The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst

The kidnapping of Patty Hearst occurred in 1974 when the 19-year-old heiress was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a radical leftist group. The SLA demanded the Hearst family distribute millions in food aid to the poor as ransom. Patty later joined her captors, appearing in bank robberies and declaring solidarity with them. Her actions led to her arrest in 1975, raising debates about Stockholm syndrome, where hostages develop affection for their captors. Patty was convicted but had her sentence commuted in 1979, later receiving a presidential pardon in 2001. The case remains a fascinating example of crime and psychology.