardened convicts.
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- There was certainly a risk
to add additional members.
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- To tunnel out of the prison.
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- If the tunnel was collapsing,
that would shut off
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the air supply.
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- And make their way to freedom.
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[dramatic music]
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- If they was found out
digging that tunnel,
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they would have went to the
Hole for a lot of years.
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♪ ♪
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[exciting music]
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- Some of
the greatest stories ever told
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start behind bars.
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Locked up in the most
notorious prisons
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in the world, spied on by guards
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and fellow prisoners,
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it takes a devious mind
to find a way out.
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It could lead you to freedom,
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or it could cost you your life.
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♪ ♪
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But wouldn't you try
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when you have
nothing left to lose?
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♪ ♪
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[dramatic music]
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- Western Penitentiary,
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Freezing cold in winter,
boiling hot in summer.
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Sometimes it floods here too.
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It's one of
the oldest prisons in America.
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Back in 1882, its
amenities were cutting edge;
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running water, electricity,
and common spaces
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for prisoners to congregate.
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But what began
as an enlightened experiment
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in criminal reform
became a living hell.
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By 1996, it was overcrowded
and in disrepair.
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♪ ♪
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The one thing that never
changed is its nickname,
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"the Wall."
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♪ ♪
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- The walls
of Western State Penitentiary
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are very large, very forbidding,
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very fortress-like, massive
stone and concrete walls.
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They're 25 feet tall.
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They also run underground.
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- Your security perimeter,
that's level one
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to deter escapes.
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Then, inside the perimeter,
your gates,
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doors on the cellblocks,
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all those things
that deter inmate movement
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are part of the system
that keeps people in.
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- Where most people see a
series of impossible obstacles,
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one man sees a puzzle
to be solved.
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♪ ♪
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He's never told
his story on camera
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until now.
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♪ ♪
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- The reason why I don't want
my face seen is because
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I'd like to have the option of
choosing who I let know.
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The fact is,
that once you get that label
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of criminal, that can lead
to discrimination.
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- By 1996,
Nuno Pontes is serving
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a 10-to 24-year sentence
for safecracking.
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♪ ♪
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He's a Robin Hood,
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stealing from the rich
and giving to the poor,
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as well as to himself.
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Over the last decade, he has
been in and out of prison.
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He's been at Western Pen
for the past four years,
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and, for the first time,
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he just happens to have
a cellmate he can trust.
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♪ ♪
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- I became cellmates with Nuno
in '96,
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or end of '95.
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I call Nuno, "Nick."
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He's articulate, passionate,
he's brave.
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He believes what he says,
and he backs it up.
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Those dudes are a rare breed.
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♪ ♪
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- Because of my nature,
I had been thinking
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about escaping all along.
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There was nothing positive
to do,
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and the penitentiary
was just too dangerous.
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- It was definitely
a dangerous place.
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One time, I saw three guys
were stabbing this other guy.
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I don't know what it was about,
I don't want to know
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what it was about.
He ended up dying.
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Raises the stakes
is what it does.
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♪ ♪
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- It was only a matter of time
until I either got killed,
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or killed somebody
out of necessity.
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And either one of those
was an unacceptable option,
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so I decided to leave.
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♪ ♪
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- Nuno begins brainstorming
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with his cellmate about how
someone could escape
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the prison.
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- The first option
that I considered was
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actually bringing the wall down.
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That was abandoned because they
would have known right away
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that there was a mistake.
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- Their next idea
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is to hide
in a construction truck,
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but they soon realize
that's a dead end.
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There's always
a prisoner headcount
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before any truck leaves
the compound.
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♪ ♪
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- Then we came
to the third option,
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which was a tunnel.
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♪ ♪
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- Over the last hundred years,
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many prisoners have attempted
to escape this hellhole
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by tunneling out.
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But none have been successful.
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Not yet.
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Nuno thinks he can succeed,
but he can't do it alone.
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He has no experience tunneling,
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and neither does his cellmate.
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- That's when Arizona became
interesting, I think.
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Billingsley's nickname
was Arizona
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because he was from Arizona.
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♪ ♪
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- Kevin Billingsley is serving
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a 23 1/2-to 77-year sentence
for several charges,
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including robbery and assault.
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[siren wails]
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And he has skills Nuno needs
to dig a tunnel.
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- I meet Kevin Billingsley
through an old convict.
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I made introductions
because Kevin also was
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pursuing the idea of an escape.
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[rattling]
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Kevin had, actually,
some mining experience,
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but he was very skeptical.
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And my idea was, we'll just
break the process down
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into stages.
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We'll tackle one stage
at a time.
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- With Kevin Billingsley
on board,
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the next step is to determine
where the three of them
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should dig.
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The only way to do that
is to get jobs
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that will give them more access
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and knowledge
of the prison's layout.
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♪ ♪
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Nuno Pontes sets his sights
on working
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with the prison engineer
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in the prison's
maintenance office.
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- The prison engineer
is a critical person.
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He or she was responsible for
the plumbing, the sewage,
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the electrical, the ventilation.
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And his office was
the repository
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for all of the blueprints.
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♪ ♪
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- With a job in maintenance,
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Nuno now has an inside view
of how this place works.
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- I had access to
all the maintenance issues.
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Through that, I collected
quite a bit of knowledge
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about how the institution
was set up.
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[clock ticking]
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♪ ♪
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- And by
a remarkable stroke of luck,
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Nuno receives a request
to fix a problem
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in a warehouse just outside
the prison perimeter.
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This might be the place
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where the tunnel could end.
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♪ ♪
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- The institutional warehouse,
it's function is
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to control the movement
of goods and products
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into the prison from the street.
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- Nuno knows
that if they can find a way
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into that warehouse,
they can then walk
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right onto the street.
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♪ ♪
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It's the perfect exit point
for their tunnel.
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♪ ♪
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But he still needs to find
where it should start,
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a spot he and his co-escapees
can access
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away from the watchful eyes
of the guards.
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Nuno starts eyeing a secluded
part of the maintenance shops
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close to the warehouse
on the other side of the wall.
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- The maintenance office
and the maintenance shops
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are built just inside
the perimeter wall.
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They are close to opposite
the institutional warehouse,
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which is on the exterior
of the wall.
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- Nuno is eventually
able to get his hands
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on blueprints of the building.
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Using these diagrams,
he determines the perfect spot
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to start digging the tunnel
is this crawl space.
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But the place is surrounded
by impenetrable brick walls
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and a steel door.
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Somehow, they have
to get past all this.
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♪ ♪
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Thinking it over, something
suddenly occurs to him.
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He can access the crawl space
if he can drill through
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its exterior brick wall.
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And he knows exactly the spot.
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- So, to get through this wall
that led to the crawl space,
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I broke this overflow pipe
for this steam tank.
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And I told the maintenance guy,
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I said, "Hey, there's this
steam tank that's leaking,
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but if you guys get me
a hammer drill, I'll fix it."
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So security came over
and approved the job
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00:10:19,702 --> 00:10:21,036
and brought
this hammer drill in.
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They stood there with me.
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00:10:22,863 --> 00:10:26,949
I crawled under this platform,
started drilling on the wall.
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Of course,
the guard now is talking,
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00:10:28,285 --> 00:10:30,453
so I would drill
a little bit on this wall
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00:10:30,537 --> 00:10:32,455
and then go to the wall I
actually wanted to go through,
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and drill on that one.
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00:10:34,375 --> 00:10:37,293
- Nuno was attempting
to access the crawl space
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00:10:37,378 --> 00:10:41,723
with a guard standing
right next to him.
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00:10:41,882 --> 00:10:42,974
It's a bold plan.
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00:10:43,059 --> 00:10:44,967
[drill whines]
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00:10:45,052 --> 00:10:48,638
If the officer figures out
what he's up to,
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00:10:48,722 --> 00:10:51,974
the plot to escape this dank
and dangerous prison
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00:10:52,068 --> 00:10:54,319
will be over
before it even begins.
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00:10:54,478 --> 00:10:57,447
♪ ♪
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00:11:01,661 --> 00:11:04,570
[dramatic music]
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00:11:04,655 --> 00:11:07,082
♪ ♪
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00:11:07,241 --> 00:11:09,158
- At Pittsburg's notorious
225
00:11:09,243 --> 00:11:14,172
Western Penitentiary,
Nuno Pontes is trying to drill
226
00:11:14,331 --> 00:11:18,501
his way into
an underground crawl space.
