ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | The Plot | 1

23:05But when a war wound, a new wife, debts and politics test his loyalty to the Max, 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. Follow 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.

23:51It's March 5th, 1973, at Soledad State Prison, a few hours south of San Francisco. In a dark room on the south side of the prison complex, an inmate with hooded eyes and a short afro kneels on the ground as he works to repair a large boiler. He tightens a rusted bolt. As he pauses to inspect the equipment, he looks over at a prison guard and gives a curt nod. The inmate, Sinkyu Emtume, knows he's relatively lucky. He has a coveted job, doing handiwork in an empty part of the prison. He barely has any supervision. Still, when he was escorted to the job and looked out at the horizon, past the chain-link fences and guards stationed with their guns, Sin Q could only dream of what it must feel like to be free.

24:35It's a feeling Sin Q has never really known. When he was only 14 years old, he fled his abusive father and took up a life of crime. He got involved in street gangs, guns, and violent relationships. He cycled in and out of the criminal justice system, and trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. But while Sinh Kieu is no stranger to prison, his most recent conviction was especially baffling. Sinh Kieu was sentenced to life in prison, but it may only be five years. He doesn't know how long he's going to be away. It could be a short stint, or he could die in prison. The decision is in the hands of the parole board.

25:11With that kind of uncertainty, an inmate could easily lose his mind. But Sinh Kieu has always tried to make the most of things. He's gotten involved with prison activists, and as a black inmate, he studied up on issues of racial injustice. Sinkiu has learned about men like George Jackson, an inmate who became a powerful leader behind bars and spearheaded violent uprisings. Reading about men like Jackson, Sinkiu has been filled with a spirit of righteousness and rage. And he was inspired to shed his birth name, Donald DeFreeze, which he called a slave name. Instead, he would be known as Sinkiu M.

25:46Tume, after the leader of a slave rebellion and the Swahili word for profit. Seng Kew's brush with radical politics also gave him a dream to lead his own rebellion with his own devoted followers. Still, there's only so much he can accomplish while locked up, and with his unpredictable sentence, all he can really do is dream of the day he gets out. In the boiler room, Seng Kew finishes tightening another bolt and looks over as a correctional officer opens the door and steps outside. Beyond the guard is a six-foot chain-link fence. It's topped with curling barbed wire, but beyond that is freedom.

26:24Sinkyu keeps working and waiting for the guard to return. Several minutes pass, but for some reason, the officer doesn't come back into the boiler room. Sinkyu pauses, staring at the open door. This is an unexpected turn of events. There's no one watching him. Sin Q could just walk right out of here. And after that, the only thing standing between him and Freedom would be a six-foot fence and his own raw fear. Sin Q sets his tools on the ground and begins walking to the door. Maybe he'll start with just a quick look. He looks outside and surveys the surroundings. There's no one here. Just a vast concrete expanse and a plume of steam coming up from the prison laundry building off in the distance.

27:08Without giving it another thought, Sinh-Kyu begins to run. He reaches the chain-link fence and starts climbing. And when he reaches the top, barbed wire tears into his arms, but adrenaline numbs the pain. Sinh-Kyu then flings himself to the other side of the fence and continues to run. He gets farther from the prison and farther from the guards, their nightsticks and shackles and oppression. His breath grows labored and his legs are tired. SYNQ keeps running, farther from Soledad Prison and closer to Highway 101.

27:43Five months later, Patricia Soltizic pages through a stack of political pamphlets in an apartment in Berkeley, California. As she reads through a list of radical proposals and incendiary arguments, her brown eyes twinkle with excitement. Then Soltizic grabs a pen and starts jotting down ideas. Though her parents call her Patricia, everyone else knows Sultisic as Ms. Moon. It's her adopted name and part of her new identity as a radical feminist and dropout from Berkeley. In the last few years, Ms. Moon has done a lot of learning and a lot of growing up. And there's much she wants to change about the world.

28:19Ms. Moon is sick of the forces that give rise to racism, sexism, greed, and every other form of oppression. She's seen firsthand that the police are willing to fire on innocent protesters, people doing nothing wrong. And with America increasingly feeling like it's falling apart at the seams, Ms. Moon believes the country is ready for revolution. Large-scale change is exactly what she's trying to accomplish. Ms. Moon looks across the room and watches Seng Yu M. Tume pacing on a shag rug, gripping a nearly empty glass of plum wine. A friend of Ms. Moon's connected her with Sinh Kieu after his escape from Soledad Prison.

28:57And for the last couple of months, they've been living and sleeping together. But the two have also been talking about the need for revolution, the imperative for big political change. But tonight, she and Sinh Kieu have decided that they're done with talking. It's time for action. The two have gathered with Ms. Moon's other comrade, Nancy Ling Perry. And together, these three are brainstorming a constitution for a new radical group.

