Pod Insights American Scandal ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | The Negotiation | 2 About this episode Patricia Hearst confronts a deadly new reality. The Hearst family tries to strike a deal with the SLA.
Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter
Listen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Lindsay Graham? Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. This episode previously aired in 2022. A listener note: This episode contains descriptions of violence and references to sexual assault and may not be suitable for a younger audience. It's late in the morning on January 11, 1974. Sinque and Tume is tossing and turning on an old musty bed in Concord, California. He has a splitting headache, his mouth is
0:45 Lindsay Graham? hot and parched, and as the sunshine slants in through broken blinds, it feels like Sinque is being hit on the head with a baseball bat. Sinque rubs his eyes and tries to shake off the misery. He's in the throes of another brutal hangover, the predictable result of staying up late, drinking bottles of wine with his comrades, and talking until the early morning about how they're going to change the world. There was a lot of conversation about the need to overthrow America's systems of oppression and greed, and there were a lot of big promises about actions the group is planning to take. But for Sinque, making promises has never been enough. He founded the Symbionese Liberation Army, a left-wing
1:26 Lindsay Graham? organization to push for real change, and recently, Sinque led a dangerous mission that got the whole Bay Area talking. Sinque and two of his comrades attacked the superintendent of Oakland's public schools, a man named Marcus Foster. The superintendent wanted to station armed security guards in the area's schools, a move that Sinque believed was an act of fascism. So one night, after creeping through the shadows, Sinque and some others charged at Foster, and then gunned him down in cold blood. The local police quickly launched a manhunt to find the suspects, and the story was all over the news. After taking public responsibility for the crime, Sinque predicted that he and his comrades would be seen as
2:08 Lindsay Graham? heroes, fighting for justice, but instead, the SLA faced widespread condemnation, and Sinque was left searching for another action that could rehabilitate his group's image. After some discussion, the group settled on a plan. They decided to kidnap Patricia Hearst, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hurst and an heiress to a media empire. Sin Q believes the kidnapping will deal a symbolic but important blow to America's culture of privilege and wealth. And as long as he can shake off this hangover and get his head straight, Sin Q shouldn't have any trouble organizing the mission.
2:49 Lindsay Graham? Sin Q sits up and rubs his temples. It's clear this hangover isn't going away anytime soon. So he gets out of bed and starts getting dressed. As Sin Q puts on a shirt, the bedroom door opens a crack. Hey, Sin, are you awake? Yeah, I'm up. You can come in. A white woman with brown hair and thick eyebrows steps into the bedroom. Her birth name is Patricia Soltisak, but like other members of the SLA, she's adopted a new name to represent her radical identity. Ms. Moon, tell me you got some coffee in the pot. Yeah, we do, but Sin... Nah, we'll talk when I wake up. Sin Q scoots past his comrade, but Ms. Moon stops him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Nah, Sin, we have to talk now. Joe Romero and Russ Little were arrested last night.
3:34 Lindsay Graham? Arrested? What for? I don't know, but they were sitting out in their van and some cops showed up. Turned into a shootout. The police got both of them. Aw, you're kidding me. No, Sin, this is real. Sin Q looks down, processing the news. Well, Romero and Little, they're soldiers. They're not gonna talk. Well, that's not what I'm worried about. It's the leaflets. They had stacks of them in the van. The cops are already looking for us after that Marcus Foster thing. Now they know Romero and Little are connected to the SLA. It's only a matter of time before they track us down. And that worries you? Yeah, Sin. I've never been to prison and I don't think I can do it. Nah, you're not going to prison. None of us are. When I broke out, I made a promise. I was never going back.
4:18 Lindsay Graham? So what do we do? How do we get out of this?
4:23 Lindsay Graham? Sin Q spends a moment thinking. Their safe house is filled with incriminating evidence. And if the cops do show up, he's sure he'll be arrested for the murder of Marcus Foster. Sin Q knows he needs a plan, so he heads out to the living room to survey the rest of the group for ideas. After some anxious discussion, SLA member Nancy Ling Perry speaks up, suggesting they get rid of all the evidence at once. Sin Q shoots her a confused look, but Perry pulls out a lighter and grins. They can burn down the house, along with all the evidence, take care of all their problems in one fell swoop. Sin Q drums his fingers on the table, thinking. It's a reckless plan, burning down an entire house, but it would get the job done before
5:07 Lindsay Graham? the cops have a chance to show up. So Sin Q gives Perry the approval, and he and his followers get to work. They cover the inside of the safe house in gunpowder and gasoline. Sin Q sets up a six-inch fuse. And after lighting it, the group dashes out of the house and piles into a beat-up automobile. As soon as the doors are shut, Sin Q lays his foot on the gas, speeding down the street and glancing in the rearview mirror. Soon, their safe house will be nothing more than a heap of charred wood and ashes. The police won't know where to find a Symbionese Liberation Army. And Sin Q and his followers will be able to finish their next mission and kidnap Patricia Hearst.