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00:11:18,585 --> 00:11:21,179
From there,
he'll be able to tunnel
228
00:11:21,338 --> 00:11:23,515
under the prison's
impenetrable wall.
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00:11:23,599 --> 00:11:24,849
[drill whines]
230
00:11:24,934 --> 00:11:29,437
Right now, however,
he's being watched closely.
231
00:11:29,522 --> 00:11:32,432
But every time
the guard looks away,
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00:11:32,516 --> 00:11:36,861
Nuno shifts his focus
to the crawl space wall,
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00:11:36,946 --> 00:11:41,858
trying to break down
the first barrier between him
234
00:11:41,942 --> 00:11:42,784
and freedom.
235
00:11:42,868 --> 00:11:44,610
[drill whines]
236
00:11:44,695 --> 00:11:46,112
- It was just taking too long.
237
00:11:46,205 --> 00:11:48,373
This drill didn't have enough
oomph to get into that area
238
00:11:48,457 --> 00:11:52,869
to dig.
And then we abandoned that.
239
00:11:52,953 --> 00:11:55,121
- Since he can't
get into the crawl space
240
00:11:55,205 --> 00:11:58,216
with a drill, Nuno Pontes,
Kevin Billingsley,
241
00:11:58,300 --> 00:12:03,555
and Greg Quiring are going to
have to find another way.
242
00:12:03,639 --> 00:12:06,641
- The second option was
to make a key
243
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:10,136
and go through the actual doors
that led to the crawl space.
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00:12:10,220 --> 00:12:16,058
♪ ♪
245
00:12:16,143 --> 00:12:19,487
- The three escapees need a key,
246
00:12:19,572 --> 00:12:22,741
a key only the guards have,
247
00:12:22,825 --> 00:12:27,746
and, somehow, they have
to find a way to make a copy.
248
00:12:27,905 --> 00:12:29,247
- Just weren't sure
what we could use
249
00:12:29,331 --> 00:12:31,741
that would hold
the form of the key.
250
00:12:31,834 --> 00:12:33,501
This has got to be a good print.
251
00:12:33,586 --> 00:12:36,913
It's got to be both sides
for this key to work.
252
00:12:36,997 --> 00:12:39,841
- We experimented
with various materials.
253
00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:42,418
'Cause, obviously, we needed
to get an imprint of the key.
254
00:12:42,503 --> 00:12:44,846
- I know we tried a bar of soap,
255
00:12:44,930 --> 00:12:50,092
and then we did oatmeal,
and then it was Styrofoam.
256
00:12:50,177 --> 00:12:53,179
The Styrofoam really, you know,
held a nice imprint.
257
00:12:53,263 --> 00:12:55,848
- Once they get
an impression of the key,
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00:12:55,941 --> 00:12:59,277
they can then transfer that
to a piece of paper.
259
00:12:59,361 --> 00:13:02,030
- Then, from the piece of
paper, we made a key blank,
260
00:13:02,189 --> 00:13:03,364
you know, out of brass.
261
00:13:03,449 --> 00:13:05,116
In the machine shop,
we cut a piece of brass
262
00:13:05,275 --> 00:13:07,276
the right size,
and then just transferred
263
00:13:07,369 --> 00:13:11,531
the shape of the key onto it.
264
00:13:11,624 --> 00:13:13,533
- Now they need
to get their hands on the key
265
00:13:13,626 --> 00:13:15,201
to the door.
266
00:13:15,285 --> 00:13:17,462
But how?
267
00:13:17,546 --> 00:13:20,540
- So we waited for the guards
to do their rounds.
268
00:13:20,624 --> 00:13:22,383
Once they opened the lock,
269
00:13:22,468 --> 00:13:25,378
they put the keys
back on their belt.
270
00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:28,714
But the key they just used
tends to be on top.
271
00:13:28,808 --> 00:13:30,475
Obviously, the guard is not
gonna be too keen
272
00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:32,477
to let you approach him
close enough
273
00:13:32,636 --> 00:13:33,561
for you to get
an imprint of the key.
274
00:13:33,646 --> 00:13:35,054
- They have an idea.
275
00:13:35,147 --> 00:13:36,564
[people shouting]
276
00:13:36,649 --> 00:13:41,060
Nuno pays two inmates
to create a diversion for him.
277
00:13:41,153 --> 00:13:45,573
♪ ♪
278
00:13:45,732 --> 00:13:48,660
- The guard has to intervene,
but as the guard tries
279
00:13:48,744 --> 00:13:50,903
to diffuse the situation,
I step in.
280
00:13:50,988 --> 00:13:52,747
And he's welcoming
the fact that I'm there
281
00:13:52,832 --> 00:13:54,666
and I'm helping
to quell the thing.
282
00:13:54,825 --> 00:13:56,325
But I'm sitting
right next to him.
283
00:13:56,410 --> 00:13:57,669
I mean,
we are shoulder to shoulder.
284
00:13:57,828 --> 00:14:00,913
And that gives me
the opportunity to reach down.
285
00:14:00,998 --> 00:14:02,257
- Nuno has mere seconds
286
00:14:02,416 --> 00:14:04,000
to make the impression,
287
00:14:04,084 --> 00:14:05,501
and the clock is ticking.
288
00:14:05,586 --> 00:14:08,763
- It's a tense situation.
289
00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:11,257
My concern was that
the guard would hear the keys
290
00:14:11,341 --> 00:14:12,425
as I touched them.
291
00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:14,519
[keys jingle]
292
00:14:14,678 --> 00:14:15,928
It actually worked
and went fairly smoothly.
293
00:14:16,013 --> 00:14:21,017
♪ ♪
294
00:14:21,101 --> 00:14:23,102
- With the key print in hand,
295
00:14:23,186 --> 00:14:25,438
he can have a key made.
296
00:14:25,531 --> 00:14:28,032
And Kevin Billingsley
does that at night
297
00:14:28,117 --> 00:14:30,860
in his cell
in between the guards' rounds.
298
00:14:30,944 --> 00:14:33,279
♪ ♪
299
00:14:33,372 --> 00:14:36,291
The next step is to try
the key they've just made
300
00:14:36,375 --> 00:14:39,535
to see if it works.
301
00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:43,047
And they must do it
without being detected.
302
00:14:43,132 --> 00:14:45,708
- There's a risk that
one of the guard towers
303
00:14:45,792 --> 00:14:47,293
would be able to see them.
304
00:14:47,377 --> 00:14:49,387
♪ ♪
305
00:14:49,546 --> 00:14:51,714
- Nuno knows
from observing the guards
306
00:14:51,798 --> 00:14:55,801
that he and Greg have exactly
17 seconds to get to the door
307
00:14:55,895 --> 00:14:57,562
and try the key
308
00:14:57,721 --> 00:15:00,222
before the guard
on the wall above them
309
00:15:00,307 --> 00:15:03,476
comes out of his booth
and sees them at the door
310
00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,729
where they shouldn't be.
311
00:15:06,813 --> 00:15:09,732
[dramatic music]
312
00:15:09,816 --> 00:15:14,654
♪ ♪
313
00:15:14,747 --> 00:15:16,664
- We went down, we were
going to go check the key,
314
00:15:16,823 --> 00:15:17,907
make sure it works.
315
00:15:17,991 --> 00:15:24,923
♪ ♪
316
00:15:29,086 --> 00:15:31,596
Made it too thin. It broke.
317
00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:34,590
- Amazingly,
the guard in the tower
318
00:15:34,675 --> 00:15:38,511
doesn't see them, and he won't
be able to see the broken key.
319
00:15:38,595 --> 00:15:41,773
But they aren't in the clear.
320
00:15:41,932 --> 00:15:44,609
- There would be checks
that would come around
321
00:15:44,693 --> 00:15:46,686
to check to make sure that
that lock is locked.
322
00:15:46,770 --> 00:15:49,197
♪ ♪
323
00:15:49,356 --> 00:15:51,282
- If the key is found,
324
00:15:51,441 --> 00:15:54,702
not only will their plan
be discovered,
325
00:15:54,861 --> 00:15:58,698
they'll also be sent to the
place every prisoner dreads.
