LISBON, Portugal — In a tale that reads like a Hollywood thriller, George Edward Wright, a convicted murderer and airplane hijacker, spent more than four decades evading U.S. authorities before building a quiet family life in a picturesque Portuguese seaside village. Captured in 2011 after one of the longest manhunts in FBI history, Wright ultimately defeated extradition efforts and remains a free man in Portugal today at age 82.
Wright’s criminal odyssey began in 1962 when, at just 19 years old, he participated in an armed robbery at a New Jersey gas station that turned deadly. During the holdup, World War II veteran Walter Patterson was shot and killed. Wright pleaded no contest to murder and was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. 7 “Mugshot of George Edward Wright from the early 1960s, following his arrest for murder” “LARGE” 8 “Another early mugshot of Wright shortly after his 1962 conviction” “LARGE”
But prison could not hold him. In August 1970, Wright escaped from Bayside State Prison in New Jersey, vanishing into the underworld and joining members of the Black Liberation Army.
Two years later, on July 31, 1972, Wright and four accomplices hijacked Delta Air Lines Flight 841 en route from Detroit to Miami. Carrying concealed weapons, the group—disguised as passengers—seized control mid-flight, terrifying 86 passengers and crew. They demanded a $1 million ransom, insisting the FBI agent delivering the cash arrive wearing only swim trunks and sandals to prevent him from concealing a weapon.
Authorities complied. In a surreal scene on the Miami tarmac, the agent handed over the money while the plane refueled. The hijackers then forced the aircraft to fly to Algeria, where they sought asylum with Black Panther supporters. Wright’s co-conspirators were later arrested in France, but he slipped away again. 4 “Historic 1972 photo: An FBI agent in swim trunks delivers the $1 million ransom during the Delta Flight 841 hijacking in Miami” “LARGE” 5 “The ransom suitcase being carried to the hijacked plane on the Miami airport tarmac” “LARGE”
For the next four decades, Wright lived as a ghost. He traveled through Europe and Africa before settling in Portugal under the alias José Luís Jorge dos Santos. There, he married a local woman, Maria do Rosário Valente, raised two children, and became a fixture in his small community near Lisbon—known for gardening, painting, and coaching youth basketball. Neighbors described him as friendly and unassuming, with no hint of his violent past. 0 “George Wright with his wife Maria do Rosário Valente in their Portuguese home, shortly after his 2011 arrest” “LARGE” 1 “Wright living openly in Portugal under his alias before his capture” “LARGE” 2 “Wright under house arrest in his seaside Portuguese village in 2011” “LARGE” 10 “A serene view of the quiet Portuguese coastal town where Wright built his new life” “LARGE”
The breakthrough came in 2011 when U.S. investigators matched Wright’s old fingerprints to his Portuguese ID card. On September 26, he was arrested at his home in Algueirão–Mem Martins. The U.S. sought his return to serve the remainder of his sentence and face hijacking charges.
Portuguese courts, however, ruled against extradition. Wright had obtained citizenship, the statute of limitations on his crimes had expired under local law, and judges viewed the then-68-year-old as no ongoing threat. Despite U.S. appeals, the decision stood.
More than 14 years later, Wright continues to live freely in Portugal, a rare fugitive who not only escaped justice but ultimately prevailed against it. His story remains a stark reminder of the limits of international pursuit—and the enduring allure of second chances.