5:51 Speaker 01 With a Spark Cash Plus card from Capital One, you earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. And you get big purchasing power, so your business can spend more and earn more.
6:04 Speaker 02 PrizePix packs are here. Rip digital packs and get real basketball, football, and Pokemon cards on PrizePix packs. Available now nationwide. Once you see your pool, you have a choice to sell back instantly for real cash or ship at home. Cash from your sale will immediately be added to your PrizePix balance. It's just another way to run your game. New users, download the PrizePix app today and use code WONDERY to get $25 instantly in bonus packs when you buy your first $5 pack. PrizePix, run your game. 18-plus in eligible areas. Terms apply. Collect responsibly.
6:41 Lindsay Graham? From Wondery, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scan.
7:04 Lindsay Graham? By the time she was 19, Patricia Hearst had already begun breaking away from her family. She was intent on building a life of her own, one that wasn't defined by her grandfather's legacy or her parents' wealth. Hearst began studying as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, and she got engaged to an older man working on a PhD in philosophy. But Hearst's dreams of independence would be cut short. A group known as the Symbionese Liberation Army targeted her for kidnapping. The political radicals planned a brazen assault, which they believed would strike at the heart of American capitalism, sexism, and racism. And in the aftermath of the crime, the Hearst family found itself at the center of a national
7:46 Lindsay Graham? media sensation, one that raised questions about what had really happened to Patricia Hearst. This is Episode 2: The Negotiation.
7:58 Lindsay Graham? It's the night of February 4, 1974, and Patricia Hearst is lying in the trunk of a vintage white Chevy. Her wrists are bound with rope, she's blindfolded and gagged, and although the pain is excruciating, Hearst keeps gyrating her hands against the rope, trying to break free. She doesn't understand how it came to this. Just an hour ago, she was curled up on the couch, watching television with her fiance, Steve Weed. There was a knock on the door, and when they answered, they found a woman in the hallway who said she accidentally ran into someone's car and was hoping to use the phone. It didn't seem like anything to think twice about. But then, in the blink of an eye, a pair of armed intruders burst into the apartment.
8:42 Lindsay Graham? Hearst's fiancee fled out the back, leaving Hearst by herself, outnumbered and held at gunpoint. At first, the crime didn't make any sense. But it didn't take long before Hearst realized that she was the target. That the intruders wanted to kidnap the granddaughter of media mogul William Randolph Hearst. So she was dragged out of her apartment, thrown into the trunk of a car, gagged with a cloth and blindfolded. And then the car sped away.
9:11 Lindsay Graham? Lying in the dark trunk, Hearst keeps moving her hands, trying to find some way out of the ropes. If she can get her hands free, she can take off the blindfold and maybe find a latch to open the trunk from the inside. When the car comes to a red light, she'll be able to jump out and make a run for it. And pray that her captors don't open fire. For several minutes, Hearst works patiently, getting closer and closer, and finally, she manages to free one of her wrists. Hearst takes off the blindfold and began searching frantically for the latch to open the trunk. But as she glides her hand over the dark metal, suddenly the car slows down and pulls over. A car door slams.
9:52 Lindsay Graham? And before she can put her blindfold back on, the trunk swings open and Hearst comes face to face with a man with a short afro.
10:01 Lindsay Graham? The man yells out, asking how the hell the blindfold came off. He asks for assistance, and right as Hearst tries to leap up, someone else rushes over and grabs a hold of her. She begins thrashing. But her two captors lift her up and then toss her into the backseat of another car. The man with the afro hops in after her and snarls at Hearst, telling her not to make a single noise and threatening to shoot her if she does. Hearst can tell the man is serious. And with her mouth still gagged, she just nods her head and doesn't make another sound.
10:35 Lindsay Graham? For a while, the car continues driving through the streets of Berkeley. And when it begins to slow down on a residential street, one of the men reaches over to Hearst and puts a blindfold back on. Then he tells her to get up and get out. Hearst is led into what seems to be a house. She's taken on a winding tour until finally she's shoved forward into another room. The door shuts and locks behind her. And when Hearst begins feeling around, she realizes she's in some kind of tiny space, maybe only a few feet wide. Hearst starts to panic, feels like she's in a coffin. She begins knocking into the walls, trying to find her way out, trying to get back into the light.