326
00:15:58,782 --> 00:16:00,208
♪ ♪
327
00:16:00,367 --> 00:16:04,212
Solitary confinement.
328
00:16:04,296 --> 00:16:06,631
- It was a question of
coming up with ways of dealing
329
00:16:06,715 --> 00:16:07,882
with unpredictable events.
330
00:16:08,041 --> 00:16:11,552
I had to deal with
those situations on the fly.
331
00:16:11,712 --> 00:16:14,964
- Their only option is
to steal needle-nose pliers
332
00:16:15,048 --> 00:16:17,049
from Nuno's job
at the maintenance office
333
00:16:17,134 --> 00:16:20,812
on the back side
of the building.
334
00:16:20,971 --> 00:16:23,639
- Pontes knew where tools were.
335
00:16:23,724 --> 00:16:25,141
He was able to get
to this cabinet
336
00:16:25,225 --> 00:16:26,651
where the tools were kept,
337
00:16:26,735 --> 00:16:29,487
file the hinge pins off
on the bottom,
338
00:16:29,646 --> 00:16:33,408
pop the hinge pins out,
take the tools,
339
00:16:33,492 --> 00:16:35,484
put the hinge pins back in,
340
00:16:35,569 --> 00:16:39,238
and then get them back
at the end of the day.
341
00:16:39,331 --> 00:16:42,575
- His heart races
as he rushes back to the lock
342
00:16:42,659 --> 00:16:45,336
with the stolen pliers,
343
00:16:45,421 --> 00:16:48,840
hoping the guard in the tower
doesn't see him.
344
00:16:48,924 --> 00:16:53,094
And if he can't get the
broken key out of the lock,
345
00:16:53,253 --> 00:16:57,598
it will be just a matter of
time before they are caught.
346
00:16:57,758 --> 00:17:01,427
At last, it's out.
347
00:17:01,511 --> 00:17:05,264
But they still don't have
a working key.
348
00:17:05,348 --> 00:17:07,191
- It wasn't just
a one-try thing.
349
00:17:07,276 --> 00:17:08,776
I actually had to go
several times
350
00:17:08,861 --> 00:17:10,862
until I got the key adjusted.
351
00:17:11,021 --> 00:17:14,356
- And then we got
another key made.
352
00:17:14,441 --> 00:17:18,110
- This is the moment
they have been waiting for.
353
00:17:18,195 --> 00:17:22,448
♪ ♪
354
00:17:22,541 --> 00:17:25,785
[lock clicks]
355
00:17:25,878 --> 00:17:27,620
- And it worked.
356
00:17:27,704 --> 00:17:30,298
♪ ♪
357
00:17:30,457 --> 00:17:33,134
- The first time that it works,
relief is the main emotion.
358
00:17:33,293 --> 00:17:36,387
It's like, whew, finally.
359
00:17:36,546 --> 00:17:38,798
- They can now
access the crawl space
360
00:17:38,882 --> 00:17:40,892
to begin digging.
361
00:17:40,976 --> 00:17:44,553
But before they start
operating full speed ahead,
362
00:17:44,638 --> 00:17:47,389
they need to divert
the attention of the guards
363
00:17:47,474 --> 00:17:50,476
away from the digging operation.
364
00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:56,491
♪ ♪
365
00:17:56,575 --> 00:18:01,403
- So my idea was the standard
strategy magicians use.
366
00:18:01,497 --> 00:18:03,155
You show one thing
with one hand,
367
00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,416
as you're doing one thing
with the other hand.
368
00:18:05,575 --> 00:18:09,411
So what I decide to do
is to mount a huge
369
00:18:09,496 --> 00:18:12,256
wine-producing operation.
370
00:18:12,415 --> 00:18:15,510
We were making 30 gallons
at a time.
371
00:18:15,594 --> 00:18:18,763
We are actually taking,
you know, gallons of wine
372
00:18:18,922 --> 00:18:21,257
out to the yard
and have lines set up.
373
00:18:21,341 --> 00:18:26,762
♪ ♪
374
00:18:26,847 --> 00:18:28,848
- The guard become focused
on trying to nab
375
00:18:28,932 --> 00:18:30,942
their wine-making operation,
376
00:18:31,026 --> 00:18:33,861
not realizing that the trio
is getting ready to start
377
00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:35,363
digging the tunnel.
378
00:18:35,447 --> 00:18:37,949
They're waiting
for them to slip up.
379
00:18:38,108 --> 00:18:41,944
Nuno's magic trick is
a dangerous proposition
380
00:18:42,028 --> 00:18:43,696
because if they're caught,
381
00:18:43,780 --> 00:18:46,699
their whole escape plan
could be in jeopardy.
382
00:18:46,783 --> 00:18:50,202
♪ ♪
383
00:18:50,287 --> 00:18:51,629
- There was this one guard
in particular
384
00:18:51,788 --> 00:18:53,631
that used to be
in the gate when I came
385
00:18:53,715 --> 00:18:55,958
from work to go back
to the block.
386
00:18:56,042 --> 00:18:57,543
He really didn't like me.
387
00:18:57,627 --> 00:18:59,470
One time, I got to the gate,
and he says,
388
00:18:59,629 --> 00:19:01,973
"Pontes, put your hands up.
Pat-down."
389
00:19:02,132 --> 00:19:04,049
So I pull my keys
out of my pocket
390
00:19:04,134 --> 00:19:05,810
and hand them to one guard,
and I say,
391
00:19:05,894 --> 00:19:07,303
here, hold these.
392
00:19:07,387 --> 00:19:10,472
- Inmates do have certain keys
they're allowed to have.
393
00:19:10,557 --> 00:19:12,900
A padlock on a footlocker,
for instance.
394
00:19:12,985 --> 00:19:16,487
- But in my keys, I also had
the keys that were their keys.
395
00:19:16,572 --> 00:19:18,156
I had these keys that,
obviously, they weren't
396
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:19,899
the type of keys
inmates would have.
397
00:19:19,983 --> 00:19:21,909
- Nuno has just handed
the guard the keys
398
00:19:21,994 --> 00:19:24,486
to his escape.
399
00:19:24,571 --> 00:19:27,582
Will the guard uncover his plans
400
00:19:27,666 --> 00:19:31,410
and keep him trapped
in this hellhole forever?
401
00:19:31,503 --> 00:19:33,171
♪ ♪
402
00:19:37,926 --> 00:19:39,585
- As he plots his escape
403
00:19:39,678 --> 00:19:43,839
from a Pittsburg prison,
Nuno Pontes is about to get
404
00:19:43,924 --> 00:19:47,351
a pat-down search
from a prison guard.
405
00:19:47,510 --> 00:19:51,013
The one thing Nuno does not
want him to find
406
00:19:51,097 --> 00:19:55,860
is the illegal copy
of the key to the crawl space.
407
00:19:55,944 --> 00:19:59,197
That is the key to his freedom,
408
00:19:59,281 --> 00:20:02,533
so he makes a bold choice.
409
00:20:02,618 --> 00:20:05,527
He hands the key
right to the guard.
410
00:20:05,612 --> 00:20:07,947
♪ ♪
411
00:20:08,031 --> 00:20:09,531
- They never actually looked
at the keys.
412
00:20:09,616 --> 00:20:15,880
♪ ♪
413
00:20:16,039 --> 00:20:18,299
- While Nuno may
not have gotten caught
414
00:20:18,383 --> 00:20:20,134
with the keys
to the crawl space,
415
00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:23,221
their wine-making operation
backfires.
416
00:20:23,380 --> 00:20:26,048
They lose
one of their team members,
417
00:20:26,132 --> 00:20:28,142
Greg Quiring.
418
00:20:28,227 --> 00:20:30,719
- I was on cell restriction
for the wine. [chuckles]
419
00:20:30,812 --> 00:20:32,304
So I was locked in my cell.
420
00:20:32,389 --> 00:20:34,556
I can't be at yard,
I can't be at work
421
00:20:34,641 --> 00:20:36,392
at the library or anything else.
422
00:20:36,485 --> 00:20:39,478
- After his time
on cell restriction,
423
00:20:39,571 --> 00:20:43,407
Greg is sent to solitary
for an unrelated incident.
424
00:20:43,566 --> 00:20:45,993
He won't be taking part
in the escape.
