Pod Insights Criminology Presenting: CRIME HOUSE TRUE CRIME STORIES About this episode Crime House True Crime Stories is the ultimate destination for true crime fans. Every episode features two notorious cases from that week in crime history, tied by a common theme like infamous serial killers, mysterious disappearances, tragic murders, and more. Every Monday, uncover the full stories behind the headlines as host Vanessa Richardson takes you through high-profile investigations like the murder of Gabby Petito, the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, and the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories — a Crime House Original — wherever you listen to podcasts.
Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 Hey everyone, it's Mike and more. If you're loving criminology, you need to check out the new podcast Crime House: True Crime Stories. Every Monday, you'll go on an in-depth journey through two of the most notorious true crime cases from that week in history, all connected by a common theme. From notorious serial killers to chilling disappearances and tragic murders, Crime House: True Crime Stories is bringing you the defining events that shaped true crime, both past and present. Whether it's the Manson family murders, the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, or the thrilling escape of a man known as the last great train robber. These are stories you don't want to miss.
0:43 Speaker 00 And now I'm excited to share a special preview of Crime House: True Crime Stories with you now.
0:50 Speaker 01 There are some true crime stories out there that we can never forget. Whether it happened yesterday or a century ago, the details stay with us, creating a lasting impression that never fades. On Crime House the show, those are the stories we're telling. Every Monday, we'll tackle multiple true crime cases from that week in crime history, tied together by a theme. Think of us as your true crime calendar, telling you stories that occurred that week in true crime history. The murder of Gabby Petito, the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping, the Heaven's Gate mass suicide. These are just a few of the unbelievable events we'll be covering on Crime House the show.
1:35 Speaker 01 Crime House the show is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. New episodes drop every Monday. Follow wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this clip.
1:53 Speaker 00 This is Crime House.
1:58 Speaker 01 During the week of February 3rd, 1974, 19-year-old Patty Hearst was taken from her home by a violent group of self-described revolutionaries. Almost three decades later, in 2003, another shocking abduction haunted the nation when the composite sketch of 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart's abductor was released to the public. Today, we'll dive into both of these notorious true crime cases, making this week's theme kidnappings.
2:43 Speaker 01 Welcome to Crime House the Show. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Monday, we'll be revisiting notorious crimes from this week in history. From serial killers to mysterious disappearances or murders, every episode will explore two true crime cases that share a common theme. Here at Crime House, we know none of this would be possible without you, our community. Please support us by rating, reviewing, and following Crime House the Show wherever you get your podcasts. And for ad-free and early access to Crime House the Show, plus exciting bonus content, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts.
3:28 Speaker 01 Once again, this week's theme is notorious kidnapping cases. We'll start today's episode in 1974, when Patty Hearst was ripped from her life of privilege and taken hostage by a group of radical militants. Then, we'll skip forward to 2003, when Elizabeth Smart's parents turned their 14-year-old daughter's kidnapping case on its head by publicly sharing information the police had kept to themselves. Both cases made headlines around the nation, even the world. They were stories of fear, resilience, uncertainty, and changed the way we think about safety
4:13 Speaker 01 forever.
4:27 Speaker 01 It was around 9:00 PM on February 4th, 1974. 19-year-old college student Patty Hurst was at her apartment in Berkeley, California, with her fiance, 26-year-old Steven Weed. As they settled in for the night, there was an unexpected knock on the door. Steven and Patty found it odd. It was getting late and they weren't expecting anyone. Berkeley was a college town, though. It was entirely possible that it was just a friend dropping by. So Steven went to answer the door, Patty following behind him. They didn't have a window or peephole to see who it was, so Steven cracked the door.
5:11 Speaker 01 It was a woman neither of them knew. The stranger claimed she'd accidentally backed her car into theirs and asked if she could use their phone. Patty wasn't happy about that. She turned and headed back towards the living room, leaving Steven to figure it out. A moment later, there was a loud noise as the woman and two men barged their way into the apartment. They were all carrying weapons. They beat Steven until he was barely conscious, then tied Patty up and carried her outside. After a brief struggle, they forced her into the trunk of her car and sped away.
5:52 Speaker 01 Patty had no idea what they wanted, or where they were taking her, but she was pretty sure she knew why she'd been targeted. Her name. Patty belonged to one of the world's richest and most powerful families. Her grandfather, William Randolph Hurst, was the founder of a vast media empire. The company is still wildly successful today, generating billions of dollars every year.
6:23 Speaker 01 Patty had been raised accordingly, growing up in a mansion outside of San Francisco with her parents and four sisters. But even though being a Hearst came with a lot of perks, it also came with a lot of expectations, and Patty wasn't all that interested in following the blueprint her family set out for her. She was a bit of a rebel, pushing against the high society behavior and expectations demanded by her mother Catherine. And although Patty's father Randolph appreciated his daughter's verve, her teachers weren't as amused. Patty quickly wore out her welcome at the various upper-class schools she went to,
7:06 Speaker 01 and by the time she graduated high school, she'd gone to five different institutions. Her final one proved to have the biggest impact on her. It was there that she met her soon-to-be fiance, Steve. Like the rest of Patty's life so far, the match wasn't without controversy. Steve wasn't a fellow student, he was Patty's math teacher and seven years her elder. Safe to say Patty's parents didn't approve of their relationship, but she didn't seem to care what her parents thought, because she and Steve moved in together and enrolled at nearby UC Berkeley.
