Lawmaker urges congressional report on U.S. efforts to extradite fugitive George Wright

A lawmaker urged Congress to require the State Department to disclose its efforts to extradite or rendition U.S. fugitives, citing the case of George Wright, who was convicted in the 1963 killing of Walter Patterson and later located in Portugal.

The lawmaker recounted that Patterson, a World War II veteran and Bronze Star recipient, was beaten and shot to death during a 1963 gas station robbery in Wall Township, New Jersey, and that Wright was convicted in connection with the crime. "Wright was subsequently sentenced to 15 to 30 years," the lawmaker said, and "in 1970 escaped from Leesburg State Prison," later taking part in a 1972 hijacking that brought a Detroit-to-Miami flight to Algeria, the lawmaker said.

According to the remarks, Wright was found in Portugal in 2011 by a retired FBI agent. The lawmaker said U.S. officials sought extradition but that "the Portuguese government rejected the U.S. extradition request in November of that year," and that subsequent diplomatic efforts had produced no response. "We know where he lives. We need to go get him," the lawmaker said.

The speaker recalled holding a hearing in 2012 and noted a 2016 markup of related legislation that "never made its way to the floor," adding, "delay is denial" and saying, "There's no statute of limitations on a murder, a heinous murder like this one, and this man needs to be extradited to the United States." The lawmaker praised the FBI agent for tracking Wright and said proposed legislation "would at least tell the State Department, 'Tell us about this case and every other case.'"

A second committee member echoed the urgency, saying, "Justice delayed is justice denied. The United States should never stop seeking justice for victims and their families simply because a criminal has fled overseas." That speaker described the amendment'as one that "would require a report to Congress on U.S. efforts to extradite or rendition fugitives, including George Wright," and thanked a colleague for work on the proposal.

The transcript does not specify who moved or seconded the amendment, the text of any final adopted language, or whether the amendment was adopted or voted on during the session. The remarks in the record tie the proposed reporting requirement to the Patterson family's long pursuit of accountability and to a belief expressed by speakers that diplomatic engagement with Portugal has not returned a clear accounting of U.S. extradition efforts.

Next steps, including whether the amendment will be scheduled for another markup or a floor vote, were not specified in the transcript.