American Scandal - ENCORE The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst | The Negotiation | 2

Episode Date: January 1, 2026

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/wonderynewsletterListen 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.

Want to get more from American Scandal? Subscribe to Wondry Plus for early access to new episodes, add free listening, and exclusive content you can't find anywhere else. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or 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 11th, 1974.

Sincu and Tume is tossing and turning on an old musty bed in Concord, California. He has a splitting headache, and his mouth is hot and parched. And as the sunshine slants in through broken blinds, it feels like Sincu is being hit on the head with a baseball bat. Sincu 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 was planning to take. But for Sincu, making promises has never been enough. He founded the Symbianese Liberation Army, a left-wing organization, to push for real change. And recently, Sincu led a dangerous mission that got the whole Bay Area talking. Sincu 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 Sincu believed was an act of fascism.

So one night, after creeping through the shadows, Sincu 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, Sincu predicted that he and his comrades would be seen as heroes fighting for justice, but instead, the SLA faced widespread condemnation, and Sincu 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 Hurst, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph-Hurst, and an heiress to a media empire. Sincu 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, get his head straight, Sincu shouldn't have any trouble organizing the mission. Sincu 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 Soltesik. 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. Sin. Now, we'll talk when I wake up. Sin Q scoooes past his comrade, but Ms. Moon stops him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Oh, Sin, we have to talk now. Joe Romero and Russ Little were arrested last night. 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. Oh, you're kidding me. No, Sin, this is real. Sincu looks down, processing the news. Well, Ramiro and Little, they're soldiers. They're not going to talk. Well, that's not what I'm worried about. It's the leaflets. They had stacks of them in the band. The cops are already looking for us after that Marcus Foster thing. Now they know Ramiro 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. So what do we do? How do we get out of this? Sincu 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. Sincu 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. Sincu shoots her a confused list. 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. Sincu 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 the cops have a chance to show up. So Sincu gives Perry the approval, and he and his

followers get to work. They cover the inside of the safe house in gunpowder and gasoline. Sincu 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, Sincu lays his foot on the gas, speeding down the street, glancing in the rear-view 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 the Simbianese Liberation Army. And Sincu and his followers will be able to finish their next mission and kidnap Patricia Hurst. From Andre, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scan.

By the time she was 19, Patricia Hurst 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. Hurst began studying as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, and she got engaged to an older man working on a Ph.D. in philosophy. But Hurst'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 Hurst family found itself at the center of a national media sensation, one that raised questions about what had really happened to Patricia Hurst. This is episode two, the negotiation. It's the night of February 4, 1974, and Patricia Hurst 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, Hurst 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 fiancé, 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. Hurst's fiancé fled out the back, leaving Hurst by herself, outnumbered and held at gunpoint. At first, the crime didn't make any sense. But it didn't take long before Hurst realized that she was the target, that the intruders wanted to kidnap the granddaughter of media mogul William Randolph Hurst. 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.

Lying in the dark trunk, Hurst 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, Hurst worked 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. 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. The man yells out, asking how the hell the blindfold came off. He asks for assistance, and right as Hurst 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 her. telling her not to make a single noise and threatening to shoot her if she does. Hurst can tell the man is serious. And with her mouth, still gagged, she just nods her head

and doesn't make another sound. For a while, the car continues driving through the streets of Berkeley. When it begins to slow down on a residential street, one of the men reaches over to Hurst and puts a blindfold back on. Then he tells her to get up and get out. Hurst is led into what seems to be a house

She's taken on a winding tour until finally she shoved forward into another room. The door shuts and locks behind her. When Hearst begins feeling around, she realizes she's in some kind of tiny space, maybe only a few feet wide. Hurst 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. When a man's voice calls out from the other side, telling her to stop, it's just a closet. Hurst 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. The next morning, Patricia Hurst sits up in the dark closet. She's still gagged and blindfolded and didn't get a minute of sleep all night. Hurst 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 Hurst 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. Hurst 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 Sincu, the general field marshal of the Symbionese Liberation army. The SLA is fighting a war against capitalism, fascism, and oppression. And as a P.O.W. in this conflict, Hearst will be treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention. 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 Hurst asks again if she can use the restroom alone. Sincu mutters a curse, but offers a compromise. A woman named Jolene,

will accompany her instead. A moment later, someone else approaches, and she sounds familiar too, like the woman who knocked on Hurst's door just last night, saying she'd hit a car in the garage. There's a bit of back and forth, but finally Hurst 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. But she manages to use the toilet with a woman by her side. When Hearst is led back to the closet, Jelina 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. Hurst 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. They're murderers, and if they are capable of killing Marcus Foster, Hurst might be next. A week later, Patricia Hurst'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. But just recently, there was a development.