425
00:20:46,152 --> 00:20:48,412
Luckily for the team,
426
00:20:48,497 --> 00:20:52,157
Greg is the only one nabbed
for wine-making.
427
00:20:52,242 --> 00:20:57,672
♪ ♪
428
00:20:57,756 --> 00:20:59,581
With the precarious cover
in place
429
00:20:59,666 --> 00:21:01,667
and the key to the crawl space,
430
00:21:01,751 --> 00:21:04,920
Nuno and Kevin are ready
to start digging.
431
00:21:05,005 --> 00:21:08,432
♪ ♪
432
00:21:08,517 --> 00:21:10,759
- At first,
it was just Kevin and I.
433
00:21:10,852 --> 00:21:12,761
And we would take turns
going down there
434
00:21:12,854 --> 00:21:14,438
because when we go down to dig,
435
00:21:14,523 --> 00:21:15,690
somebody has to lock
436
00:21:15,849 --> 00:21:16,941
whoever's down there in
437
00:21:17,100 --> 00:21:19,360
'cause you can't
leave the lock unlocked.
438
00:21:19,519 --> 00:21:21,112
The guards would notice.
439
00:21:21,271 --> 00:21:23,689
- Once they're locked
into the crawl space,
440
00:21:23,782 --> 00:21:26,617
they have little more
than some pieces of wood,
441
00:21:26,776 --> 00:21:29,361
some buckets, and some hardhats
442
00:21:29,446 --> 00:21:31,706
they've stolen
from the prison's power plant
443
00:21:31,865 --> 00:21:34,375
and rigged with lights.
444
00:21:34,459 --> 00:21:37,286
- The digging is hard.
The soil is clay.
445
00:21:37,370 --> 00:21:38,454
It's a riverbank.
446
00:21:38,538 --> 00:21:42,458
We would break clay loose
with the sticks
447
00:21:42,542 --> 00:21:46,545
and then pull it up
into the crawl space.
448
00:21:46,629 --> 00:21:50,391
- Just to go 60 feet, they have
to remove 15 tons of soil
449
00:21:50,550 --> 00:21:53,385
from that little opening.
450
00:21:53,470 --> 00:21:54,895
That's a lot of material
to be hauling around.
451
00:21:55,055 --> 00:21:56,147
It's very strenuous.
452
00:21:56,231 --> 00:21:58,232
- Nuno and Kevin are
hoping to tunnel
453
00:21:58,317 --> 00:22:00,142
from the crawl space
to the warehouse
454
00:22:00,226 --> 00:22:03,145
on the other side of the wall,
455
00:22:03,229 --> 00:22:06,991
but there are big obstacles
in their way.
456
00:22:07,150 --> 00:22:08,826
- The wall went
down underground,
457
00:22:08,985 --> 00:22:11,162
so we would have to dig
14 feet down,
458
00:22:11,321 --> 00:22:14,490
and then across
because there was a road
459
00:22:14,574 --> 00:22:16,742
- There's quite a bit
of inherent danger
460
00:22:16,826 --> 00:22:19,337
where they dug this tunnel.
461
00:22:19,421 --> 00:22:23,832
Coal trucks run over the road
that they went underneath.
462
00:22:23,917 --> 00:22:26,844
They certainly had
a real possibility
463
00:22:26,928 --> 00:22:28,087
of having a cave-in.
464
00:22:28,171 --> 00:22:30,431
♪ ♪
465
00:22:30,590 --> 00:22:33,425
- And not only do they have to
worry about collapse,
466
00:22:33,510 --> 00:22:36,178
they also have to worry about
running out of oxygen
467
00:22:36,262 --> 00:22:38,105
as they dig deeper
into the earth.
468
00:22:38,190 --> 00:22:40,349
[heavy breathing]
469
00:22:40,433 --> 00:22:44,520
♪ ♪
470
00:22:44,604 --> 00:22:46,772
- We were constantly
running out of air in there,
471
00:22:46,865 --> 00:22:49,608
so we have to come back,
turn around, and go back.
472
00:22:49,692 --> 00:22:50,951
- The threat of collapse
473
00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:52,453
and the potential
for suffocating
474
00:22:52,612 --> 00:22:55,030
is heavy on their minds
475
00:22:55,115 --> 00:22:58,534
as they slowly expand
their tunnel.
476
00:22:58,627 --> 00:23:00,211
But the risk is worth the reward
477
00:23:00,370 --> 00:23:02,037
if they can dig
their way to freedom.
478
00:23:02,122 --> 00:23:09,053
♪ ♪
479
00:23:13,967 --> 00:23:15,968
The work is slow going.
480
00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:19,138
Nuno and Kevin debate about
adding another team member
481
00:23:19,231 --> 00:23:21,056
to help dig.
482
00:23:21,141 --> 00:23:23,892
Then something
out of their control happens.
483
00:23:23,985 --> 00:23:26,987
- Carmen Keller saw something.
484
00:23:27,147 --> 00:23:28,397
He's asking questions.
485
00:23:28,490 --> 00:23:29,990
He's obviously suspicious
that something more
486
00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:31,984
than just the wine-making
is going on.
487
00:23:32,068 --> 00:23:37,998
♪ ♪
488
00:23:38,083 --> 00:23:40,159
- Carmen Keller,
an inmate serving
489
00:23:40,243 --> 00:23:42,420
a life sentence
for second-degree murder,
490
00:23:42,579 --> 00:23:45,840
is added to the team
as a third member.
491
00:23:45,999 --> 00:23:49,343
- I'm nervous about hiring him,
but by bringing him in,
492
00:23:49,428 --> 00:23:53,839
he's got an incentive not
to tell anything to anybody.
493
00:23:53,923 --> 00:23:55,924
- Carmen Keller brings
more to the table
494
00:23:56,009 --> 00:23:58,177
than just
an extra pair of hands.
495
00:23:58,261 --> 00:24:00,345
♪ ♪
496
00:24:00,430 --> 00:24:05,359
- He had a job as a pass runner
for the educational department.
497
00:24:05,444 --> 00:24:06,777
- As a pass runner,
498
00:24:06,936 --> 00:24:09,196
Carmen is given access to places
499
00:24:09,355 --> 00:24:12,024
and allowed to wander the
prison without much oversight.
500
00:24:12,108 --> 00:24:16,361
This means he has time to dig
and can provide passes
501
00:24:16,446 --> 00:24:19,039
for the other inmates
to get them out of their jobs
502
00:24:19,199 --> 00:24:21,625
and cells when need be.
503
00:24:21,710 --> 00:24:23,702
While the three men dig
the tunnel,
504
00:24:23,786 --> 00:24:25,954
Nuno is planning ahead.
505
00:24:26,039 --> 00:24:29,884
♪ ♪
506
00:24:29,968 --> 00:24:31,877
And for the getaway,
507
00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:35,547
he will need to add
a fourth team member,
508
00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,216
George Conard.
509
00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:43,138
♪ ♪
510
00:24:43,223 --> 00:24:45,399
George Conard is
a convicted killer
511
00:24:45,558 --> 00:24:47,476
serving a life sentence.
512
00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,236
- George Conard is
from Pittsburg,
513
00:24:49,321 --> 00:24:50,738
and he's got contacts
on the outside
514
00:24:50,822 --> 00:24:53,157
that can provide us
with a getaway car
515
00:24:53,316 --> 00:24:55,234
once we get to the other side
of the wall.
516
00:24:55,318 --> 00:24:58,070
- Conard is essential
to arranging local connections
517
00:24:58,154 --> 00:25:00,247
once they escape the prison
so that Nuno
518
00:25:00,332 --> 00:25:02,666
and his team can travel
to Texas.
519
00:25:02,751 --> 00:25:05,410
From there, they plan
to leave the country
520
00:25:05,495 --> 00:25:07,579
and go their separate ways.
521
00:25:07,664 --> 00:25:09,081
♪ ♪
522
00:25:09,165 --> 00:25:12,501
With Conard, the four-member
team is able to dig faster
523
00:25:12,594 --> 00:25:15,420
than they ever have before.
524
00:25:15,505 --> 00:25:17,506
- We are trying to get as many
shifts in as possible.
