The Unbelievable Saga of George Edward Wright: From Murder to Escape, Hijacking, and Life in Hiding

George Edward Wright’s life reads like a Hollywood thriller—a tale of crime, revolution, and survival that spans decades, continents, and identities. From a tragic murder in 1962 to a daring prison escape, an audacious hijacking, and decades of living under the radar, Wright’s story is one of the most extraordinary fugitive sagas in American history.

It all began in 1962 when Wright, just 19 years old, committed a fatal crime that would set the course of his life. During a robbery at a gas station in New Jersey, Wright shot and killed Walter Patterson, a father of two who was simply doing his job. The crime shocked the local community, and Wright was swiftly arrested, convicted, and sentenced to 30 years in prison. For many, this would have been the end of the story—a young man paying the price for a terrible mistake. But for George Edward Wright, it was only the beginning.

Eight years into his sentence, Wright made a daring escape from New Jersey State Prison in 1970. The details of his breakout remain elusive, but what is clear is that he vanished without a trace, leaving authorities stunned and scrambling to locate him. For two years, Wright disappeared completely, slipping into the shadows and evading capture. But in 1972, his name exploded back into headlines in one of the most shocking events of the decade.

In September 1972, Wright resurfaced as part of a group of five individuals, including members of the Black Liberation Army, who hijacked a Delta Airlines DC-8 with 86 passengers aboard. The hijackers demanded $1 million in ransom—a staggering sum at the time—and insisted that the money be delivered by an FBI agent wearing only a swimsuit, a bizarre request intended to ensure the agent was unarmed. In a tense standoff, the authorities complied with the hijackers’ demands, delivering the ransom and securing the release of the passengers. But Wright and his accomplices didn’t stop there. They forced the plane to fly to Algeria, where they sought political asylum, believing they could escape American justice.

While the Algerian government confiscated the ransom money and returned the plane to the United States, Wright and his accomplices managed to evade capture for a time. Over the years, most of the hijackers were eventually apprehended, but George Edward Wright proved to be an exception. He slipped across borders, adopted false identities, and ultimately settled in Portugal under a new name. There, he married, started a family, and lived quietly for decades, seemingly leaving his criminal past behind.

For nearly 40 years, Wright remained a phantom, eluding the FBI and living a life of anonymity. But in 2011, his past finally caught up with him. The FBI, using advanced technology and international cooperation, tracked Wright down in Portugal, where he had been living as Jorge Santos. His capture reignited public interest in his extraordinary story, and many assumed he would face extradition to the United States to serve out his prison sentence. However, Portugal refused to extradite Wright, citing his Portuguese citizenship and legal protections under the country’s laws. The decision sparked controversy, with some viewing Wright as a dangerous criminal who had evaded justice, while others saw him as a man who had rebuilt his life and deserved to be left in peace.

George Edward Wright’s saga remains one of the most remarkable fugitive stories in American history. It is a tale of crime, revolution, and resilience, where the lines between justice and redemption blur. Wright’s ability to escape prison, hijack a plane, and live quietly for decades speaks to the complexity of his character and the ingenuity that allowed him to outsmart authorities for so long. While his actions were undeniably criminal, they also reflect a turbulent era in American history, marked by social unrest and revolutionary movements.

Today, Wright’s story continues to captivate historians, journalists, and true crime enthusiasts alike. It is a reminder of the lengths to which individuals will go to fight for freedom—whether justified or not—and the enduring impact of choices made in the heat of desperation. George Edward Wright lived a life between shadows and headlines, a fugitive who defied the odds and left an indelible mark on history.