11:15 Lindsay Graham? When a man's voice calls out from the other side, telling her to stop, it's just a closet. Hearst slumps to the ground, feeling defeated. But as she rubs her hand along the perimeter of the closet, she notices something strange. The walls are padded, almost as though the space was prepared for a person, someone who might have to stay in this closet for a long time.
11:41 Lindsay Graham? The next morning, Patricia Hearst sits up in the dark closet. She's still gagged and blindfolded and didn't get a minute of sleep all night. Hearst has no idea where she is or who kidnapped her. But what she does know is that right now she needs to use the bathroom. Outside the closet, loud music is blaring. Hearst kicks the closet door as hard as she can, trying to get someone's attention. No one seems to notice, so Hearst keeps kicking until finally the music cuts and the closet door swings open. With her blindfold on, she can't see the person standing in front of her. But when she hears the voice, it sounds like the man with the Afro, the one from the car. The man takes the gag out of her mouth and asks why Hearst keeps kicking the door.
12:25 Lindsay Graham? Hearst responds that she needs to use the restroom. The man grumbles and then grabs a hold of her, saying he'll take her. Hearst recoils. There's no way she wants one of her kidnappers standing over her while she's blindfolded on the toilet. But the man says that's her only option. She's a prisoner of war, and she's speaking to Sin Q, the general field marshal of the Symbionese Liberation Army. The SLA is fighting a war against capitalism, fascism, and oppression. And as a POW in this conflict, Hearst will be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.
13:00 Lindsay Graham? Hearst has no idea what this man is talking about. He sounds unhinged. But right now, she is more concerned with relieving her bladder than anything else, so Hearst asks again if she can use the restroom alone. Sin Q mutters a curse, but offers a compromise. A woman named Jalina will accompany her instead. A moment later, someone else approaches. And she sounds familiar, too. Like the woman who knocked on Hearst's door just last night, saying she'd hit a car in the garage. There's a bit of back and forth, but finally Hearst is taken to the bathroom. And while she's grateful not to be watched there by a man, she still feels exposed and humiliated to be seen like this, even by a female kidnapper.
13:43 Lindsay Graham? But she manages to use the toilet with a woman by her side.
13:48 Lindsay Graham? When Hearst is led back to the closet, Jalina explains that this is an opportunity for Hearst to grow as a person. Everyone in the SLA once lived just like her, a bourgeois lifestyle, with no real understanding of the world. They were the kind of people who would never really see the meaning of revolutionary action, like the recent shooting of Marcus Foster. Hearst knows the name Foster. He was the school superintendent in Oakland, gunned down in a parking lot. And now she suddenly makes the connection to the name Symbionese Liberation Army. This group put out a statement taking responsibility for the murder. Hearst tries not to show any fear. But as she's thrown back in the closet, she's hit with a wave of panic. Her captors aren't run-of-the-mill political radicals.
14:34 Lindsay Graham? They're murderers. And if they are capable of killing Marcus Foster, Hearst might be next.
14:43 Lindsay Graham? A week later, Patricia Hearst's father, Randy, steps into the living room of his mansion in Hillsborough, California. He looks across the room where his wife Catherine is leaning against a wall. In a leather armchair, Steve Weed, Randy's soon-to-be son-in-law, is running a hand over his black eye. And sitting beside a portable tape player is FBI Special Agent Charlie Bates, who is here to play a pair of audio tapes for the Hearsts. The agent loads up the machine as Randy collapses onto a sofa. He's drained, and hasn't slept ever since he got word that his daughter Patricia had been kidnapped. Night after night, Randy has stayed up late, waiting for any updates, any reason to be hopeful. He can't stop worrying that his daughter might already be dead.
15:28 Lindsay Graham? But just recently, there was a development. An envelope arrived at a local radio station with these two audiotapes from Patricia's captors. The station got in touch with the FBI, and the agent brought the tapes over to the Hearsts so they could listen together.
15:43 Speaker 03 My name is Sin Q, and to my comrades I am known as Sin. I hold the rank of General Field Marshal in the United Federated Forces of the Symbanees Liberation Army. Today I have received an order from the Symbanees War Council, the Court of the People, to the effect that I am ordered to convey the following message: that Patricia Campbell Hearst is alive and safe.
16:13 Lindsay Graham? Hearing this news, Randy Hearst's body goes slack with relief. His daughter is okay, and it's not too late to get her back. But the man calling himself Sin Q continues with a deranged rant, saying the SLA arrested Patricia for crimes that her parents committed against oppressed people through their fascist media empire. Sin Q says the SLA would like to negotiate for Patricia's return, but first they have a demand. The Hearsts have to give away seventy dollars' worth of groceries to every needy Californian. Randy shakes his head, stunned. The Hearst Corporation is an exceedingly rich business, but this demand could add up to hundreds of millions of dollars.
