ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | On the Road | 3

0:00This episode previously aired in 2022. A listener note, this episode contains descriptions of violence and may not be suitable for a younger audience.

0:21It's the evening of May 17, 1974. In a motel room in Anaheim, California, Patricia Hearst is sitting on a carpet watching the news. In a live broadcast, armed police officers in Los Angeles are swarming a residential neighborhood. A small yellow house is burning to the ground. And as billows of smoke drift into the sky, one of the TV commentators asks the question that seems to be on everyone's mind, has Patricia Hurst just died? Hurst sits up, disoriented by the surreal turn of events. Only minutes ago, the Corps members of the Symbionese Liberation Army got in a shootout with Los Angeles police.

1:01The two sides exchanged thousands of rounds. It was a chaotic battle with seemingly no end in sight. But the fight took a turn when the SLA's house suddenly burst into flames, growing into a raging inferno. Hearst and two SLA members, Bill and Emily Harris, sat watching the violent spectacle on TV. And no one had to say what they were all thinking. Their comrades weren't going to survive. In the motel room, Hurst continues watching the coverage, her eyes glossy and blank. She knows she's at least partly responsible for the horrifying deaths they've just watched on live TV. The deaths of people like Cujo, Jelena, and Sinkyu Emtume, the leader of the SLA.

1:46Just yesterday, Hurst was waiting in a van when Bill Harris tried to shoplift from a sporting goods store. He was caught in the act. But instead of letting him get arrested, Hearst pulled out a submachine gun and began firing at the store. The stunt broke up the scene, and Hearst and the Harrises went on the run. They didn't dare return to the SLA safehouse and endanger the others. But despite their efforts, they couldn't stop the police from tracking down several members of the group. The police descended on the SLA's house, and soon TV journalists had their cameras rolling as the SLA opened fire on the police, leading to a long shootout and a blaze that seems to have taken everyone's lives.

2:30The death and destruction have left Hearst feeling sick with remorse for her role in the tragedy. She was never exactly a consenting member of the group. She had only joined after the SLA kidnapped her and kept her trapped in a dark closet, threatening to kill her. Still for months now, these political radicals have been her entire world. It seems her mother and father gave up trying to rescue her. And the FBI wants to prosecute Hearst for taking part in the SLA's bank robbery. And although the SLA had initially dressed her up in combat fatigues, imposed her for photos like a prop, they also fed her, housed her, and trained her to defend herself.

3:10They were her kidnappers, but she had also become their comrade. Or at least she used to have that feeling. The core members of the group are now likely dead, and Hurst doesn't know what's going to happen, what she and the other two remaining members should do, or whether this is the end of the SLA and the beginning of a new chapter for Hurst. Hurst looks over at Bill Harris, who's still gazing at the TV. Sink you warned about this. Warned about what? He said the biggest threat to my life wasn't the SLA, it was the police. I guess he was right. Yeah, of course he was right. It doesn't matter if your last name is Hurst.

3:47If you were in that house, you would have gone down with them. They don't care. The negotiators, they didn't say, come out with Patty Hearst, we'll take you home. They would have killed me if they had the chance. Of course they would. It was just dumb luck you were sitting here in a motel. Well, I'm tired of sitting around in a motel. Oh yeah? What do you want to do? The cops, the FBI, they're all still looking for us. Hearst gets up and begins pacing. Let's get back to L.A. Do a search and destroy mission on the cops. You want to go up against the LAPD, the three of us. If we're going to go out, let's go out in a blaze of glory.

4:23The cops have to pay. Harris, like many SLA members, has wondered if Hearst has only been playing the part of a violent radical, making it seem like she's ready to fight. Her fury now is clearly not entirely an act, but still Harris doesn't seem convinced. No, we're not going up against the cops. Why not? Because what is it going to accomplish? We're fighting a war. Yeah, but we're not just at war with the police. We're fighting oppression, pollution, capitalism, poverty. And shooting cops right now isn't going to accomplish anything on those fronts. Look, if you're scared, go ahead and say it.

4:58I'll be honest, I'm scared, but I'm still ready to fight. Now come on. Hearst heads over to a nightstand and grabs the car keys, but Harris stops her. No, you realize I'm the leader here. I was next in line after CINQ. you. Oh, you may think you're in charge, but have you ever fired a gun at someone? Because I have. As your leader, I'm telling you to stand down. This isn't the time to be cautious. Let me be clear. If I have to use a gun, I will stand down. That's an order. Stand down. Okay. Okay. Hearst takes a seat in an armchair and tries to calm herself, to let go of the rage that's now coursing through her.

