The group that kidnapped her was a radical group of domestic terrorists known as the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). The group was on a mission to destroy the "capitalist state" of America. They chose to kidnap Patty because of her wealthy background and the prominence that her family held, they knew that by kidnapping Patty they would receive attention from the media.
Following her kidnapping the SLA kept Patty blindfolded for the following 2 months at the groups headquarters. They began to release audio recordings to the public that asked for millions of dollars in food donations in exchange for Patty's freedom. Her father initially gave into the demands, but this proved to be a scam as after the donation was complete the group refused to release Patty.
During the time that she was held hostage, the SLA began to brainwash her through the use of physical and psychological abuse. They were set on turning her into a supporter of the cause for the their revolution and terrorist goals as they knew her support could influence others. She would later claim that she was extremely isolated and believed that no one would ever rescue her.
Despite her insistence that she had not been brainwashed, and that she had chosen to support SLA out of her own free will, many of those who had known Patty were not convinced. Some theorized that she had joined the group because she had fallen in love with one of its members while others simply believe that it was an act of survival. The FBI had launched one of the most massive, agent-intensive searches in its history.
On May 16, 1974, SLA members were caught trying to steal ammunition from a store in Los Angeles. When the LAPD caught up with the group at their safehouse, a shoot out ensued that sent the entire building up in flames, resulting in the deaths of 6 SLA members. After the fire Hearst fled across the country to avoid capture, FBI agents quickly found her and charged her with bank robbery, among other crimes.
Patty Hearst's trial was a long process, as was the search following her kidnapping. The jury found her guilty and sentenced her to 7 years, as they did not find the theory that she was brainwashed to be plausible though today her case is regarded by many as a clear example of Stockholm Syndrome.
After serving 2 years in prison, Hearst's sentence was commuted by President Jimmy Carter. She was later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.
Sources:
http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/patty-hearst-kidnapping/
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/patty-hearst
I would like to add onto Sophia's introduction of Patricia's family background. "Patty"'s grandfather practically invented tabloid journalism, and his story inspired Orson Welles to make the 1941 movie classic "Citizen Kane." Patricia Hearst was born Fthe middle of five daughters in an "affluent and sheltered environment sublimely self-confident," she said in her 1982 autobiography, "Every Secret Thing." Adding on, her father Randolph A. Hearst was chairman of the board of the Hearst Corp.which owns a chain of newspapers, magazines and radio and TV stations. While her mother, Catherine Hearst, was a University of California regent. These social stature were all contributing factors to Patty Hearst's kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post! I liked how you gave background and it helped me understand the reason for her kidnap. We don't go over her much in class, and so it was really interesting to see how this incident related to a bigger issue with the media and new groups that were coming out during the late 90s. Overall, great and very informative post!
ReplyDeleteThis was super interesting! I especially liked this because we didn't really go over this in class. I really liked how you went into the "why" aspect of her kidnapping and how it was connected to other problems concerning the media. Basically this was a really great read!
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