16:54 Lindsay Graham? And even with his mansion and summers at the castle, Randy Hearst isn't as flush as most people think. And when he discusses the demand with Bates, the FBI agent suggests that negotiating a ransom isn't a good idea in the first place. By distributing these tapes to a radio station, the SLA is creating an unwinnable situation for the Hearsts. The political group is creating a public spectacle. And if the Hearsts try to negotiate, they could find themselves backed into a corner with the SLA issuing larger and larger demands.
17:27 Lindsay Graham? Randy knows the agent has a point, but this is his daughter they're talking about. At the same time, if Randy is going to negotiate with violent radicals, he wants some assurance that his daughter is doing alright. So Randy asks the FBI agent to play the second tape.
17:43 Speaker 04 Mom, Dad, I'm okay. I had a few scrapes and stuff, but they washed them up and they're getting okay. I'm not being starved, or beaten, or unnecessarily frightened.
18:04 Lindsay Graham? Randy has to hold back sobs, hearing his daughter's voice. Patricia is alive, but in the recording, his daughter goes on to issue a warning, saying they're going to have to follow the SLA's orders, and she hopes her father will do what they ask, and do it quickly. The tape stops playing, and Randy exchanges a look with his wife. He understands why it might be a bad idea to negotiate a ransom, but they don't have any other options, do they? They need to bring Patricia back home.
18:36 Lindsay Graham? Several weeks later, Patricia Hearst turns over on the floor of the closet that's become her prison. Outside her small space, she can hear what sounds like beer bottles clanking together. Somebody else is making lunch, or maybe it's breakfast, or dinner. It's hard to keep track of time. But for weeks, these muffled sounds have been her entire world. Hurst is sat, listening to members of the SLA constantly getting drunk, arguing about how they're going to overthrow the system, even having sex in a revolving door of romantic partners. It's a small and claustrophobic existence, only made a little better when the SLA allows her to watch TV. Hurst has seen the national media coverage of her kidnapping.
19:18 Lindsay Graham? She's watched her father publicly negotiate for her release, staging press conferences and working to meet the SLA's demands. Randy Hurst hasn't yet raised all the money the SLA requested. He's only managed to gather together a couple million dollars. But through some kind of miracle, he did pull off a food giveaway program. It didn't go smoothly, with residents rioting over meat and produce, but Randy Hurst was able to feed thousands of people. And while launching these programs, Patricia's father sent a message to his daughter. Hang tight, they were going to get her back. So Hearst began to feel optimistic that she was going to make it out of this nightmare. But then the saga took another turn, when Sin Q increased his demands and asked for
20:02 Lindsay Graham? another $4 million for the food giveaway. After that escalation, Randy Hearst appeared to cut off talks, saying the Hearst Corporation would only pay the money if his daughter was first released. Otherwise, the matter of his daughter's kidnapping was out of his hands. Hearing that announcement, Hearst was left feeling hopeless.
20:24 Lindsay Graham? Hearst sits, peering through a crack in the closet door. When she hears footsteps approaching, Hearst wraps the blindfold back over her face and waits as the door opens. Patricia, you can take off the blindfold. Hearst recognizes the voice. It's Sin Q, the man leading the S.L.A. Hearst removes the blindfold and finds her captor standing over her, wearing a ski mask. Okay, what is it? Has something happened? Oh yeah, something big is happening. Your family, those capitalist pigs, they decided they cared more about money than their own daughter. What are you talking about? Negotiations are done. Your father made it official. No, he's gotta be just bluffing. He's trying to force your hand to get you to back down. I don't think so.
21:09 Lindsay Graham? No, I know them. They're business people. That's what they do. No, no, no, my little Marie Antoinette. Let me tell you something. Your father has cut off negotiations. It's over. No, no, no. Yeah, yeah. And you better believe it. What does that mean? What are you gonna do with me? Sin Q pulls back his jacket and takes out a shotgun. No, no, no. He was playing hardball. I know my father. You'll get the money. Come on out. No. Please, don't hurt me. Come on out. No, don't do this.
21:44 Lindsay Graham? Hearst shuts her eyes, waiting. She's certain that this is it, the end. But even as she trembles in fear for her life, Sin Q starts to laugh. He tells Hearst he's not gonna hurt her. He's gonna train her to be a fighter. Hearst opens her eyes, dumbfounded. Sin Q goes on, saying the FBI wants nothing more than to raid their house and kill all of them. That's what law enforcement does. So the SLA took a vote. If and when that day comes, everyone needs to be ready to fight, and that includes Hearst. Hearst blinks, still shocked. A second ago, she thought she was about to be killed. But now her captors want her to carry a weapon? Sin Q nods and offers the shotgun.