5:40Hearst never set out to be a radical activist. That role was forced on her after weeks spent in isolation just trying to survive. But Hearst can feel that something inside her has shifted. Perhaps it's a political awakening, a dawning understanding of the world and all its horrors and inequities, a commitment to a cause bigger than herself, and a recognition that she can never go back, not back to her friends or family or her old life.

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7:08From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal.

7:31By May of 1974, Patricia Hearst had undergone a dramatic transformation. The media heiress pledged herself to the radical ideology of her captors, the Symbionese Liberation Army. Her announcements shocked the American public, which had been following the saga of her captivity in newspapers and on TV. But after the core members of the SLA died, Hearst did not go back to her old life. Instead, she and her comrades, Bill and Emily Harris, went on the run. They traveled across the country, trying to find safe haven. And while the FBI had been stymied in their hunt for Patricia Hearst, the Bureau would soon catch a break, getting an unlikely tip that would lead them closer to America's most infamous fugitive.

8:15This is Episode 3, On the Road.

8:21It's June 1974 in Berkeley, California. Jack Scott stumbles forward as he's led, blindfolded, into an apartment building on a quiet residential street. A woman's hand reaches out and steadies him, leading Scott up a staircase. After stepping through a doorway, he's walked over to a chair and his blindfold is removed. For a moment, Scott is blinded by the natural light. But when his eyes adjust, he finds himself sitting face to face with the surviving members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. Scott can't help but let out a chuckle in surprise. Scott is an author and journalist who's grown fascinated by political stories, especially those that deal with left-wing ideology.

9:03And as far as he sees it, no story is more interesting or important than the SLA and their kidnapping of Patricia Hearst. Hearst appears to have taken up her captor's revolutionary cause. It's unclear whether her change of heart is sincere or the result of some kind of brainwashing. But either way, now that Hearst and the surviving members of the SLA are on the run, the public is desperate for updates. So Scott made a move. The journalist contacted an old friend connected to a network of Bay Area radicals. This friend offered to lead Scott to some people who might be connected themselves to the SLA.

9:42Scott would have to wear a blindfold on his way to the meeting, and he wouldn't be told where he was going. But for Scott, the stipulations were fine, as long as they got him closer to the story. And right now, Scott can't believe his luck. He didn't expect to be meeting with the actual surviving members of the SLA. It's a ragtag group, dressed in camouflage like soldiers. And one by one, they introduce themselves by their adopted names, General Techo, Yolanda, and Tanya. Scott knows their actual names are Bill Harris, Emily Harris, and Patricia Hearst. But Scott has to earn the group's goodwill.

10:19So he addresses them by their names of choice and begins delivering his pitch. Scott explains that if the SLA tells him their story, he can share it with the rest of the world. He's a responsible journalist, and if they work together, the public will finally get the truth without any of the bias of the mainstream media. Scott surveys the group, waiting for their approval. But Bill Harris is resistant. He tells Scott, we need a journalist like we need a hole in the head. What the group is really looking for is someone to help them get out of California so they can lie low. They heard Scott could make that happen.

10:56Scott sinks into his seat. It is true that in the past he has helped other radicals running from the law, but Scott doesn't want to remain in the business of transporting fugitives. That's too risky. At the same time, Scott doesn't want to give up the opportunity to interview Hearst and the SLA. So the journalist proposes what could be a good option. His wife rented a farm in Pennsylvania. Maybe they could all head east and regroup in a more idyllic setting. They'd have to leave behind their weapons. There are no guns allowed on the farm. But they could all talk, share their stories, and they wouldn't risk being seen by a single police officer.

11:34Emily and Bill Harris appear to be interested in the plan. But when Scott turns to Patricia Hurst, there's a cold reluctance in her eyes. Hearst says there's no way they're giving up their guns. Even if they're on a farm, they'll never be safe. The police are ruthless. And if the authorities do come for them, the SLA is prepared to use their firepower and avenge their comrades' deaths. Hearing this promise of violence, Scott is taken aback. He knew Hearst joined her captors, but he did not expect her to be the most aggressive or violent. Scott tries to reassure Hurst that they'll be safe on the farm, but she remains stubborn and unyielding.

12:15In order to keep the door to this opportunity open, Scott tells Hurst how his family has a long history of helping revolutionaries. He promises the SLA is going to be okay, and besides, they can't remain hiding in North Berkeley forever. They stand a much greater chance of getting caught. Scott sits back, waiting to see if he got through. Emily and Bill Harris both agree Pennsylvania is a good idea, but Patty Hearst still doesn't look happy. Eventually, though, she gives in and agrees. They'll head to Pennsylvania and stay there for a while, and Scott can be their shepherd. Scott smiles. They have a deal.