29:26Ms. Moon sits on the ground, paging through a fire from the radical political group, the Black Panthers. Ms. Moon believes in the mantra of following Black leadership, and she wants to share what she's reading with Sinh Kue. But it can be tough to pin down his ideology, especially once a wine bottle is uncorked. Often, Sinh Kue gets surly when she talks about any other group as if they're stealing his thunder. So in talking with Sin Q, Ms. Moon tries to tread lightly. Hey, Sin, take a look at this one. I always thought there was a simplicity to the Black Panther's literature. Maybe something we can learn from.

30:01Sin Q narrows his eyes. Panthers, huh? You think it's simplicity? Or is it stupidity? This says boycott lettuce. Well, yeah, it's in solidarity with the farmers. They were getting exploited. What kind of revolution are you going to start by telling people not to eat lettuce? Well, sin. The Panthers are all over the news. And it was because of these kind of slogans. I mean, people stopped buying lettuce at Safeway. They had an impact. So if we're going to do something similar, maybe we do have something to learn from the Panthers. Nah, forget it. Let's focus on something else. Well, I mean, we need a name for the group.

30:41Yeah, I was up late last night. A word in my head, symbiosis. You know, a black con like me and two white women? People don't expect us to come together in a revolution. But that's our strength, isn't it? Sinkyu throws back the rest of his plum wine. Well, damn right. I want to unite all the struggles together. Let people know we're fighting for freedom. How we're going to crush the fascists together. It's like we're an army. That's it. A freedom army. An army of liberation. That's an idea. Nancy, are you getting this? Nancy Ling Perry nods and begins typing, taking down notes. Sin Q pours himself another glass of wine and continues pacing the room, now with a wild look in his eyes.

31:26Symbiosis. Symbiosis. Symbiosis. Yeah, but symbiosis what? I know. What? What's the name? We're getting close. Symbiosis Army. Symbi - Symbionese Army. Symbionese Liberation Army. The Symbionese Liberation Army. That's the name. Yeah, that's who we are. The SLA. Sin Q, you're a genius. Ms. Moon grins as she looks down at the spread of political pamphlets in front of her. Soon, the Symbionese Liberation Army is going to have its own radical literature. With Sin Q's leadership and Perry by her side, Ms. Moon is certain they'll be able to force some big changes in American society. They're going to have to get organized.

32:14and they'll have to finish drafting the Constitution. But Ms. Moon knows all of that is still just talk. What the group really needs is to take action.

32:26It's the evening of November 6th, 1973, three months later. In a dark alley in Oakland, California, Sin-Q M. Tume stands shivering, his clothes damp from the rain. He peers around a corner and takes another look at a white Chevy Vega sitting in a parking lot. Sincu grips a 12-gauge shotgun and turns back to his comrades, hiding in the shadows. Today, the Symbionese Liberation Army has a target. Marcus Foster, the superintendent of Oakland Unified School District, and a man embroiled in political strife. In recent months, violence has been spiking on school campuses, and people have been calling for change.

33:05But the superintendent came up with a solution that Sincu believes is a terrible abuse of power. Foster is going to hire armed security guards to try to keep schoolchildren safe. Foster is a black man, and Sincu believes he should know better than to use federal money to hire a fascist police force and station them in public schools, the schools of the people. The Black Panthers have already stepped into the fray, promising they would oversee school security themselves. And while that would be an improvement, Sincu believed more righteous action was called for, and that his group, the Symbionese Liberation Army, should be the one leading the charge.

33:45So Sincu hatched a plan. He and his comrades are going to assassinate Superintendent Marcus Foster and take a stand against oppression. If they succeed in their mission, Sincu believes the SLA will be hailed as one of the most radical revolutionary groups on the left. They'll be feared and respected, and Sincu will be seen as a visionary. But in order to carry out their mission, Foster has to actually show up. Sinkyu and his comrades have been waiting outside a school board meeting for hours, and so far there's no sign of the superintendent. As they stand in the alleyway, Nancy Ling Perry and Ms.

34:20Moon continue to pester Sinkyu with nervous questions. Are their guns loaded properly? Is the safety on or off? They're concerned the rain might affect their bullets, which are laced with cyanide. As the two women's chatter grows more frantic. Sinkyu begins to wonder if they should abandon the mission, maybe plan for another day. But then suddenly, a door slams into the distance. When Sinkyu peers around the corner again, he spots two figures walking in the shadows. Sinkyu waits, his heart pounding. And when the men finally come out of the shadows, stepping into a pool of incandescent light, he can see it's them, Marcus Foster and his deputy.

