Eleuterio Sánchez
Encyclopedia
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
outlaw who escaped several times from prison after being convicted and sentenced at age 23 to 30 years for murder. While in prison, he learned to read, earned a law degree, and became a writer, continuing to protest his innocence of the charges. He was pardoned and released on June 20, 1981, at the age of 39.
Early life and education
Eleuterio Sánchez Rodríguez was born in 1942 in SalamancaSalamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, in Western Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was born into a desperately poor merchero peasant family while his father was in prison. He never received any formal education as a child, and was illiterate.
Career
As a young man, Sánchez stole two hens and was sentenced to six months in prison. Soon after his release, in 1965, he was arrested, convicted of murder and sentenced to death for the armed robbery of a jewelry store in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, in which a security guard was killed. His sentence was commuted to 30 years in a military prison. Maintaining his innocence, Sánchez fought his conviction. During several escapes, he was listed by the police as Spain's "most wanted" criminal.
Although Sánchez entered prison as an illiterate peasant, he taught himself to read. He went on to earn a law degree, wrote five books, and continued his fight to clear his name. Sánchez was finally pardoned on June 20, 1981. Afterward he lived in Tomares
Tomares
Tomares is one of the municipalities in Seville's metro area in Andalusia, Spain. It is located two kilometers west of Seville. The population is approximately 19,000 ....
with his second wife and her two children. He left the persona of El Lute behind.
In February 2006, he and his wife argued in the street in Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría
Punta Umbría is a town and municipality in the province of Huelva, part of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia.The Punta in its name comes from the long point going out to the sea from the beach....
over alleged infidelity.
His wife told police he had abused her, and Sánchez was arrested. He was later released on bail temporarily. In April 2008, the court found him not guilty. The judge concluded that his ex-wife's accusations were not reliable.
Legacy
- Sánchez was the subject of two films by Vicente ArandaVicente ArandaVicente Aranda , is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Due to his refined and personal style, he is one of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers. He started as a founded member of the Barcelona School of Film and became known for bringing contemporary Spanish novels to life on the...
(three chapters in the TV version) El Lute: Camina o revienta (1987) and El Lute II: Mañana seré libre (1988). Sánchez was played by Imanol AriasImanol AriasImanol Arias born Manuel María Arias Domínguez , is a Spanish actor and one off film director.Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group in Spain performing in the Basque Country of northern Spain. He debuted on TV in 1976 and his first film was in "Cecilia " of 'Humberto Solas'...
.
- In 1979, Eleuterio Sánchez's story was the subject of hit single El LuteEl Lute / Gotta Go Home"El Lute" / "Gotta Go Home" is a double A-side single by German band Boney M. It was the lead single off their fourth album Oceans of Fantasy and was the group's eighth and final number 1 single in the German charts...
by Boney MBoney MBoney M. is a Eurodisco group created by German record producer Frank Farian. Originally based in Germany, the four original members of the group's official line-up were Jamaicans Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett, Maizie Williams from Montserrat and Bobby Farrell from Aruba...
from the album Oceans of FantasyOceans of FantasyOceans of Fantasy is the fourth studio album by Boney M. Released in September 1979, Oceans Of Fantasy became the second Boney M. album to top the UK charts and features hits "El Lute" based on Eleuterio Sánchez life, "I'm Born Again", "Bahama Mama" and "Gotta Go Home"...
.