12:52A minute later, the four of them begin mapping out the details of the trip, how they'll get from Berkeley to rural Pennsylvania, the techniques they'll use to avoid being spotted. It won't be easy, but if they're careful, they'll make it to Pennsylvania and be able to lay low. And Scott will have his interview with Patricia Hurst and a clearer picture of who she really is.

13:17Several days later, a Ford sedan rumbles down a highway heading east. It's late at night and nearly empty out on the rural patch of I-80, a road stretching all the way from San Francisco to New Jersey. Sitting in the passenger seat, Lou Scott rolls down a window to get a little fresh air. Her husband, John, is at the wheel, and they've been driving for hours. Lou wouldn't mind taking a break, maybe stretching her legs or taking a short walk. But that's not part of the plan. Lou and her husband can't afford to stop the car unless it's absolutely necessary. In the back is one of the most infamous women in America.

13:53She's wearing a wig, along with padding over her stomach to make her look pregnant. Still, there's no mistaking Patricia Hurst, the victim of a kidnapping, and now the focus of dinner table conversations across the country. And although Hearst is a fugitive wanted by the FBI, Lou Scott doesn't have too many qualms about transporting her across the country. In part, she's doing it as a favor for her son. Jack Scott is a journalist, and getting an interview with Hearst in the SLA promised to be the story of a lifetime. Part of the agreement was the group had to get out of California, and the farm that Jack Scott's wife is renting in Pennsylvania was an obvious destination.

14:33But Lou Scott also has some sympathies for the SLA's ideology. Growing up in Ireland, Lou was no stranger to revolution. Her father was a founding member of the IRA, the Irish paramilitary group fighting for independence. Lou's mother even hid Irish soldiers underneath her bed, keeping them safe from British patrols. Still for Lou, the story of Patricia Hearst seems to transcend politics. She may not have the same beliefs as someone like Hearst's mother, Catherine, but she is a mother herself, and she can only imagine the grief of losing a child. So while Lou and her husband agreed to drive Patricia Hearst across the country, they also came up with another plan.

15:13Once they had Hearst in the car, they would offer to give her a ride home, putting an end to this whole ordeal. Lou turns from the front passenger seat, offering a tender smile. She addresses her as Patty, and asks if they could talk for a moment. Hearst bristles when she hears her old name and demands to be called Tanya. Lou nods, apologizing. And addressing Hearst by her adopted name, Lou suggests an alternative plan. They don't have to drive her to the farm. Not if Hearst doesn't want to go. And in fact, Lou and her husband were thinking they could just take her home, back to her old life. Lou's husband chimes in, saying they'd also be happy to drive her to a hospital.

15:56She could get whatever medical or psychiatric help she might need. She could stop living a life on the run and get back to people who love and miss her. But the suggestion does not go over well with Hearst. With a sour look on her face, she says that her family doesn't miss her. All they care about is their own wealth and bourgeois comfort. And while it may sound simple, it's not. Hearst is a wanted criminal. The cops are not going to be sympathetic if she just checks herself into a hospital. She'll be arrested and sent to jail. Lou Scott pushes back, saying deals can be made, and it's not inevitable that Hurst will be sent to jail.

16:33But Hurst shakes her head and says, no, she won't do it. She's not going back to her old life. The cops are out to get her, and if they try to arrest her, she's not going to lie down and take it. She'll put up a fight. She might even have to sacrifice her own life. Lou and her husband try again to talk some sense into Hurst, but it doesn't take long to realize it's a lost cause. Lou turned back around, staring out at the empty highway. Up until now, she assumed there was still a fragment of the old Patricia Hearst lying underneath her disguise as Tanya. But that person, whoever she was, may already be long gone.

17:13It's the summer of 1974 in Jeffersonville, New York. It's a humid afternoon, and Patricia Hearst is leaning against an old farmhouse trying to catch her breath. Insects buzz in her ear, and Hurst keeps scratching her ankles, trying to get rid of an itch that's been with her all day, ever since she began a series of training exercises here in the woods. Hurst looks over at Wendy Yoshimura, a petite woman with chin-length black hair. Like Hurst, she's sweaty, swatting away bugs, and exhausted. But both she and Hurst know they're probably not done for the day. All afternoon, these two women have been part of a small group running drills that new SLA leader Bill Harris has been leading, calling them search-and-destroy missions.

17:56The idea is to keep up their conditioning. The feds could show up at any minute, and Harris wants the group to be prepared. But the drills have bordered on ridiculous. Hearst and the others have been chasing each other through the woods, carrying broomsticks like guns. They've pretended to fire off rounds. They've simulated getting shot and falling to the ground. There have been a lot of dramatic performances, a lot of make-believe. Hearst has struggled to buy into the whole routine, but she can't tell if these doubts are what the SLA calls bad think, thoughts that have to be flushed away in order to carry out the group's noble struggle.