An envelope arrived at the local radio station with these two audio tapes 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. 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 Symbanese Liberation Army. Today I have received an order from the Simbemones War Council, the Court of the People, to the effect that I am ordered to convey the following message that Patricia Campbell Hurst is alive and safe.

Hearing this news, Randy Hurst'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 Durant, 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 Hursts have to give away $70 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. And even with his mansion and summers at the castle, Randy Hurst isn't as flush as most people think. And when he discusses the demand with Bates, the FBI agents 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 Hearst's.

the political group is creating a public spectacle. And if the Hearsts tried to negotiate, they could find themselves backed into a corner, with the SLA issuing larger and larger demands. 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 all right.

So Randy asks the FBI agent to play the second tape. I'm dad. I'm okay. I had a few scrapes and stuff, but they've washed them up and they're getting okay. And I'm not being starved or beaten or unnecessarily frightened. 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. 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 has sat listening to members of the SLA constantly getting drunk,

arguing about how they're going to overthrow the system, even having sex and 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. 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 Hurst began to feel optimistic that she was going to make it out of this nightmare. But then the saga took another turn, when Sincu increased his demands and asked for another $4 million for the food giveaway. After that escalation, Randy Hurst appeared to cut off talks, saying the Hurst 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, Hurst was left feeling hopeless. Hurst sits peering through a crack in the closet door. When she hears footsteps approaching, Hurst wraps the blindfold back over her face and waits as the door opens. Patricia, you can take off the blindfold. Hurst recognizes the voice. It's in Q, the man leading the SLA. 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 got to be just bluffing. He's trying to force your hand to get you to back down. I don't think so. 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 going to 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. Now, don't do this. Hearst shuts her eyes, waiting. She's certain that this is it, the end.

But even as she trembles and fear for her life, Sincu starts to laugh. He tells Hurst he's not going to hurt her. He's going to train her to be a fighter. Hurst opens her eyes, dumbfounded. Sincu 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 Hurst. Hurst blinks, still shocked. A second ago, she thought she was about to be killed. But now her captors want her to carry a weapon? Sincu nods and offers the shotgun. He adds that Hurst is as much a part of the struggle as anyone in the SLA.

She just hasn't woken up yet. Hurst 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, Herce 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 Hers 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. Hello American Scandal listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. The very first show will be at the Granada Theater in Dallas, Texas on March 6th. It's going to be a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with a full band behind me as we look back to explore the days that made America, and they aren't the days you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4, 1776, but there are many other days that are maybe even more

influential and certainly more scandalous. So come out to see me live in Dallas, or for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to American History Live.com. That's Americanhistorylive.com. Come see my Days that Made America Tour live on stage. Go to American History Live.com. It's the spring of 1974 in Daily City, California, and Patricia Hurst is leaning against the wall of her closet, listening to one of her captors reading from the Communist Manifesto. The man calls himself Kujo. He's wearing a ski mask to hide his identity. And as he continues reading from the famous communist text, Hurst feels herself growing groggy and falling into a stupor. It's been a long day. Hurst began by training with Sincu 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 Hurst and then brushing her wet hair. Hurst has grown increasingly entangled with his group, talking at length about revolutionary politics and even sharing a toothbrush with her captors. While Hurst 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. Still, even though she's become more a part of the group, something has been bothering Hurst, something she wants to bring up. Hurst 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 friend.

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 Hurst is done, Kujo 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. Hurst smiles back, unsure whether he's being serious or sarcastic. It's the first time anyone at the SLA has shown her any real respect. In some ways, it's more than she got from her fiancé, Steve Weed.

Herst startles, though, when loud music starts blaring in the other room. Kujo rises and says he'll ask them to turn it down so they can keep talking. After he steps away, the SLA member Jolina bounds over. Like Kujo, she's wearing a ski mat. and sounding a little giddy, she tells Hurst that Kujo is interested in her. Does Hurst want to sleep with him? Hurst is thrown off by this sudden development, and she fears what would happen if she said no.