35:01Sin Q takes a deep breath and grips his shotgun. But before he can give an order, his comrade Nancy Ling Perry fires off two hasty rounds. The first shot misses, but her second hits the superintendent in the leg. Sin Q curses. Perry was supposed to follow directions. Plan's going off the rails, but they don't have time to argue. Sin Q takes another deep breath and then raises his Remington at Foster. He begins firing, round after round, as the two men scream. Sincu's comrade Mizmoon follows behind, firing her gun, and then taking the fatal shot. As Foster falls dead onto the asphalt, Sincu, Mizmoon, and Perry flee down the alley, sprinting toward their getaway vehicle.

35:49They hop in and the car peels out, speeding down a city street. As he looks out the window, Sincu's mind spins, thinking about what just happened. Soon the world is going to learn about the assassination of Marcus Foster. Sincu has no doubt that his group, the SLA, will be fawned over and feared. Sincu will probably be seen as a revolutionary hero. And soon his army will grow larger, more powerful, and capable of taking on much, much more.

36:21As Americans, we're constantly grappling with the fundamental question. Do we settle for the world as it is, or do we strive to create the world as it should be? Our answers tend to ebb and flow through the decades. But once, just after a war that nearly tore us apart, we came as close as we've come to answering it. And it's a story worth a closer look. I'm Michelle Obama, and I'm proud to announce Higher Ground's new podcast, Reconstruction, The Unfinished Promise. Guided by best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell and featuring my husband Barack Obama, this limited series uncovers the untold stories of Reconstruction, what they mean for us today, and how our past can shape the future we choose to build.

37:11Reconstruction, the unfinished promise, is available now on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. You there, tis I, Queen Mortuana of the Night Realm, a.k.a. Kate McKinnon And her Raven minion Jojo, a.k.a. Emily Lynn If you do not download and binge my show, Heads Will Roll, Air Apparent, Unaudible I will cut off your head! Oh no, maybe just tell them about the guest stars, like Richard Kind, Carrie Coon, Jimmy Fallon, et al. 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!

38:01I'm kidding.

38:15It's late December 1973, a month and a half after the killing of Marcus Foster. In a safe house in Concord, California, Sinkyu M. Tume shifts restlessly on a beat-up old couch. Half a dozen new recruits are seated around him, riffing on ideas for their next revolutionary action. And while there's a palpable energy in the room, a sense that anything is possible, Sinkyu feels flat. After the murder of Marcus Foster, the Symbionese Liberation Army proudly claim responsibility through a written announcement. The message introduced the world to the new group and its symbol, a seven-headed cobra. But Seng Kew was not prepared for the blowback he was about to face.

38:57The Black Panthers condemned the act as a slaughter and demanded justice. And at the superintendent's funeral, a racially and ideologically diverse crowd mourned what they called a senseless loss of a respected city leader. It was clear that the SLA's first revolutionary action had been a failure. And facing public disgrace, Sinkiu knew he had to figure out a new plan, something to rehabilitate his group's image. Sitting in the living room of their new safe house, Sinkiu takes a look at his ragtag army. To his left is a young white couple, Bill and Emily Harris, who recently fell in with the group.

39:35And it's Bill who says he thinks he has a plan, a way to win support for the SLA. According to Harris, the group should engage in guerrilla theater. They should hijack a Mack truck filled with meat and distribute the food to the poor. Harris says this kind of action is a little bit like Robin Hood. People would see how the SLA is on the right side of the fight for justice. Sin Q buries his face in his hands. He told his group that from here on out, they had to stay away from anything lethal since cops are now looking for them. But this idea, a stunt reducing the SLA to a food pantry, is useless.

40:12Harris looks stung, but Sinh Kieu isn't concerned. They need real ideas and real plans. So he turns to another recruit, a hardened Vietnam vet named Joe Ramiro. Ramiro has the toughness and military training Sinh Kieu has been looking for. But when prompted for ideas, Ramiro stays silent, and so does the rest of the group. Everyone seems to be waiting for Sincu to tell them what's next. Bill Harris then steps back into the conversation. Harris slides over a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle and tells Sincu to have a look. Scanning the newspaper, Sincu finds an article announcing a wedding engagement.

40:51Patricia Hurst is engaged to someone named Steve Weed. Sincu knows the name Hurst, everyone does, but he has no idea what Harris is getting at by pointing out this article. Harris explains that this is what they've been looking for. Seng Kew has talked about the possibility of a kidnapping, and Hearst is the perfect target. She's an heiress to a publishing empire, a princess from the ruling class. Seng Kew stares down at the petite young woman in the photo, mulling over the idea. Kidnapping someone from the Hearst family, a family that made enormous wealth off capitalist propaganda, That would make a splash.