22:28 Lindsay Graham? He adds that Hearst is as much a part of the struggle as anyone in the SLA. She just hasn't woken up yet. Hearst doesn't know what to do. Her captors are guilty of murder. Without any remorse, they shot down the Oakland school superintendent. At the same time, her family seems to have abandoned her. It's a twisted reality that the SLA might be all she has. So still stunned and confused, Hearst steps out of the closet, grabs the shotgun. She doesn't know what's going to happen, or whether this is all just a big mind game. But Hearst does know that from here on out, she has no choice but to continue following their orders. It's the only way she's going to survive.
23:12 Speaker 05 Raising Cane's has one love: craveable chicken finger meals. And they do it better than anyone else. Hand-battered, cooked-to-order chicken fingers. Legendary cane sauce made fresh every day. Crinkle-cut fries and buttery Texas toast. Simple, done right, and delicious every single time. Every meal is made with quality you can taste. The chicken fingers are always crispy, always hot, and always fresh. Pair that with a freshly squeezed lemonade or a refreshing sweet tea, and you've got yourself the perfect meal. Whether you're feeding your crew on game day or grabbing a quick bite, Raising Cane's has you covered with tailgates of chicken fingers and cane sauce and meals the whole family will love. Order online at raisingcane.com. Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers, one love.
23:59 Speaker 06 Confidence. It's listening to your gut. It's moving forward even when the path ahead is unclear. For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has helped people keep their promises, building confidence for generations. Whether you're confident in your financial future or just beginning to envision it, we're here to help. Ask a financial professional how. Pacific Life: The Power of a Promise. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska, and in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.
24:36 Lindsay Graham? It's the spring of 1974 in Daly City, California, and Patricia Hearst is leaning against the wall of her closet, listening to one of her captors reading from the Communist Manifesto. The man calls himself Cujo. He's wearing a ski mask to hide his identity. And as he continues reading from the famous Communist text, Hearst feels herself growing groggy and falling into a stupor. It's been a long day. Hearst began by training with Sinque on the use of firearms. After that, she sat for what's become a strange routine as Julina, the woman who first broke into her apartment, sat bathing Hearst and then brushing her wet hair. Hearst has grown increasingly entangled with this group, talking at length
25:20 Lindsay Graham? about revolutionary politics and even sharing a toothbrush with her captors. While Hearst tells herself she's only humoring the SLA, that she doesn't believe in their so-called "re-education sessions," she still can't help but feel drawn in by Cujo's quiet, earnest voice. It can be very lonely, sitting by herself in a dark closet, day after day. It feels good to have some company, any company.
25:46 Lindsay Graham? Still, even though she's become more a part of the group, something has been bothering Hearst, something she wants to bring up. Hearst interrupts Cujo in his reading of the Communist Manifesto, and she tells him that she's tired of the way they keep calling her Marie Antoinette. She gets it, they think she's spoiled, like the famous French queen. But she doesn't want to hear it anymore. She's not just a sheltered, rich girl. Before the SLA kidnapped her, she was exploring other ways of living. She took a job at a department store. She smoked marijuana. One might even say she was in her own form of class conflict with her parents. When Hearst is done, Cujo smiles and points out that she just used the phrase "class "conflict." She's been listening, and it's clear she's got a strong mind.
26:30 Lindsay Graham? Hearst smiles back, unsure whether he's being serious or sarcastic. It's the first time anyone at the S.L.A. has shown her any real respect. In some ways, it's more than she got from her fiance, Steve Weed. Hearst startles, though, when loud music starts blaring in the other room. Cujo rises and says he'll ask them to turn it down so they can keep talking. After he steps away, the S.L.A. member, Jelena, bounds over. Like Cujo, she's wearing a ski mask, and sounding a little giddy, she tells Hearst that Cujo is interested in her. Does Hearst want to sleep with him? Hearst is thrown off by this sudden development, and she fears what would happen if she said no.
27:12 Lindsay Graham? So Hearst remains silent, even as Jelena gives her a knowing smile. And then she says she'll send Cujo back in. A few minutes later, Cujo returns, still wearing a ski mask. He tells Hearst his mind is made up. He'll never again call her Marie Antoinette, and neither will anyone else in the S.L.A. Hearst remains silent, wondering what's coming next. Cujo reaches toward her with a faint smile, and slowly, he begins removing his shirt. It's April 3rd, 1974, in San Francisco, California. In the headquarters of a radio station, a DJ walks to the front of the office and checks the mail slot.
