Offbeat Oregon History podcast · www.offbeatoregon.com (finn @ offbeatoregon.com)

Prison break happened during “conjugal visit”

March 20, 2026·11 min·1 clip

Carl Bowles and his fiancée simply walked out the back door in what may be America's most embarrassing jailbreak.

This episode recounts the 1974 prison break of convicted cop killer Carl Cletus Bowles, who escaped during a conjugal visit from the Oregon State Penitentiary by simply walking out of a motel, in what is described as possibly the most embarrassing jailbreak in U.S. history. The narrative details the suspenseful discovery of his escape and provides background on Bowles' criminal past.

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