41:29And people would see the SLA as a true revolutionary group, one fighting against injustice and greed. There's no doubt such a high-profile kidnapping would be a risk, especially now that they're being hunted by cops for murder. But for SINQ, it's a risk worth taking. So the SLA's leader gives Harris the okay to track down Hearst, to start preparing for a mission that will put the SLA on the map.

41:57It's after midnight on January 10, 1974, in Concord, California. It's an overcast night, and police officer David Douge is patrolling a series of quiet streets in his cruiser. It's about midway through his shift, and he hasn't seen anything worth remarking on. But that's not much of a surprise. It's a weeknight in suburban Concord. It's not Oakland or San Francisco. But as he rounds a bend, Douge notices a beat-up van that seems out of place on a residential street. and something about it rubs him the wrong way, so Douj decides to have a look.

42:33Douj flashes his lights and pulls over his patrol car. He hops out of his cruiser and approaches the van on foot. When he's close enough, Douj knocks on the driver's side window. It rolls down, revealing two men with greasy hair and mustaches. Douj squints as he takes stock of the young men. Well, evening, gentlemen. Notice you here on the street. The driver just shrugs. Is that a crime officer? Well, it depends. Can I see some ID? The driver pulls out a license, which lists his name as Robert Scalise. All right, Mr. Scalise. What are you doing in this area tonight? We're just trying to find our way to my friend's house.

43:14Got a little turned around. And your buddy's expecting you at one in the morning? Well, we're running late. and you didn't think to find a payphone and just give him a call? Instead, you just decided to sit here in the dark? Well, officer, like I said, we're a little lost. We should probably be on our way. Douge frowns and swings his flashlight to the back of the van. It's strange. The windows are covered with black curtains. Nothing about this is adding up, so Douge aims his light at the man in the passenger seat. I'm going to need to see your ID, too, please. The driver shakes his head. Oh, officer, that's not necessary.

43:51It's not your call. Let me see that ID, son. The passenger hands over his ID, and Douche inspects it under his flashlight. The name on the card says Joe Ramiro. Douche takes a moment to review the facts. These men could be telling the truth. Just a couple of guys trying to hang out with a friend who got a little lost. But the officer isn't going to take any chances. Okay, all right. You fellas just stay here for a minute, and I'll be right back. Douge returns to his cruiser and runs the names off the IDs. Nothing turns up from the search, but the officer still has a bad feeling about these guys.

44:29And sometimes police work is all about feelings. Douge isn't going to risk anything. So when he returns to the van, he asks the man in the passenger seat to step out. When he does, Douge asks Ramiro if he has any weapons on him. Ramiro hesitates. and as Douge moves to perform a frisk, Ramiro quickly steps back and opens his jacket, revealing a pistol. The officer snaps into action. He sprints to his cruiser, looking for cover. But before he can reach the car, Ramiro begins firing. The gunshots echo through the quiet streets as Douge leaps behind his own vehicle. Adrenaline courses through his veins.

45:09His pupils dilate. And when there's a break in the gunfire, Douge grips his own weapon and leaps up to fire back. But he misses, and Ramiro flees by foot, taking off into the darkness as the van begins racing down the street. Douge reaches for his police radio and calls out to dispatch, announcing that he's been fired at and needs backup. Douge waits in his cruiser, holding tight for support. He isn't sure he's safe. The men could still come back and try to finish what they started. And sure enough, right as his backup arrives, the van reappears, driving right toward them, its engine groaning in the night air.

45:48Douge kneels down, aiming his gun at the vehicle. He calls out for the van to stop, and it slows down, eventually coming to a halt. The driver steps out of the van, as the other officers rush forward and place him in handcuffs. With one man now in custody, Officer Douge decides to have a look inside the van. Douge opens the door, and with his flashlight raised, he crouches and climbs through the van. He crawls over beer bottles and fast food wrappers. When he reaches the back of the vehicle, Douge discovers a stack of brightly colored flyers. He leans closer, inspecting them. He picks one up and sees an image of a seven-headed cobra and the word Symbionese Liberation Army.

46:33The officer flinches. The SLA is the group responsible for assassinating Marcus Foster. They're violent political radicals. And if the man they arrested tonight is involved with the organization, the police may be one step closer to fining the killers and bringing them to justice.

46:53From Wondery, this is episode one of the kidnapping of Patty Hearst from American Scam. In our next episode, the Hearst family begins public negotiations to get their daughter back from the SLA. But when Patricia's voice is broadcast across the nation, she makes a startling announcement about her family, her captors, and the next chapter of her life.

47:34That's not thatlindseygram.com.

48:04Editing by Molly Bach. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written by A.J. Marischel. Edited by Christina Malzberger. Our senior producer is Gabe Ribbon. Executive producers are Stephanie Jens, Jenny Lauer-Beckman, and Marsha Louis for Wondery.