The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

by Jeffrey Toobin

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	34881 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	357 pages

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The kidnapping of Patty Hearst was one of the most sensational crimes of the 20th century. The daughter of a wealthy media executive, Hearst was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1974 and held captive for over a year. During that time, she was subjected to physical and psychological abuse, and eventually joined the SLA in their armed robbery and murder spree.

The trial of Patty Hearst was a media circus, with the jury unable to reach a verdict on the kidnapping charges. She was eventually convicted of bank robbery, and served two years in prison.

The Kidnapping

Patty Hearst was kidnapped on February 4, 1974, from her apartment in Berkeley, California. The SLA, a small group of radical leftists, claimed responsibility for the abduction in a communiqué sent to the media.

The SLA demanded a ransom of $6 million in food for the poor, to be distributed through the Black Panther Party. They also demanded the release of two SLA members who had been arrested in connection with a bank robbery.

Hearst's father, Randolph Hearst, refused to pay the ransom, and the SLA began to issue a series of threats against his daughter. They threatened to kill her, and sent Hearst a photo of her with a gun pointed to her head.

Patty Hearst Joins the SLA

In April 1974, the SLA released a taped message from Hearst, in which she announced that she had joined the group and adopted the name "Tania." In the message, Hearst said that she had been brainwashed by the SLA, and that she now believed in their revolutionary cause.

Hearst's decision to join the SLA shocked the nation. Many people believed that she had been brainwashed or coerced into ng so. Others believed that she had willingly joined the group and was a willing participant in their crimes.

The Bank Robbery

On April 15, 1974, Hearst and two other SLA members robbed a bank in San Francisco. During the robbery, a police officer was killed.

Hearst was identified as one of the robbers by a bank teller, and the FBI began a nationwide manhunt for her. She was eventually arrested in September 1975, in San Francisco.

The Trial

The trial of Patty Hearst began in January 1976. The prosecution charged her with kidnapping, bank robbery, and murder. Hearst pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her defense team argued that she had been brainwashed by the SLA and was not responsible for her actions.

The trial was a media circus, with the jury unable to reach a verdict on the kidnapping charges. Hearst was eventually convicted of bank robbery, and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Aftermath

Hearst served two years in prison, and was released in 1979. She has since renounced her association with the SLA, and has become a successful businesswoman and author.

The kidnapping of Patty Hearst remains a controversial event. Some people believe that she was a victim of the SLA, while others believe that she willingly joined the group and was responsible for her actions. The trial of Patty Hearst was a landmark case, and it raised important questions about the role of brainwashing in criminal cases.

American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst

by Jeffrey Toobin

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	34881 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	357 pages

FREE