Das PortugalForum - das Original

They reviewed reports from the 1970s, interviewed Wright's victims and the pilots of the plane he hijacked. They had age-enhanced sketches made and tried to track down any communications he may have made with family in the U.S.

An address in Portugal was one of several on a list of places they wanted to check out. But Schroeder said there was nothing about it that made it seem especially promising. "It was another box to get checked, so to speak," he said.

That changed last week, when details started falling into place with the help of authorities there.

"They have a national ID registry," Schroeder said. "They pulled that. That confirmed his print matched the prints with the DOC. The sketch matched the picture on his ID card."

By the weekend, U.S. authorities were on a plane to Portugal. And Monday, Portuguese police staking out Wright's home found him.

Das FBI hat all die Jahre scheinbar das Telefon von Familienangehörigen abgehört und ihn so nach all den Jahren entdeckt.
Er hat dann wirklich irgendwann Kontakt zu seiner Familie in den USA aufgenommen, erst dann sind sie auf seine Spur gekommen.

Quelle: Telefone traiu fugitivo americano preso em Portugal - Sociedade - PUBLICO.PT

So viele Jahre das Telefon von unschuldigen Angehörigen abhören, hmmm...