27:55 Lindsay Graham? He grabs a small package, and as he tears it open, he finds an audiotape and a photograph, an image that seems so over-the-top it almost looks fake. The photo shows a woman with brown hair and a black beret. She's standing in combat gear, imposing in front of the red and black flag of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Her expression is blank. She's carrying a submachine gun. And looking closely at the photo, there's no mistaking her identity. It's Patricia Hearst. The DJ stands, looking at the photo, trying to gauge its authenticity. Someone just called into the station, saying they had mailed over the package. The caller claimed to be part of the S.L.A. And while the DJ couldn't verify the caller's identity, he does now have this photo.
28:40 Lindsay Graham? And the longer he looks at it, the more he gets a sense that it's real, and that he's just stumbled on a major development in a national news story.
28:50 Lindsay Graham? Like everyone else in America, the DJ has been closely following the saga Patricia Hearst. It began with real news coverage, the story of a crime targeting one of the most important families in America. But in the weeks since, the coverage of the kidnapping has turned into a circus. Journalists have published conspiracy theories, false leads, off-color jokes, and tasteless headlines. It's increasingly obvious that the media is less interested in practicing responsible journalism and more focused on milking the story for profit. But this radio station is in the business of news too. And with a hot lead sitting right in his lap, the DJ knows he has to go speak with his producer and figure out a plan.
29:33 Lindsay Graham? The DJ walks down the hallway and finds his producer hunched over a newspaper. The DJ doesn't say a word, he just slides over the photo of Patricia Hearst. The producer glances at the photo, does a double-take, then he asks, "Who else has seen this?" The DJ responds that he hasn't shown it to anyone, and he didn't just get a photo, whoever sent this also included an audiotape. The producer sits up, suddenly looking animated. In radio news, tape is a golden commodity, so the producer tells the DJ to load it up, and they'll decide whether to broadcast it on air, maybe even in the next few minutes. The DJ nods, now aware they're under the gun. He takes the tape out of the envelope and gets it set up.
30:18 Lindsay Graham? And when it begins playing, he and his producer hear the unmistakable voice of Patricia Hearst, a voice that's already been broadcast on radio stations and TV networks across the country. But something about Hearst on this tape sounds different. The media heiress begins by condemning her family. She says the SLA is not hurting her, and that the real threat is from the FBI and her parents' indifference to the poor. Then Hearst makes a startling announcement.
30:44 Speaker 04 I've been given the choice of one, being released in a safe area, or two, joining the forces of the Symbionese Liberation Army and fighting for my freedom and the freedom of all oppressed people. I have chosen to stay and fight.
31:03 Lindsay Graham? The tape stops playing and the producer looks up at the DJ. This is sensational. Patricia Hearst has joined her captors. They have to air the tape right away. The DJ doesn't know what to say. Before broadcasting the tape, maybe law enforcement should hear it first. Or maybe the Hearst family should have some say in the matter too. But the producer reminds the DJ that a half dozen other stations could have already received the same package. If the station waits too long, they could get beat to the story. The DJ nods and gets ready to broadcast the tape. Two weeks later, Patricia Hearst looks out the window of a station wagon as it drives down the streets of San Francisco.
31:47 Lindsay Graham? She gazes at a series of tall, white Victorian homes. There's a web of electrical lines connecting San Francisco's streetcars. And everywhere she looks, people are out, walking alone, strolling by themselves, free to go wherever they want. It's a disorienting feeling, being back out in the world. And Hearst knows that if anyone saw her, they'd think she looks like a freak. She's wearing a dark wig and her skin is pale from weeks spent in a closet. Hearst is grateful for the opportunity to get out of the closet, to see the world and other people, but she is feeling panicked. In a few minutes, Hearst is going to join several members of the SLA in a bank robbery.
32:26 Lindsay Graham? It's largely intended to be an act of political theater, targeting a steward of American capitalism. But there's a reason the SLA wanted Hearst to take part in the operation, an ulterior motive that's central to the plan. Soon, the car comes to a stop and the group's leader, Sin Kiu, turns to his comrades. All right, now remember, ninety seconds, in and out. It's all we got. Tanya, you good on your part? Hearst is confused for a moment, until she remembers Sin Kiu is talking to her. Tanya is her new adopted name in the SLA. Hearst nods. I've got it. All right, good. Let's roll.
33:08 Lindsay Graham? Hearst steps out of the car with a gun hidden beneath her long, dark coat. She and the others approach the entrance of the Hibernia Bank.
33:20 Lindsay Graham? When they step inside, Sin Kew pulls out his gun and shouts at the customers. Customers shriek in fear and begin diving to the ground. As the SLA storms into the bank, Hurst finds a security camera and plants herself directly in front of it to enact her part of the plan. This is Tanya. You all know me as Patricia Hearst. Now, the first person who puts his head up, I'll blow it off. Customers shriek again in fear. Everyone is on edge. But with her back to the door, Hurst doesn't notice two new customers entering the bank. When the new customer startled one of the SLA recruits, she accidentally fires her gun and the two new customers fall to the ground.