525
00:25:17,599 --> 00:25:19,174
Keller can get away
in the morning,
526
00:25:19,259 --> 00:25:23,095
and I can also sneak away
in the morning sometimes.
527
00:25:23,179 --> 00:25:25,105
But most of the time,
it's Carmen and Kevin
528
00:25:25,265 --> 00:25:26,524
in the afternoon.
529
00:25:26,608 --> 00:25:30,352
- After four weeks,
they have dug 14 feet down
530
00:25:30,436 --> 00:25:33,781
and 30 feet across
under the access road,
531
00:25:33,940 --> 00:25:38,026
putting them somewhere right
below the wall's foundation.
532
00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,538
Although they are moving
quicker now,
533
00:25:40,622 --> 00:25:43,115
there's always the danger of
being caught red-handed.
534
00:25:43,199 --> 00:25:50,289
♪ ♪
535
00:25:50,373 --> 00:25:52,541
- One day, I put him
in the tunnel, lock him in,
536
00:25:52,625 --> 00:25:54,552
and I go
to the Chow Hole to eat.
537
00:25:54,636 --> 00:25:56,637
While I'm in
the Chow Hole eating,
538
00:25:56,721 --> 00:25:58,389
the alarms go off.
539
00:25:58,473 --> 00:25:59,965
They blow the horn three times.
540
00:26:00,058 --> 00:26:02,893
[horn blares]
541
00:26:02,978 --> 00:26:06,313
- In December of '96,
shortly after noon,
542
00:26:06,398 --> 00:26:09,233
an inmate stabbed two officers.
543
00:26:09,392 --> 00:26:11,393
From that,
we did a general alarm to get
544
00:26:11,477 --> 00:26:13,988
all the inmates
back into their cellblocks
545
00:26:14,147 --> 00:26:15,823
in a general lockdown.
546
00:26:15,907 --> 00:26:18,650
- They locked the Chow Hole.
I'm locked in there.
547
00:26:18,735 --> 00:26:20,819
And, obviously, the first thing
548
00:26:20,903 --> 00:26:21,829
what I'm thinking now is,
549
00:26:21,988 --> 00:26:23,080
"I gotta go
get these guys out."
550
00:26:23,239 --> 00:26:25,583
This prison's
gonna be locked down,
551
00:26:25,667 --> 00:26:26,825
and they have no way
out of there.
552
00:26:26,918 --> 00:26:29,420
[horn blares]
553
00:26:29,504 --> 00:26:32,164
- Mr. Pontes knew if he didn't
get them out of there
554
00:26:32,248 --> 00:26:34,666
right away, the jig was up.
555
00:26:34,751 --> 00:26:37,002
- If they were found out
digging that tunnel,
556
00:26:37,095 --> 00:26:39,004
they would have went
to the Hole for a lot of years.
557
00:26:39,097 --> 00:26:40,514
A lot of years.
558
00:26:40,599 --> 00:26:42,090
- Let's go, let's go!
559
00:26:42,175 --> 00:26:44,351
- Nuno Pontes is going to
have to think fast
560
00:26:44,436 --> 00:26:47,346
if he's going to get the guys
safely out of the tunnel
561
00:26:47,430 --> 00:26:50,024
without anyone knowing
what they were up to.
562
00:26:50,108 --> 00:26:53,277
If he can't figure it out,
the escape is over,
563
00:26:53,361 --> 00:26:55,195
and they will all rot
in the Hole
564
00:26:55,355 --> 00:26:57,281
for many, many years.
565
00:27:03,121 --> 00:27:06,698
[dramatic music]
566
00:27:06,791 --> 00:27:10,294
- For the last year,
four men have been furiously
567
00:27:10,378 --> 00:27:12,713
planning and working
towards a daring escape
568
00:27:12,797 --> 00:27:17,292
from Pennsylvania's infamous
Western Penitentiary.
569
00:27:17,377 --> 00:27:20,971
Their plans are
on the brink of collapse
570
00:27:21,130 --> 00:27:24,883
as two prison guards
have been stabbed,
571
00:27:24,967 --> 00:27:28,637
sending the prison
into lockdown mode.
572
00:27:28,721 --> 00:27:32,483
Carmen Keller
and Kevin Billingsley
573
00:27:32,642 --> 00:27:36,070
are underground,
digging the escape tunnel.
574
00:27:36,154 --> 00:27:38,405
They can't hear
the lockdown alarm
575
00:27:38,564 --> 00:27:39,990
blaring at the surface.
576
00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:44,403
Mastermind Nuno Pontes
has to think fast
577
00:27:44,496 --> 00:27:46,905
because if they don't
get back to their cells
578
00:27:46,989 --> 00:27:51,835
for head count, the entire
escape plot is done for,
579
00:27:51,994 --> 00:27:53,912
and they'll all spend years
in the Hole.
580
00:27:53,996 --> 00:27:56,090
♪ ♪
581
00:27:56,174 --> 00:27:57,833
- I could have walked away.
582
00:27:57,917 --> 00:28:01,261
They would have been locked
in there.
583
00:28:01,421 --> 00:28:03,263
That wouldn't have been neither
the smart nor the right thing
584
00:28:03,348 --> 00:28:05,507
to do.
585
00:28:05,591 --> 00:28:08,185
- Nuno Pontes asks
two fellow inmates
586
00:28:08,344 --> 00:28:10,604
to create a disturbance
as they're walking back
587
00:28:10,689 --> 00:28:12,681
to their cells
so he can slip off.
588
00:28:12,765 --> 00:28:14,349
- [whispers] Now.
589
00:28:14,434 --> 00:28:17,352
[people shouting]
590
00:28:17,437 --> 00:28:24,535
♪ ♪
591
00:28:24,619 --> 00:28:27,612
- His plan works,
and the guard doesn't realize
592
00:28:27,706 --> 00:28:30,207
he's missing.
593
00:28:30,366 --> 00:28:32,534
But Nuno isn't in the clear yet.
594
00:28:32,618 --> 00:28:34,712
He still has to get
into the crawl space
595
00:28:34,796 --> 00:28:37,539
and be locked in so the guards
don't notice anything
596
00:28:37,623 --> 00:28:38,874
out of place.
597
00:28:38,958 --> 00:28:41,218
And to do that,
he's going to need the help
598
00:28:41,302 --> 00:28:42,469
of another inmate,
599
00:28:42,554 --> 00:28:46,306
one who isn't aware
of the escape plan.
600
00:28:46,391 --> 00:28:49,718
- I grabbed this guy, Tree,
and I said, come with me.
601
00:28:49,802 --> 00:28:51,803
I didn't necessarily want
to let anybody else know,
602
00:28:51,896 --> 00:28:53,313
but I have no choice.
603
00:28:53,398 --> 00:28:56,734
I tell Tree, here's this key.
Lock this door behind me.
604
00:28:56,818 --> 00:28:58,643
Come back in ten minutes
and let me out.
605
00:28:58,728 --> 00:29:02,314
And that was--that was
a very tense moment
606
00:29:02,407 --> 00:29:04,483
'cause I have no idea
if this guy's gonna do it.
607
00:29:04,567 --> 00:29:08,236
♪ ♪
608
00:29:08,321 --> 00:29:10,071
I started to go through
the crawl space.
609
00:29:10,165 --> 00:29:12,073
Kevin and Carmen are coming.
610
00:29:12,158 --> 00:29:13,417
For some reason,
they had a sense
611
00:29:13,576 --> 00:29:14,826
that something wasn't right,
so they were coming out
612
00:29:14,919 --> 00:29:16,253
of the tunnel.
613
00:29:16,337 --> 00:29:17,254
And I tell them,
"Look, we gotta go.
614
00:29:17,338 --> 00:29:19,998
There's a lockdown
in progress."
615
00:29:20,082 --> 00:29:22,926
We go back to the exit.
616
00:29:23,085 --> 00:29:24,928
- Nuno and the escape team fear
617
00:29:25,013 --> 00:29:27,097
Tree won't come back
to let them out.
618
00:29:27,182 --> 00:29:31,009
If he doesn't come back, the
next person to open that door
619
00:29:31,093 --> 00:29:32,928
will be one of the guards,
620
00:29:33,012 --> 00:29:37,015
guaranteeing them all years
in solitary.
621
00:29:37,099 --> 00:29:41,111
In their minds,
there's only one question,
622
00:29:41,196 --> 00:29:43,688
"Who's going to open
the door next?"
