When nineteen-year-old Patty Hearst was kidnapped from her apartment in February 1974, everyone assumed the heiress had been abducted for the purposes of ransom. However, in the days that followed, Hearst’s kidnappers, the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), made themselves known when they sent a letter demanding the Hearst family provide food to every needy family in California. 

For nearly two months, the SLA held Patty Hearts captive, or so it seemed to the public. But when the group’s demands were met and Hearst was given the opportunity to leave, the teenager shocked the world when, rather than flee her captors, she joined their ranks in support of their cause. Hearst’s decision set in motion a chain of events that resulted in several acts of explosive violence and forever changed the way we think about victims of kidnapping. Yet in all the analysis of the case over the last fifty years, one question remains unanswered, and possibly unanswerable: Was Patty Hearst a willing accomplice to the SLA or was she a brainwashed victim trying to survive a traumatic ordeal?

Thank you to the Amazing Dave White (of BRING ME THE AXE PODCAST) for research and writing assistance!

References

Associated Press. 1974. "SLA commandos rob bank, shoot 2." Los Angeles Times, April 15: 1.

Caldwell, Earl. 1974. "Miss Hearst says she joins terrorists." New York Times, April 4: 1.

Conant, Jane Eshleman. 1974. "Guns point at 'Tania' in bank." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.

Cook, Stephen. 1976. "Doctor: I wasn't harsh with Patty." San Francisco Examiner, January 15 : 1.

—. 1975. "Patty falling apart and must leave jail, her lawyer says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 1.

Curtain, Andrew. 1974. "New offer to Patty's captors." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.

Fosburgh, Lacey. 1974. "Miss Hearst: an unlikely revolutionary." New York Times, April 7: 1.

Hager, Philip, and Daryl Lembke. 1974. "Kidnappers may offer 'deal' for Hearst girl." Los Angeles Times, February 9: 1.

Hager, Philip, and Dick Main. 1974. "$2 million for food pledged by Hearst." San Francisco Examiner, February 19: 1.

Hearst, Patricia. 1974. "Transcript of Patricia Hearst's diatribe on 'SLA expropriation'." San Francisco Examiner, April 25: 4.

Kendall, John. 1974. "'Never afraid of death,' defiant Miss Hearst declares on tape." Los Angeles Times, June 8: 1.

Linder, Douglas. n.d. The Patty Hearst Tapes. Accessed June 22, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2209-tapes.

Martinez, Al, and Robert Kistler. 1974. "Suspected SLA hideout stormed, 5 die." Los Angeles Times, May 18: 1.

Nordheimer, Jon. 1974. "Miss Hearst is now Tania, but how and why?" New York Times, May 26: 160.

San Francisco Examiner. 1974. "Father agree--it's Patty's voice." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 18.

—. 1974. "Her voice: 'Mom, Dad, I'm ok'." San Francisco Examiner, February 12: 1.

—. 1974. "'It's terrible, vicious,' father says." San Francisco Examiner, April 16: 1.

—. 1975. "Patty asked to join the SLA, Rolling Stone article says." San Francisco Examiner, September 29: 2.

—. 1974. "'People in Need' opens with chaos, violence." San Francisco Examiner, February 23: 1.

—. 1974. "The public's reaction to the kidnapping." San Francisco Examiner, February 17: 20.

—. 1974. "5 victims in shootout at suspected SLA hideout." San Francisco Exminer, May 18: 1.

2020. The Crimes That Changed Us. Performed by Sebastian Smith.

Symbionese Liberation Army. n.d. "SLA Communique." UMKC Famous Trials. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.famous-trials.com/pattyhearst/2328-sla-communique.

Toobin, Jeffrey. 2017. American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst. New York, NY : Anchor Books.

Turner, Wallace. 1974. "Graddaughter of Hearst abducted by 3." New York Times, February 6: 1.

—. 1974. "Note says terrorists hold Miss Hearst." New York Times, February 8: 1.

United Press International. 1976. "Jury acquits Steve Soliah." Daily Breeze (Torrence, CA), April 28: 6.

Waugh, Dexter. 1974. "Key groups offer help to free Patty." San Francisco Examiner, February 14: 1.

Waugh, Dexter, and Don West. 1979. "'Nothing wrong with being Patty Hearst'." San Francisco Examiner, February 1: 1.

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Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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