American Scandal: The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst

Episode 3: On the Road
Podcast Host: Lindsay Graham
Original Release Date: January 6, 2026
Podcast Production: Wondery

Overview

This episode examines the aftermath of the fiery confrontation between the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and law enforcement, and follows Patricia Hearst and the remaining members on the run across the United States. It vividly explores Hearst’s evolving relationship with her captors/comrades, the tense dynamics within the group, the efforts of outsiders to help (or rescue) her, and the relentless FBI pursuit leading up to Hearst’s arrest. The episode sheds light on the psychological turmoil and shifting loyalties at play, and leaves listeners questioning where victimhood ends and complicity begins.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Immediate Aftermath of the SLA Shootout

• Scene Setting: The episode opens with Hearst, Bill Harris, and Emily Harris anxiously watching news coverage of the deadly police standoff in Los Angeles (00:35). As the SLA safehouse burns, Hearst grapples with the guilt and consequences of her involvement.
• Psychological Turmoil: Hearst reflects on her coerced journey from captor to comrade, feeling trapped between her old identity and her role within the SLA.
  • “They were her kidnappers, but she had also become their comrade. Or at least she used to have that feeling.” (03:01)
• Radicalization or Survival? Hearst proposes fighting back against the police in retaliation, but Bill Harris refuses, debating the purpose of violence and revolution.
  • Bill Harris: “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.” (05:14)

2. Going Underground and the Role of Jack Scott

• Meeting with Jack Scott: Journalist Jack Scott is blindfolded and introduced to Hearst and remaining SLA members in Berkeley (09:36). He wants to tell their story, but they want his help to escape California.
• Negotiating an Escape: Scott suggests they relocate to a farm in Pennsylvania, but Hearst is adamant about retaining weapons, fearing police ruthlessness.
  • Hearst: “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…” (13:22)

3. Hearst's Refusal to Return Home

• Cross-Country Escape: Jack Scott’s parents transport Hearst (in disguise) and SLA members to Pennsylvania (19:55). Lou Scott, hoping to help “Patty,” subtly offers to return her to her family or the hospital.
  • Hearst (as Tanya): “My family doesn’t miss me. All they care about is their own wealth and bourgeois comfort… If the police try to arrest me, I’m not going to lie down and take it. I’ll put up a fight.” (24:34)
• Disconnection & Defiance: Lou realizes the old Patricia Hearst is seemingly gone, replaced fully by “Tanya.”

4. Life in Hiding and Internal Disillusionment

• Dissatisfaction on the Farm: At a rundown farmhouse in New York, the group’s makeshift military drills devolve into farce. Both Hearst and fellow fugitive Wendy Yoshimura grow skeptical of Bill Harris' leadership (27:45).
• Questioning the SLA Doctrine: Yoshimura challenges the group’s all-or-nothing mentality regarding law enforcement.
  • Yoshimura: “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.” (36:14)

5. The FBI Closes In – A Lucky Break

• Tip-Off from Within: The FBI receives a tip from Walter Scott, Jack Scott’s disgruntled brother, that his parents illegally aided Hearst’s escape (39:11).
• Forensics and Bloodhounds: The episode details the FBI's forensic efforts—the bloodhound finally hits on Hearst’s scent in the farmhouse, confirming her recent presence and giving investigators a real lead (43:17).

6. Criminal Actions and Growing Guilt

• Return to California and Further Crimes: Chronicles the eventual return of Hearst, Harris, and Yoshimura to California. Out of money, the group robs a bank; Emily Harris accidentally shoots a customer (47:30).
  • Emily Harris: “She’s a bourgeois pig. It’s karma.”
    Hearst: “A woman who could have been poor and striving for a little bit of dignity just like everyone else. Now that woman may be dead and Hearst is painfully aware she’s an accomplice.” (53:47)

7. Conversations with Jack Scott & Randy Hearst’s Desperation

• Randy Hearst’s Dilemma: In a tense exchange, Randy Hearst attempts to extract information from Jack Scott about his daughter’s state of mind and whether she’s truly radicalized (59:10).
  • Scott: “The woman I saw seemed very committed. I don’t think she was faking it.”
    Randy: “Patricia has always been a rebel middle child... You think she’s prepared to face prison?”
    Scott: “The real question is why your daughter shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions.” (01:01:22)

8. Capture and Decision Point

• FBI Raid and Final Choice: In September 1975, the FBI storms Hearst and Yoshimura’s San Francisco apartment. Hearst briefly hesitates—recalling Yoshimura’s counsel months earlier—and chooses to surrender rather than fight (01:09:45).
  • “You cannot change anything about the world if you’re dead. And even people behind bars eventually get out and start over.” (Recalled from previous dialogue)
• Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Hearst’s arrest and the uncertainty of her fate—a lead-up to her impending trial.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bill Harris to Hearst:
  “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…” (10:52)

• Patricia Hearst on her parents:
  “My family doesn’t miss me. All they care about is their own wealth and bourgeois comfort.” (24:34)

• Wendy Yoshimura’s alternative:
  “What is harder is going on and actually fighting the system while living. That is much more radical.” (36:14)

• Emily Harris after shooting a civilian:
  “She’s a bourgeois pig. It’s karma. And that was her clothes' karma back there anyway. What do you want me to do? Turn around and give her mouth to mouth?” (53:32)

• Randy Hearst’s heartbreak:
  “Every night I lie awake wondering, did my daughter actually join the Symbionese Liberation Army?” (59:10)

• Jack Scott’s reflection:
  “The woman I saw seemed very committed. I don’t think she was faking it.” (01:00:40)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:35 – Hearst witnesses the SLA shootout and fire on TV
• 05:14 – Internal debate over violence/revolution with Bill Harris
• 09:36 – Journalist Jack Scott meets SLA fugitives
• 13:22 – Hearst refuses to give up her weapons for safety
• 19:55 – Scott’s parents drive Hearst east; offer to take her home
• 24:34 – Hearst rejects the notion of returning to family
• 27:45 – Training drills with Bill Harris, beginning bond with Yoshimura
• 36:14 – Yoshimura challenges the group’s ideology
• 39:11 – FBI receives the key tip from Walter Scott
• 43:17 – FBI bloodhound finds Hearst’s trace in Pennsylvania
• 47:30 – SLA group robs bank; civilian shot
• 53:32 – Emily Harris rationalizes violence
• 59:10 – Randy Hearst and Jack Scott’s conversation
• 01:09:45 – FBI arrests Hearst in San Francisco; she decides to surrender

Tone and Style

The storytelling is tense and immersive, mixing historical narration with dramatized dialogue. Themes of psychological conflict, loyalty, defiance, and the ambiguity of victimhood run throughout. The episode maintains a dramatic but empathetic portrayal of both Hearst and those caught up in her orbit.

Summary

This episode tracks the destabilizing effects of the SLA’s collapse, Patricia Hearst’s ongoing radicalization (or adaptation for survival), and the increasingly blurred line between victim and participant in her decades-defining case. As loyalties shift and relationships fray, the relentless push-pull between rebellion, conscience, and self-preservation under extreme duress comes to a head, culminating in Hearst’s arrest and the cliffhanger of her pending trial.