623
00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:47,025
Tree or the guards?
624
00:29:47,109 --> 00:29:50,704
♪ ♪
625
00:29:50,789 --> 00:29:56,126
Thankfully, Tree pulls through
and opens the door.
626
00:29:56,211 --> 00:29:58,537
- And so we went to our blocks,
and that was it.
627
00:29:58,621 --> 00:30:01,039
It was by the skin
of the teeth, as they say.
628
00:30:01,123 --> 00:30:04,709
♪ ♪
629
00:30:04,794 --> 00:30:07,712
- The team's close call
creates a strong bond,
630
00:30:07,806 --> 00:30:11,225
and they resolve to finish
the tunnel even faster.
631
00:30:11,309 --> 00:30:12,559
- From then on,
632
00:30:12,718 --> 00:30:14,636
they were much more willing
to do whatever I said
633
00:30:14,729 --> 00:30:16,146
'cause they just
couldn't believe
634
00:30:16,231 --> 00:30:18,890
that I actually went there
and told Tree to lock me in.
635
00:30:18,975 --> 00:30:20,818
'Cause, in essence, whatever
fate they were gonna suffer,
636
00:30:20,902 --> 00:30:22,394
I was gonna suffer.
637
00:30:22,478 --> 00:30:24,738
- Meanwhile,
Nuno's working on the plan
638
00:30:24,897 --> 00:30:28,400
for what happens once they
leave the prison walls behind.
639
00:30:28,484 --> 00:30:32,079
- So Conard is supposed to have
gotten somebody to be there
640
00:30:32,163 --> 00:30:33,405
with a car for us.
641
00:30:33,498 --> 00:30:35,574
But he's not coming through,
so we need somebody
642
00:30:35,658 --> 00:30:37,742
that knows how to steal a car.
643
00:30:37,827 --> 00:30:40,495
And none of us has any
experience with stealing cars.
644
00:30:40,580 --> 00:30:42,840
Kevin, he says, "Look, there's
this kid that's a car thief.
645
00:30:42,924 --> 00:30:44,833
He can hotwire
a car very quickly.
646
00:30:44,917 --> 00:30:48,003
♪ ♪
647
00:30:48,087 --> 00:30:51,673
- Andrew Heim is serving
a 4-to 15-year sentence
648
00:30:51,757 --> 00:30:54,259
for theft and assault offenses.
649
00:30:54,352 --> 00:30:58,346
- I don't really know Andrew,
but we do have this problem.
650
00:30:58,431 --> 00:30:59,347
- There was certainly a risk
651
00:30:59,432 --> 00:31:01,191
with Nuno adding
additional members
652
00:31:01,276 --> 00:31:03,110
because the more people
that know stuff,
653
00:31:03,194 --> 00:31:05,437
the more people that can tell.
654
00:31:05,521 --> 00:31:07,030
- Andrew Heim is
the fifth member
655
00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:08,282
added to the team
656
00:31:08,441 --> 00:31:11,285
just as the tunnel is
nearing completion.
657
00:31:11,369 --> 00:31:13,778
But he's not
the only new addition.
658
00:31:13,863 --> 00:31:17,791
Nuno brings on
an unlikely sixth member,
659
00:31:17,876 --> 00:31:19,451
Thomas Berkelbaugh.
660
00:31:19,535 --> 00:31:23,547
♪ ♪
661
00:31:23,631 --> 00:31:26,207
Berkelbaugh has
a long history of robberies
662
00:31:26,292 --> 00:31:29,628
and is serving
a 10-to 20-year sentence.
663
00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:32,639
- Berkelbaugh is a little bit
of a different duck,
664
00:31:32,798 --> 00:31:34,391
as far as the escape goes.
665
00:31:34,550 --> 00:31:37,811
He had very little role
to play in it.
666
00:31:37,896 --> 00:31:40,564
He and Pontes were friends.
667
00:31:40,648 --> 00:31:42,733
They decided to take him along
668
00:31:42,817 --> 00:31:44,818
because they felt sorry for him
669
00:31:44,903 --> 00:31:47,145
that he was gonna go blind.
670
00:31:47,229 --> 00:31:50,649
♪ ♪
671
00:31:50,733 --> 00:31:52,910
- There are now six inmates
672
00:31:52,994 --> 00:31:54,828
in on the escape.
673
00:31:54,987 --> 00:31:57,572
The team is complete.
674
00:31:57,657 --> 00:32:00,158
- When you look at these six,
they live in different areas,
675
00:32:00,242 --> 00:32:01,919
they work in different areas,
676
00:32:02,078 --> 00:32:06,840
their age groups
are from 30 to 65.
677
00:32:06,999 --> 00:32:10,177
There's not a lot of other
things that tie them together,
678
00:32:10,261 --> 00:32:13,180
other than the goal
of doing this escape.
679
00:32:13,264 --> 00:32:14,589
- The prisoners
have been tunneling
680
00:32:14,674 --> 00:32:16,841
for four months.
681
00:32:16,935 --> 00:32:18,685
But the most difficult part
of breaking out
682
00:32:18,844 --> 00:32:21,513
still hangs over their heads,
683
00:32:21,606 --> 00:32:25,525
digging straight up 14 feet
to reach the floor
684
00:32:25,610 --> 00:32:28,278
of the industrial warehouse.
685
00:32:28,437 --> 00:32:30,021
- Now you're actually
excavating the dirt
686
00:32:30,114 --> 00:32:31,272
above your head.
687
00:32:31,357 --> 00:32:34,117
If you hit any kind
of unstable condition,
688
00:32:34,202 --> 00:32:36,954
then you're gonna get
a major collapse.
689
00:32:37,038 --> 00:32:38,705
- I was the only one
crazy enough
690
00:32:38,864 --> 00:32:39,864
to do that sort of thing.
691
00:32:39,958 --> 00:32:41,708
And the last
bit of dirt came down,
692
00:32:41,867 --> 00:32:44,711
and this rush of air came in.
693
00:32:44,796 --> 00:32:46,621
This vacuum of "Whoo!"
694
00:32:46,714 --> 00:32:48,707
The tunnel filled with air.
695
00:32:48,791 --> 00:32:51,885
[breathing heavily]
696
00:32:51,970 --> 00:32:56,297
- Freedom is
so close they can feel it,
697
00:32:56,391 --> 00:32:59,050
but their tunnel isn't complete.
698
00:32:59,135 --> 00:33:03,146
The last and most
difficult step is next,
699
00:33:03,231 --> 00:33:05,223
breaking through the warehouse's
700
00:33:05,307 --> 00:33:07,976
reinforced concrete floor.
701
00:33:08,060 --> 00:33:11,896
To do that,
they're going to need tools.
702
00:33:11,981 --> 00:33:16,660
♪ ♪
703
00:33:16,819 --> 00:33:19,738
- I have keys that I made
for the engineer's office
704
00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:21,906
and for the cabinets,
that's where there's tools.
705
00:33:21,991 --> 00:33:25,744
We wait until night.
706
00:33:25,828 --> 00:33:29,330
I get a hammer drill,
and an hydraulic jack.
707
00:33:29,415 --> 00:33:31,499
We took those tools down
into the tunnel,
708
00:33:31,584 --> 00:33:34,586
we drilled a bunch of holes
in the concrete
709
00:33:34,670 --> 00:33:36,004
to weaken the concrete.
710
00:33:36,097 --> 00:33:37,180
And then we made a little indent
711
00:33:37,265 --> 00:33:38,348
on the cement wall,
712
00:33:38,507 --> 00:33:39,933
put the hydraulic jack
against that,
713
00:33:40,092 --> 00:33:41,509
and then we just pump.
714
00:33:41,594 --> 00:33:44,438
[drill hammers]
715
00:33:44,597 --> 00:33:48,433
- So they crank this jack
till it literally broke through
716
00:33:48,517 --> 00:33:50,360
the concrete floor.
717
00:33:50,445 --> 00:33:52,612
And then they use this
reciprocating saw
718
00:33:52,772 --> 00:33:54,606
to cut through the rebar
719
00:33:54,690 --> 00:33:56,775
and create an opening that
allowed them to have access.