34:04 Lindsay Graham? Sin Kew shouts out an order. Let's go, let's go! As Hurst races out of the bank, someone fires their gun again. The group piles back into the station wagon and it peels out into the street. As she catches her breath, Hurst meets Sin Kew's eyes and nods. It's only going to be a matter of hours before the news breaks and everyone learns that Patricia Campbell Hurst robbed a bank. She'll be seen as a dangerous criminal, a true believer in the Symbionese Liberation Army. But no matter what she says in the months and years to come, Hurst knows that she has crossed a line, one she can never come back from.
34:47 Speaker 07 If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. It's destroying athlete, creator, and YouTube Maxer. YouTube Premium enhances how I use YouTube with awesome features like offline downloads so I can download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym. So no wifi doesn't turn leg day into loading day. Plus, I get ad-free videos, background play, and so much more. YouTube Premium is like YouTube got some extra gains. Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com/premium.
35:17 Speaker 05 Hey, what's up, guys? It's Haley Bailey. Okay, I need to tell you about something. I just got YouTube Premium. It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads, so I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have Wi-Fi. Because we all know airplane Wi-Fi is the worst. I get ad-free, I get background play, and there's like a ton more in there. You should try it. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. So try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com/premium. Trial eligibility varies. Terms apply. Cancel anytime. That's a mouthful.
35:47 Speaker 03 Hi, I'm Kenya Barris.
35:48 Speaker 01 And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.
35:54 Speaker 03 We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.
36:02 Speaker 01 And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, legendary writer David Sedaris, and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say?
36:18 Speaker 03 I would. Listen to season one of The Unusual Suspects wherever you get your podcasts, and sign up for a free trial Audible to listen to season two in the Audible app, or by subscribing to Apple Podcasts.
36:42 Lindsay Graham? It's May 16th, 1974, and Bill Harris is walking through the aisles of a sporting goods store in Inglewood, California. Harris has a thick mustache and a pair of aviator sunglasses perched on his nose. As he peruses the aisles, he knows he doesn't look conspicuous, just another guy out shopping on a Thursday. But for Harris, maintaining a low profile is key. He and his wife Emily are two of the core members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. They go by the names Tico and Yolanda, and they've worked side by side with the group's leader, Sin Q, as the SLA has carried out a series of risky missions. Most recently, the SLA led a high-profile operation in the Bay Area, robbing a bank and making sure Patricia Hearst was caught on camera.
37:27 Lindsay Graham? The robbery was largely a work of theater, showing the world that Patricia Hearst had given up her allegiance to the ruling class and become a radical activist. As a work of propaganda, Harris will admit the operation was a success. Hurst's photo was printed in newspapers across the country. It kept her story front and center, giving the SLA another opportunity to publicize its message.
37:52 Lindsay Graham? Still, if Harris is being honest, he's begun to question Sinque's leadership. He agrees it was smart to relocate to Los Angeles. Sinque thought going to LA would make the group harder to track, and they've had a chance to get some fresh recruits in the new city. But beside growing the group and running away from the cops, Sinque doesn't seem to have a coherent vision, no real strategy to bring about systemic change. Still, Sinque is their leader, and Harris has agreed to follow orders. So today, it's his duty to pick up some basic supplies from a sporting goods store. He came down here with his wife and Patricia Hearst, who's waiting for them outside in the van, serving as a lookout.
38:35 Lindsay Graham? Harris gathers up supplies, trying to move fast. He doesn't want anyone to spot Hurst in the parking lot. But as he turns a corner, Harris spots a shotgun shell bandolier hanging from a rack. Harris pauses, staring at the belt. For months, he and his wife have been bouncing between safe houses. It's been a meager existence. And although Harris does object to the excesses of capitalism, sometimes he finds himself longing for material goods, like this bandolier, sitting right in front of him. Harris knows he can't buy it, that might arouse suspicion. But he doesn't want to walk away from it either. So looking both ways, he picks it up and slides it into his pocket. And then he heads to the register to buy a few things and get out of the store.
39:21 Lindsay Graham? But as Harris begins making his way to the exit, the clerk's voice pipes up behind him. The man asks whether Harris is planning to pay for the item he's clearly shoplifting. Harris turns and looks at his wife. He knows he's just made a huge mistake, but they can't let themselves be apprehended. Not only are both of them carrying concealed pistols, but the most infamous woman in America is waiting for them in a van across the street. Harris has only one option. He dashes out of the store, heading to the van. But the second he makes it to the sidewalk, Harris is slammed to the ground by the store clerk and another employee. Soon, other men from the store pile on in a heap of bodies. Harris can hear his wife yelling through the melee.
