Political Kidnapping
Audiotaped demands
Patty is the granddaughter of the legendary newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst.
Around 9 oclock in the evening on February 4, 1974, there was a knock on the door of apartment #4 at 2603 Benvenue Street in Berkeley, California. In burst a group of men and women with their guns drawn. They grabbed a surprised 19-year-old college student named Patty Hearst, beat up her fiancé, threw her in the trunk of their car and drove off.
They identified themselves as members of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA).
Thus began one of the strangest cases in FBI history.
By her account, Patty was kept blindfolded for two months in a closet at the group's headquarters, unable even to use the bathroom in privacy. DeFreeze realized that her visibility as a social figure that had gained the nation's sympathy would showcase his cause, so he worked to turn her into an angry revolutionary.
From her report, DeFreeze relied on harsh psychological techniques:
She was isolated and made to feel that no one was going to rescue her.
She was physically and sexually abused by various members of the gang.
She was told that she might die.
She was fed lies about how the gang was oppressed by the establishment.
She was forced to record messages that blasted those she loved.
By early April, she had a new identity and was deemed ready to accompany the gang on their next daring foray.
Patty's doting father, Randolph Hearst, had initially responded to the SLA's demands (made by tape and given to the media) by distributing millions of dollars worth of food to the poor, which badly backfired. Groups like the Black Muslims exploited the opportunity to fill their own coffers, and others grabbed the free food to sell at exorbitant prices.
The SLA also wanted their propaganda published, a demand with which Hearst complied. They said they'd made "an arrest" and that Patty was in "protective custody." Then they insisted that more food be distributed, at which point Hearst laid down a condition namely, Patty's safe return. Abruptly, all negotiations ceased.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/hearst/1.html
Patty Hearst - Newspaper heiress Patty Hearst was kidnapped by a group calling itself the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) back in 1974. At the time, she was a 19-year-old college student at the University of California at Berkeley. The SLA's first written ransom note demanded the release of political prisoners but later "communiques" - audio recordings from Patty and others - demanded food for the poor. Patty's father complied and created a group called "People In Need" that would provide $2 million to feed over 100,000 people for 12 months. It is still considered the oddest ransom demand ever. Riots broke out in Los Angeles and Oakland at the start of the program as thousands of people overwhelmed the food banks. Eventually, Patty Hearst became "Tania," a member of the group, and helped rob a bank armed with a machine gun. Police wound up killing all six members of the SLA in a televised gun battle but Patty was not there. She was eventually captured while robbing another bank. When asked her occupation, Patty reportedly said, "urban guerilla." She was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to seven years but only served 22 months because the rest of her sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/48-hours-preview-the-fascinating-history-of-the-ransom-note/
On May 16, two SLA members tried to steal an ammunition belt from a local store and were nearly caught. The getaway van was discovered, which led authorities to an SLA safe house. The next day, the house was surrounded by L.A. police. A massive shootout ensued. The building went up in flames; six members of the SLA died in the blaze, including DeFreeze.
But where was Hearst? She and several others had escaped and began traveling around the country to avoid capture. FBI agents, though, were close behind. We finally captured her in San Francisco on September 18, 1975, and she was charged with bank robbery and other crimes.
Her trial was as sensational as the chase. Despite claims of brainwashing, the jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to seven years in prison. Hearst served two years before President Carter commuted her sentence. She was later pardoned.
And the rest of the SLA? We caught up with them all. The last two members were arrested in 1999 and 2002. Case closed.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/patty-hearst-kidnapping
Bill Clinton issued a full pardon for Patty Hearst.
http://listverse.com/2011/09/27/10-fascinating-kidnappings/