18:34Still, as Hearst begins talking with Yoshimura, she can see she's not entirely alone. Yoshimura is a fugitive herself. The journalist Jack Scott helped ferry her out of California, too, after her boyfriend was arrested for making bombs. Scott later asked Yoshimura to help the SLA keep a low profile on the farm. And although they come from different backgrounds, Hearst has found herself gravitating toward Yoshimura. For one, they're both frustrated with Bill Harris. The new leader of the SLA doesn't seem up to the task. Beyond his childish training exercises, Harris is prone to mood swings, arrogance, and he can get out of control.

19:12After driving across the country from the Bay Area, Harris and the remaining members of the SLA arrived at the farmhouse Jack Scott's wife had been renting. But Harris broke one of the only rules in place. No weapons. So when Harris held target practice with a BB gun, the group was turned away and had to find another home. They managed to find accommodations at an old one-room farmhouse in southeastern New York. But it's not a comfortable way to live. The mosquito bites are constant and the house is decrepit. and it's all made worse by Bill Harris's silly exercises in the woods. But after so much traveling and so much frustration with the diminished state of the SLA, Hearst is glad to have found someone she connects with.

19:54Yoshimura seems like she could even be a friend. Hearst looks back out of the woods and snorts in disgust. Wendy, I'm done. I don't think I can run one more drill. No kidding. We look like frazzled witches running around with these broomsticks. Like that's really going to help us if the feds show up. Yeah, but we can't stop. We do need to be able to fight. Otherwise, we'd be as good as dead if the police show up. You really think those are the only two options? Hearst goes silent. She doesn't understand what Yoshimura is getting at. Maybe you do. Who told you those were the only options? Sinkyu.

20:35He said if cops show up, they'll attack us. so we had to be able to fight. Well, maybe Sincu didn't consider a third option. What third option? What would you do if the feds showed up? I'd walk out with my hands up. But Wendy, they'd shoot you right there. Maybe they would. But probably they wouldn't. No, you saw what happened in L.A. Cops showed up and everyone was killed, just like Sincu said. Yeah, except the S.L.A. fired their guns first. Look, I don't know what you think. But if it were me, I'd surrender. I'd let them drop me off to prison. I'd do a little time, and then I'd get out. Now, Sinhu says if I went to prison, the pigs would torture me.

21:12Well, the alternative is dying. And if you're dead, you can't do much for the revolution, can you? No, of course not. But that's not the point. Now, look, I'm going to tell you, fighting is easy. Anyone can pick up a gun, sacrifice their lives. What is harder is going on and actually fighting the system while living. That is much more radical. Yoshimura heads inside the farmhouse, leaving her by herself, staring off into the rolling green pastures. It's an uncomfortable thought, giving up and surrendering to the police. On a primal level, it feels wrong. But Yoshimura might have a point. You cannot change anything about the world if you're dead.

21:53And even people behind bars eventually get out and start over.

22:01I'm Raza Jaffray, and in the new season of The Spy Who, they open the file on Benedict Arnold, the spy who betrayed the American Revolution. America is fighting to free itself from the British Empire, and one of its foremost generals is Benedict Arnold. He's a smuggler turned battlefield hero and admired for his aggressive tactics. But when a war wound, a new wife, debts and politics test his loyalty to the mags, he turns spy and devises a plot to shatter the revolution and help Britain capture rebel commander in chief, General George Washington. And that plot would make him the most infamous traitor in US history.

22:45Follow the Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution early and ad-free on Audible.

23:19will cut off your head. Oh no, maybe just tell them about the guest stars like Richard Kind, Carrie Coon, Jimmy Fallon, et al. But they were in it, and if you don't listen to them, then I will cut off your tongue, then cut off your head, and then put the tongue in the head hole. Aw, you tried. Listen now exclusively on Audible and Donald the Audible app today, or off with your head! I'm kidding.

23:57It's early 1975 at an FBI office in San Francisco, California. The workday has already started, but Special Agent Charlie Bates is lying on his office couch, half asleep and hungover. Last night was another boozy occasion in the Hearst Family Library. It's been almost a year since Patricia Hearst was kidnapped, but Bates, the agent overseeing the case, could only give her family the same update as always, the FBI has no news. And as always, Patricia Hearst's father, Randy, offered a stoic reply, saying that no news is good news, and then topping off their glasses with more scotch. Bates is now paying the price for that drinking, but he still has to put in a full day of work.