720
00:33:56,859 --> 00:34:00,537
♪ ♪
721
00:34:00,696 --> 00:34:04,282
- They came up near
a mechanical room
722
00:34:04,375 --> 00:34:05,625
for two reasons.
723
00:34:05,710 --> 00:34:08,286
There's a lot of noise there
that would cover
724
00:34:08,370 --> 00:34:10,714
their noise that they would make
725
00:34:10,873 --> 00:34:12,540
when they're breaking
through the floor.
726
00:34:12,625 --> 00:34:15,293
And it's in the very back
of the warehouse,
727
00:34:15,377 --> 00:34:19,973
quite a ways from where any
staff would be at, normally.
728
00:34:20,132 --> 00:34:23,643
- It's a bold risk to
leave the tunnel exit exposed,
729
00:34:23,803 --> 00:34:26,137
but they have no choice.
730
00:34:26,222 --> 00:34:30,475
They all can't get there
until the morning.
731
00:34:30,559 --> 00:34:34,145
They just have to pray
that no one will find it
732
00:34:34,230 --> 00:34:36,147
before they can leave.
733
00:34:36,232 --> 00:34:37,908
♪ ♪
734
00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:44,915
- At Pittsburg's
notorious Western Pen,
735
00:34:44,999 --> 00:34:47,918
it's almost go time.
736
00:34:48,002 --> 00:34:50,411
Nuno Pontes
and his coconspirators
737
00:34:50,496 --> 00:34:53,081
have completed
their tunnel to freedom.
738
00:34:53,174 --> 00:34:56,676
Now they wait for dawn to break
739
00:34:56,761 --> 00:35:01,014
so that
all six of them can escape.
740
00:35:01,173 --> 00:35:03,174
- I was awake all night.
741
00:35:03,267 --> 00:35:05,343
That is the first and
only time during this project
742
00:35:05,427 --> 00:35:07,938
when I confronted the enormity
of what's going on.
743
00:35:08,097 --> 00:35:10,273
I'm responsible
for these guys with me,
744
00:35:10,432 --> 00:35:12,100
and all sorts of things
can go wrong.
745
00:35:12,184 --> 00:35:13,860
So I remember being in the cell
746
00:35:13,945 --> 00:35:15,937
and just shaking uncontrollably.
747
00:35:16,021 --> 00:35:23,027
♪ ♪
748
00:35:23,112 --> 00:35:25,530
- Dawn eventually comes.
749
00:35:25,614 --> 00:35:27,031
It's time.
750
00:35:27,116 --> 00:35:29,376
- All six of the inmates were
up early that morning.
751
00:35:29,535 --> 00:35:33,046
Most of them left their cells
sometime between 6:00 and 6:30.
752
00:35:33,131 --> 00:35:34,965
- Keller was a pass runner.
753
00:35:35,124 --> 00:35:38,718
He got us a bunch of blank
early call passes.
754
00:35:38,878 --> 00:35:40,461
These are passes that get
you out of your cell early
755
00:35:40,555 --> 00:35:42,722
before they open for the day.
756
00:35:42,807 --> 00:35:45,383
- They converged, and
they started to work their way
757
00:35:45,467 --> 00:35:46,718
through the tunnel.
758
00:35:46,802 --> 00:35:52,056
♪ ♪
759
00:35:52,141 --> 00:35:53,483
- Conard had never been there,
760
00:35:53,642 --> 00:35:56,069
Andrew Heim had never been
there,
761
00:35:56,154 --> 00:35:59,823
Berkelbaugh had never been
there, so Kevin went first,
762
00:35:59,907 --> 00:36:02,659
and I went last to make sure
nobody would turn around
763
00:36:02,743 --> 00:36:05,737
and potentially
give the thing away.
764
00:36:05,821 --> 00:36:07,164
- Making it through the tunnel
765
00:36:07,248 --> 00:36:11,918
would be challenging,
even for the most athletic.
766
00:36:12,003 --> 00:36:15,255
Nuno worries that they
may not all be able to claw
767
00:36:15,414 --> 00:36:17,832
their way to freedom.
768
00:36:17,917 --> 00:36:19,593
- Berkelbaugh is right
in front of me.
769
00:36:19,677 --> 00:36:21,085
His prosthetic eye came out.
770
00:36:21,170 --> 00:36:23,922
- Augh!
771
00:36:24,006 --> 00:36:26,016
- He just felt his way around
and found it.
772
00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:28,676
You know, it was
one of those surreal moments.
773
00:36:28,761 --> 00:36:32,931
"I lost my eye." [chuckles]
Well, it happens.
774
00:36:33,015 --> 00:36:39,863
♪ ♪
775
00:36:51,375 --> 00:36:55,036
- Amazingly, all six
make it out of the tunnel.
776
00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:57,214
♪ ♪
777
00:36:57,298 --> 00:36:59,132
- Finally, we are all
in this room in the warehouse.
778
00:36:59,217 --> 00:37:01,709
We change clothes.
779
00:37:01,794 --> 00:37:04,721
- At the time, the prison
allowed civilian clothes.
780
00:37:04,805 --> 00:37:07,131
This was part of a prisoner's
bill of rights.
781
00:37:07,216 --> 00:37:11,394
♪ ♪
782
00:37:11,553 --> 00:37:13,313
- Even with
their civilian clothes on,
783
00:37:13,472 --> 00:37:17,317
they need to figure out a way
to get out of the warehouse,
784
00:37:17,476 --> 00:37:19,560
and there is a catch.
785
00:37:19,645 --> 00:37:21,571
A guard is stationed on the wall
786
00:37:21,730 --> 00:37:24,482
directly above the exit
to the street.
787
00:37:24,566 --> 00:37:26,326
- Turns out,
the door can just be opened,
788
00:37:26,485 --> 00:37:29,579
so I go out there first
to see what needed to be done.
789
00:37:29,664 --> 00:37:31,748
The guard is there,
and he's looking at me.
790
00:37:31,832 --> 00:37:34,334
I come back in, and I say,
"Look, the guard is sitting
791
00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:37,078
"out there on the wall,
so you guys just remain calm.
792
00:37:37,171 --> 00:37:38,830
I'm gonna say something
to him."
793
00:37:38,923 --> 00:37:41,582
We have street clothes,
we have hardhats.
794
00:37:41,667 --> 00:37:43,927
- Because it is outside
the secure perimeter,
795
00:37:44,011 --> 00:37:46,337
anyone that you would see
there, you would think was
796
00:37:46,422 --> 00:37:48,673
either working as
a maintenance crew.
797
00:37:48,757 --> 00:37:49,841
No one would think
798
00:37:49,925 --> 00:37:52,352
that inmates are coming
from that area
799
00:37:52,436 --> 00:37:54,345
and escaping the institution.
800
00:37:54,430 --> 00:37:58,358
♪ ♪
801
00:37:58,517 --> 00:38:00,685
- So we all walk out.
802
00:38:00,778 --> 00:38:02,445
The guard looks down at us,
and I look up at him
803
00:38:02,604 --> 00:38:04,614
and waved at him,
and he waved at us.
804
00:38:04,773 --> 00:38:08,276
And we went out the door
onto the street.
805
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:11,195
The exhilaration
was overwhelming.
806
00:38:11,289 --> 00:38:13,531
The air felt different,
the light felt different.
807
00:38:13,624 --> 00:38:14,958
Everything.
808
00:38:15,042 --> 00:38:16,626
There's something
supernatural about it,
809
00:38:16,785 --> 00:38:18,703
it's just unbelievable
'cause, I guess,
810
00:38:18,787 --> 00:38:20,046
until the very last minute,
you don't think
811
00:38:20,131 --> 00:38:21,205
it's gonna go through.
812
00:38:21,290 --> 00:38:24,459
♪ ♪
813
00:38:24,552 --> 00:38:28,212
We are free, but not scot-free.
814
00:38:28,297 --> 00:38:30,548
I mean, obviously,
now is the hard part.
815
00:38:30,641 --> 00:38:33,143
♪ ♪
816
00:38:33,302 --> 00:38:34,561
- As soon as they got
outside the prison,
817
00:38:34,645 --> 00:38:37,647
they stole a car,
piled into that car.