40:04 Lindsay Graham? It's a chaotic mess of grunting men and flailing arms. Harris is about to give up. But suddenly, bullets begin sailing across Crenshaw Boulevard. The windows of the store crack and burst apart. And when Harris and the other men look up, they find Patricia Hearst unloading a submachine gun out of the window of the van. The men scramble up, scattering in every direction. Harris knows it's only a matter of minutes before the cops show up. So as soon as Hurst stops firing, Harris and his wife run toward the van. Harris jumps in the driver's seat, cranks the key, and guns the engine. As he takes off down Crenshaw, he lays his foot on the pedal, driving like a madman,
40:46 Lindsay Graham? only looking away from the road to steal a glance at Patricia Hearst, who's surrounded by a stockpile of guns and ammo, and staring out the window with a look of fury. A day later, Randy Hurst enters the den of his home in Hillsborough, California. He and his wife Catherine sit down with a group of FBI agents, men who've been living in their house full-time. As Randy pours himself another drink, he launches back into a heated debate, telling the agents he doesn't believe the theories, his daughter Patricia is not a radical. And it doesn't matter what she said on some recording, or if she was party to some shootout at a sporty goods store. One of the agents begins to push back, noting the seriousness of the situation.
41:31 Lindsay Graham? His daughter is on record, saying she decided to stay with her captors. But right as Randy is about to rehash his argument, the door to the den swings open, and the family's cook steps into the room, looking nervous. She sputters out something about the SLA. The police have found them, and it's all over TV. Randy and his wife Catherine exchange a look. Then Randy hurries forward and turns on the TV, flipping to a local news station. On the screen is live footage from Los Angeles. Hundreds of officers are on the scene, helicopters are buzzing in the sky, and a police officer with a bullhorn is shouting at a rundown yellow house, demanding that those inside come out with their hands up.
42:15 Lindsay Graham? Catherine turns away from the screen, looking appalled. "Oh, Randy, turn this off." "Catherine, Patty could be inside that house." "It's exactly... Turn it off. You don't want to see our daughter. Don't want to see our daughter get killed in a fight with the police." "You, you think it's true that she's become one of them? You think she's gonna stand there with her comrades firing guns at the police?" Catherine shakes her head as a tear forms in her eye. "I don't know what to think. Catherine, she's still our girl. She's been living with a gun to her head. And even if she was brainwashed by those lunatics, the ideas she may have picked up are not gonna stick with her. We'll get our daughter back. I just don't want to watch. I can't do it." Catherine wipes away a tear and storms out of the room.
42:59 Lindsay Graham? Randy understands his wife's feelings, but he refuses to turn off the TV, not when there's a chance his daughter might come out of that house alive and free. So he turns back to the TV and keeps watching. The moment is tense and nothing is certain. And then gunfire erupts on both sides, and the LAPD shoots tear gas into the house. And then the reporter cries out that the house is on fire. Thick, black smoke begins curling up from the structure. And then flames erupt from the windows as the house is engulfed in an inferno, with everything burning. From Wondery, this is episode two of The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst from American Scandal.
43:44 Lindsay Graham? In our next episode, law enforcement closes in on the remaining members of the S.O.A. while the Hearst family grapples with a devastating loss.
43:55 Lindsay Graham? American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com. If you'd like to learn more about the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst, we recommend the books American Eris by Jeffrey Toobin and Every Secret Thing by Patricia Campbell Hearst
44:36 Lindsay Graham? and Alvin Moscow. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Molly Bach. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written by A.J. Marashow, edited by Christina Mallsburger. Our senior producer is Gabe Riven. Executive producers are Stephanie Chenz, Jenny Lauer Beckman, and Marshall Louie for Wondery.
45:14 Speaker 01 Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat and Fish are back for a whole lot of wonderfully whimsical fun. What happens when you switch bodies with your best friend? Discover a caveman frozen in ice? Or make an alien so angry he threatens to destroy the planet? Find out in season two of the Cat in the Hat podcast. The Cat and Fish are traveling the world in the great catastrophic cacophony cruiser, meeting genies, clown professors, cave trolls, and extraordinary characters along the way. With clever wordplay, imaginative rhymes, original songs, and stories celebrating curiosity, empathy, and creative problem-solving, every adventure brings something new to discover. It's a world of wonderful words,
45:58 Speaker 01 big imaginations, and plenty of heart for the whole family. Listen to the Cat in the Hat podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all 20 episodes early and ad-free right now.
Previous ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | The Plot | 1 Next ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | On the Road | 3 Page updated October 31, 2026 · transcript and summary are machine-generated