7:49 Speaker 01 And then, they got engaged in December 1973, when Patty was 19. Even though Randolph and Catherine weren't thrilled, they still printed an engagement announcement in the San Francisco papers. That's where 29-year-old Bill Harris first saw the name Patty Hearst. Bill was a postal worker and member of a Bay Area militant group called the Symbionese Liberation Army, or SLA. They considered themselves guerrilla warriors and wanted to get rid of capitalism and start a war with the government. Their motto was, quote, "Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people."
8:36 Speaker 01 After Bill saw the engagement announcement, he had an idea. Two members of the SLA had recently been arrested for a shooting in Oakland. Bill thought the group could use a high-profile captive like Patty to negotiate a prisoner swap. As an added bonus, Patty would be a great metaphor for their cause. An absurdly wealthy family like the Hearsts were the epitome of capitalism. By kidnapping one of their daughters, the SLA would make headlines, and presumably, a lot of money. After reading the engagement announcement, Bill went to the Berkeley campus and was able to find Patty's address.
9:18 Speaker 01 Over the next month or two, Bill and the SLA found out that despite being from an important, well-known family, Patty didn't have any security. So on the night of February 4th, 1974, Bill and two other SLA members abducted Patty from her apartment. After shoving her in their car, they drove to their safe house and locked her in a closet. Like Bill predicted, the kidnapping made headlines immediately. Along with Steve, multiple people around the apartment complex had witnessed the kidnapping.
9:58 Speaker 01 They went to the authorities, and it wasn't long before the media found out about it. The next day, February 5th, the media converged on the Hearsts' sprawling home outside San Francisco, trying to get a soundbite from her panic-stricken parents. But the Hearsts were in the dark too. Thankfully, they only had to wait one more day to find out what happened to their daughter. On February 6th, the SLA contacted a Berkeley radio station by mail. In their letter, which was written in the style of an arrest warrant for Patty, the SLA took responsibility for the kidnapping. However, they didn't make a ransom demand.
10:43 Speaker 01 That came six days later, on February 12th. But the SLA didn't ask for a prisoner swap like they'd initially intended to. They didn't ask for money either, at least not for them. In exchange for Patty's safe return, the SLA wanted the Hearst family to invest millions of dollars into a food program for Americans living in poverty. To prove Patty was safe, the SLA also included a voice message from her via tape. She told her parents that she was okay and urged them to listen to the SLA's demands.
11:24 Speaker 01 Catherine and Randolph were prepared to do as they asked, but the SLA's request was a logistical nightmare. The Hearsts had to create a multimillion-dollar food distribution plan from scratch, and quickly. But they were willing to do whatever it took to get their daughter back. And on February 22nd, 10 days after the SLA's request, the Hearsts managed to launch a food giveaway program called People in Need. It was an unmitigated disaster. So many people showed up to the first day of distributions that it descended into riots.
12:08 Speaker 01 Making matters worse, the SLA refused to let Patty go unless things improved. As the Hearsts were trying to organize their program over the next few weeks, the SLA continued to send them recordings from Patty. She didn't sound impressed with their efforts to free her. In one recording from March 1974, she said, quote, "I don't believe that you're doing anything at all." But Catherine and Randolph refused to give up. They managed to smooth things out over the course of the next month.
12:45 Speaker 01 By March 26, 1974, the Hearsts had spent $2 million and given away over 150,000 bags of food. It seemed like this time, they'd done enough to secure Patty's release, and it appeared the SLA would honor their word. On April 2nd, almost two months after Patty was kidnapped, they promised to send more details about her release within 72 hours. But the following day, the Hearsts received an alarming recording. Apparently, there'd been a change of plans, but not from the SLA. From Patty.
13:30 Speaker 01 In the recording, she called herself Tanya and claimed that she was no longer the SLA's prisoner because she'd joined them. The Hearsts could hardly believe it. Patty had never been very political, and now she was suddenly joining the group that had kidnapped her? It just didn't make sense. They were certain that Patty wasn't in control of the situation. She had to be speaking under duress. But on April 15, 1974, 12 days after they heard that tape, everything changed.
14:11 Speaker 01 That day, five armed members of the SLA charged into a bank in San Francisco and stole $10,000. As the group held up the tellers at gunpoint, the bank's surveillance system was recording their every move. When the authorities reviewed the footage, they were shocked to see a familiar face among the robbers. It was the now 20-year-old Patty Hearst. She certainly didn't seem like a captive. Patty was armed with a gun and was a full participant in the heist. In case there were any doubts, she sent out another recording after the robbery.
14:54 Speaker 01 She said she was "a soldier in the People's Army."
15:00 Speaker 01 No matter what her parents believed, Patty's case changed at that moment. All of a sudden, the authorities were less interested in rescuing her and more interested in arresting her. And they were willing to do whatever it took to catch her. Follow Crime House: True Crime Stories, a Crime House Studios original, now. New episodes drop every Monday. Again, that's Crime House: True Crime Stories. Follow now wherever you get your podcasts. And for early, ad-free access, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple Podcasts.
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