818
00:38:37,732 --> 00:38:41,059
[engine revs]
819
00:38:41,143 --> 00:38:43,320
♪ ♪
820
00:38:43,479 --> 00:38:46,397
- What the guards did not
realize is
821
00:38:46,490 --> 00:38:49,650
all of them had escaped
through the tunnel,
822
00:38:49,735 --> 00:38:52,904
probably around
8:00 in the morning.
823
00:38:52,988 --> 00:38:55,999
And it wasn't until
the 10:00 head count
824
00:38:56,083 --> 00:38:59,577
that the institution realized
there was a breakout.
825
00:38:59,661 --> 00:39:01,671
♪ ♪
826
00:39:01,756 --> 00:39:04,165
- The Pittsburg Six
may have just executed
827
00:39:04,249 --> 00:39:07,001
the perfect prison escape.
828
00:39:07,086 --> 00:39:08,595
They have a two-hour head start
829
00:39:08,679 --> 00:39:10,755
on the authorities.
830
00:39:10,839 --> 00:39:12,182
But now they are faced
831
00:39:12,341 --> 00:39:15,435
with their biggest challenge
so far.
832
00:39:15,519 --> 00:39:17,762
Will they survive on the outside
833
00:39:17,846 --> 00:39:19,356
without being apprehended?
834
00:39:25,363 --> 00:39:27,021
[dramatic music]
835
00:39:27,106 --> 00:39:30,608
♪ ♪
836
00:39:30,692 --> 00:39:33,111
- Six inmates
at Western Penitentiary,
837
00:39:33,204 --> 00:39:36,539
led by Nuno Pontes,
have tunneled their way
838
00:39:36,624 --> 00:39:39,117
out of the run down
and dangerous prison.
839
00:39:39,201 --> 00:39:41,795
♪ ♪
840
00:39:41,954 --> 00:39:45,289
The six are now on the run,
hoping they won't get caught.
841
00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:46,633
- I understood.
842
00:39:46,792 --> 00:39:48,543
I knew it was much more likely
for me to get caught
843
00:39:48,636 --> 00:39:50,044
if I were with them
than without them,
844
00:39:50,129 --> 00:39:53,723
but the consequence of leaving
them to their own devices,
845
00:39:53,882 --> 00:39:55,308
somebody might have gotten
seriously hurt,
846
00:39:55,393 --> 00:39:56,893
and I'm the one that made
the escape happen,
847
00:39:57,052 --> 00:39:58,469
so it would have been
my responsibility.
848
00:39:58,562 --> 00:40:00,647
- The fact that there were six
of them together
849
00:40:00,731 --> 00:40:03,233
compounded the likelihood
that we were going
850
00:40:03,317 --> 00:40:04,818
to catch up with them.
851
00:40:04,902 --> 00:40:08,563
- They became known
as the Pittsburg Six.
852
00:40:08,647 --> 00:40:10,824
- We were gonna go to Texas,
get our IDs,
853
00:40:10,983 --> 00:40:13,067
go from Texas to Mexico,
854
00:40:13,152 --> 00:40:15,653
and then from Mexico
onto South America,
855
00:40:15,737 --> 00:40:17,989
and then from there, everybody
could go their own way.
856
00:40:18,073 --> 00:40:21,334
- The six travel
undetected to Pasadena, Texas.
857
00:40:21,419 --> 00:40:23,586
There, they hide in a hotel
858
00:40:23,745 --> 00:40:26,080
while waiting
for falsified documents
859
00:40:26,165 --> 00:40:27,498
so they can leave the country.
860
00:40:27,583 --> 00:40:32,336
♪ ♪
861
00:40:32,430 --> 00:40:35,506
- It wasn't until the first
substantial lead came
862
00:40:35,599 --> 00:40:37,091
on day six.
863
00:40:37,184 --> 00:40:39,927
We received
a late-night phone call
864
00:40:40,020 --> 00:40:42,263
from Thomas Berkelbaugh's
brother-in-law
865
00:40:42,356 --> 00:40:46,434
that he has been hospitalized
in a Houston, Texas, hospital.
866
00:40:46,518 --> 00:40:49,446
- Berkelbaugh had serious
drug-use problems.
867
00:40:49,530 --> 00:40:52,365
He did a bunch of meth.
He was getting really paranoid.
868
00:40:52,450 --> 00:40:55,026
I had to put my foot down,
as far as trying to get things
869
00:40:55,119 --> 00:40:58,455
under control, but Berk decided
he wanted to leave.
870
00:40:58,614 --> 00:41:01,040
- Fortunately,
for the remaining five,
871
00:41:01,125 --> 00:41:03,117
Berkelbaugh doesn't give
the details
872
00:41:03,202 --> 00:41:04,785
of their whereabouts away.
873
00:41:04,870 --> 00:41:09,040
But now the authorities know
they are in Texas.
874
00:41:09,133 --> 00:41:14,045
♪ ♪
875
00:41:14,129 --> 00:41:18,391
- Nuno Pontes and Carmen Keller
end up in a chase
876
00:41:18,550 --> 00:41:20,718
with Texas authorities.
877
00:41:20,802 --> 00:41:25,565
And Keller is arrested,
Pontes gets away on foot.
878
00:41:25,724 --> 00:41:27,150
- After being on the run
879
00:41:27,234 --> 00:41:31,145
for two days, Nuno eventually
makes it back to the hotel
880
00:41:31,230 --> 00:41:33,564
while Keller sits in jail.
881
00:41:33,649 --> 00:41:36,984
♪ ♪
882
00:41:37,069 --> 00:41:39,654
- Keller,
that had gotten arrested,
883
00:41:39,738 --> 00:41:41,322
tells them who are contacts are.
884
00:41:41,406 --> 00:41:43,074
So they put them under
surveillance,
885
00:41:43,158 --> 00:41:47,161
and they follow that contact
to the hotel in Pasadena.
886
00:41:47,254 --> 00:41:48,579
- Because of Carmen Keller,
887
00:41:48,664 --> 00:41:53,343
the authorities
now have the hotel surrounded.
888
00:41:53,502 --> 00:41:56,420
They have found
the remaining escapees.
889
00:41:56,505 --> 00:41:58,181
♪ ♪
890
00:41:58,340 --> 00:42:00,600
- All of sudden,
all these guns and machine--
891
00:42:00,684 --> 00:42:03,010
Everybody's pointing guns at me.
892
00:42:03,095 --> 00:42:04,011
I really wasn't expecting--
893
00:42:04,104 --> 00:42:06,856
We were almost scot-free,
you know.
894
00:42:07,015 --> 00:42:08,191
They say,
"Don't move, don't move."
895
00:42:08,275 --> 00:42:09,517
'Cause I'm analyzing
the situation,
896
00:42:09,601 --> 00:42:10,527
thinking,
"What are my options?"
897
00:42:10,611 --> 00:42:12,603
There's no way out of this one.
898
00:42:12,688 --> 00:42:14,438
So I lay down on the ground,
and they cuff me.
899
00:42:14,523 --> 00:42:16,607
♪ ♪
900
00:42:16,700 --> 00:42:17,775
[siren wails]
901
00:42:17,868 --> 00:42:18,785
And that was it.
902
00:42:18,869 --> 00:42:20,778
That was the end
of that adventure.
903
00:42:20,862 --> 00:42:24,624
♪ ♪
904
00:42:24,783 --> 00:42:27,710
- After years behind bars,
905
00:42:27,795 --> 00:42:31,297
months of planning,
avoiding detection
906
00:42:31,382 --> 00:42:33,967
and tunneling under the earth,
907
00:42:34,051 --> 00:42:37,220
the Pittsburg Six executed
one of the most brazen,
908
00:42:37,379 --> 00:42:42,049
brilliant, and cunning escapes
in history.
909
00:42:42,134 --> 00:42:45,803
The Mastermind, Nuno Pontes,
910
00:42:45,887 --> 00:42:49,473
got just 12 days of freedom,
911
00:42:49,558 --> 00:42:53,736
and then 14 years in solitary,
912
00:42:53,895 --> 00:42:58,649
spending 23 hours in a cell,
utterly alone.
913
00:42:58,742 --> 00:43:02,153
♪ ♪
914
00:43:02,237 --> 00:43:03,404
[door slams]
915
00:43:03,488 --> 00:43:05,999
You have to ask yourself,
916
00:43:06,083 --> 00:43:07,542
was it all worth it?