So Hurst remains silent, even as Jolina gives her a knowing smile. And then she says she'll send Kujo back in. A few minutes later, Kujo returned, still wearing a ski mask. He tells Hurst his mind is made up. He'll never again call her Marie Antoinette, and neither will anyone else in the SLA. Hers remains silent, wondering what's coming next. Kujo reaches toward her with a faint smile,

and slowly he begins removing his shirt. It's April 3, 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. He grabs a small package, and as he tears it open, He finds an audio tape 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 and posing 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 Hurst. 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 SLA.

And while the DJ couldn't verify the caller's identity, he does now have this photo. And the longer he looks at it, the more he gets the sense that it's real and that he's just stumbled on a major development in a national news story. Like everyone else in America, the DJ has been closely following the saga Patricia Hurst. It began with real news coverage, the story of a story of a country. crime, targeting one of the most important families in America. But in the week 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. 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 Hurst. 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 audio tape. 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. And when it begins playing,

he and his producer hear the unmistakable voice of Patricia Hurst, 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 Hurst makes a startling announcement. 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've chosen to stay and fight. The tape stops playing and the producer looks up at the DJ. This is sensational. Patricia

Hurst 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 saying 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 his station wagon as it drives down the streets of San Francisco. She gazes at a series of tall, white Victorian homes. There's a web of electrical lines connecting San Francisco 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. Hurst 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, Hurst is going to join several members of the SLA in a bank robbery. 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, Sincu, turns to his comrades. All right, now remember, 90 seconds in and out. It's all we got. Tanya, you good on your part? Hearst is confused for a moment, until she remembers Sincu 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. 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. When they step inside, Sincu pulls out his gun and shouts at the customers. The 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 Hurst.

Now, the first person who puts his head up, I'll blow it off. The customers shriek again in fear. Everyone is on edge. But with her back to the door, Hurst doesn't notice two new customers enter. When the new customers startled one of the SLA recruits, she accidentally fires her gun, and the two new customers fall to the ground. Sincu shouts out an order. Let's go! Let's go! As Hearst 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 Sincu'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. 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. 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, Sincu, 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 Hurst was caught on camera. The robbery was largely a work of theater, showing the world that Patricia Hurst 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. Still, if Harris is being honest, he's begun to question Sincu's leadership. He agrees it was smart to relocate to Los Angeles. Sincu thought going to L.A. 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, Sincu doesn't seem to have a coherent vision, no real strategy to bring about systemic change. Still, Sincu 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 Hurst,

who's waiting for them outside in the van, serving as a lookout. Harris gathers up supplies, trying to move fast. He doesn't want anyone to spot Hearst in the parking lot. But as he turns a corner, Harris spots a shotgun-shell bandolier hanging from Iraq. 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. 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. It's a chaotic mess of grunting men and flailing arms,

and 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 Hurst 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 minute. before the cops show up.

So as soon as Hearst 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, only looking away from the road

to steal a glance at Patricia Hurst, 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 partied as some shootout at a sporty goods store. One of the agents begins to push back, noting the seriousness of the situation. His daughter is on record, saying she decided to stay with her captors. The 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 run-down yellow house, demanding that those inside come out with their hands up. 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 think it's true that she's become... one of them? You think she's going to 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 idea she may have picked up are not going to 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. Randy understands his wife. 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 Hurst from American Scandal.

In our next episode, law enforcement closes in on the remaining members of the SLA, while the Hurst family grapples with a devastating loss. If you're enjoying American Scandal, you can unlock exclusive seasons on Wondry Plus. binge new season first and listen completely ad-free when you join Wondry Plus in the Wondry app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a survey at Wondry.com slash survey. If you'd like to learn more about the kidnapping of Patricia Hurst, we recommend the book's American heiress by Jeffrey Tubin and Every Secret Thing by Patricia Campbell Hurst and Alvin Moscow. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most

cases, we can't know exactly what we said. All our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited and executed produced by me, Lindsay Graham for airship. Audio editing by Molly Bach. Sound design by Derek Barron's. Music by Lindsay Graham. This episode is written by A.J. Marischo, edited by Christina Malsberg. Our senior producer is Gabe Riven. Executive producers are Stephanie Chens, Jenny Lauer Beckman, and Marshall Louis for Wondering. Thank you.