Morbid: The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst (Part 4) – Detailed Summary

Podcast: Morbid
Hosts: Ash Kelley & Alaina Urquhart
Episode Title: The Kidnapping of Patty Hearst (Part 4)
Release Date: September 8, 2025

Overview

Part 4 of Morbid’s deep dive into the Patty Hearst case explores the chaotic aftermath of the SLA’s (Symbionese Liberation Army) most notorious crimes, the tragic Crocker Bank robbery, the breakdown of group dynamics, and the eventual arrests, trials, and aftermath for Patty Hearst and the remaining SLA members. The episode balances grim true crime detail with the hosts’ trademark humor, skepticism, and outrage, particularly about justice, privilege, and personal responsibility.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Technical Difficulties and Housekeeping

• The hosts share that this is their second time recording the episode due to a microphone mishap—setting a self-deprecating, light tone.
  (01:39)

2. Recap and Where We Left Off

• Key events from part 3: The SLA was severely weakened after a destructive standoff and house fire; Patty had chances to leave but didn’t; surviving members joined the New World Liberation Front (NWLF).
• Discussion of Grandma Chrissy and Grandpa Tom, the neighbors who slept through the chaos.
  (05:14)

3. Descent into Chaos: The SLA Fractures and Escalates

• Post-fire, Bill Harris emerges as SLA’s less competent leader, with Patty and Emily helping to recruit a handful of new members.
  (06:40)

• The SLA operates as “NWLF” to align with broader violent leftist actions, further blurring lines and responsibilities for crimes happening nationwide.
  (07:19)

• Quote:

  "Throughout the summer of 1974, Bill, Emily, and Patty managed to add...a couple...a handful of new members to the SLA. But...Bill was a far less effective leader than Donald DeFries had been."
  — Ash (06:40)

4. Life on the Run: Summer 1974–75

• Patty, Bill, and Emily travel the country, "wanted as fuck," staying with sympathizers but directionless after the massive loss of members.
  (07:47–08:19)
• Despite being fugitives, they eventually return to San Francisco—a “bold move.”

5. Failed Re-Emergence & Robbery Attempts

• Attempting to reclaim the SLA spotlight, Bill leads a failed bank robbery at the Guild Bank (Feb 25, 1975)—well planned, quick (90 seconds), but nets only $3,000.
  (09:51–11:48)

  • The crew deems even this meager take a “success.”

• Immediately, they set sights on a grander heist: the Crocker National Bank robbery in Carmichael (April 21, 1975), meticulously scoped by Patty, who prepares floor plans.
  (12:55–13:41)

  • Quote:

    "Patty scoped that out and she actually drew a map from memory...Damn. Put a pin in that skill. Yeah. And maybe use it for better..."
    — Ash & Alaina (13:18)

6. The Crocker Bank Robbery and Murder of Myrna Opsal

• Plans fall apart as a local church mother, Myrna Opsal, is shot and killed by Emily Harris after she hesitates amid the chaos.
  (14:42–17:49)

  • Ash and Alaina’s horror and outrage are palpable:
    • "You decided that it was important to shoot this woman who just came from her church, who was unarmed and holding an adding machine."
      — Alaina (17:47)
    • "Your whole goal, allegedly, was to not hurt anyone."
      — Ash (18:18)
    • "[Emily Harris said], So what if she got shot? Her husband’s a doctor. She’s a bourgeois pig."
      — Emily Harris (quoted by Ash & Alaina) (24:09)
    • Alaina responds: "Oh, shut the fuck up." (24:11)

• The hosts dissect Emily’s callous ideology, the shattering of the SLA's “revolutionary” veneer, and the personal devastation inflicted on Myrna’s family.
  (24:09–25:11)

• In practical terms, even this “bigger” job nets just $15,000, not the $100,000 hoped for.
  (25:51)

7. Aftermath, Dissolution, and Capture

• The SLA’s violence, now including the murder of Wilbert “Popeye” Jackson, draws intense law enforcement pressure.

• Remaining members spend summer “studying the Anarchist Cookbook” and writing manifestos, but criminal activities (like bomb attempts) all flop.
  (27:12–27:57)

• Internal fractures: Patty eventually cuts herself off from Bill and Emily, moving in with new associates.

• Arrests:

  • The FBI tails the now-mundane routines of SLA members. Bill and Emily are arrested while doing laundry (30:09).

  • Patty is arrested without incident, and upon booking, gives her name as “Tania” and occupation as “urban guerrilla.”
    (34:08)

  • Quote:

    "When they asked her what her occupation was, she told them: Urban gorilla."
    — Ash (34:25)
    — Alaina: "I would have laughed really hard. I'm sorry." (34:29)

8. Trials, Justice, and Public Perception

• Patty’s father assembles a powerhouse legal defense led by famed attorney F. Lee Bailey.

• Host debate—was Patty a brainwashed victim or a willing participant? Both hosts side with uncertainty:

  • "Two things can be true at once...She could have been completely traumatized...and also realized, I'm into this and decided to actively participate."
    — Alaina (39:49–39:59)

• Patty is tried for the Hibernia Bank robbery and found guilty, sentenced to seven years (serves just over two), her sentence commuted by President Jimmy Carter thanks to Hearst family lobbying.
  (38:24–45:34)

• Notable moment: Patty’s dismissive post-release statement:

  • "For a young person not quite 25, I've done an awful lot of things. Some of them unusual. I've learned an awful lot about people."
    — Patty Hearst, quoted by Ash (46:01)

  • Alaina and Ash sharply critique the lack of remorse or acknowledgment for her actions.
    (46:19–47:26)

9. Delayed Justice for Myrna Opsal

• Years pass with no accountability for Myrna’s murder.
• In 1999, America's Most Wanted airs the case, and “Kathy Soliah” (Sarah Jane Olson) is identified living as a suburban wife and mother in Minnesota.
  (50:18–52:18)
  • Hosts’ outrage at her hypocrisy (denigrating “bourgeois pigs,” then becoming one herself) is a highlight.
• Sarah/Kathy pleads guilty to explosives charges, tries for a plea withdrawal, fails, and receives a 10-to-life sentence.
  (54:25–54:40)
• New evidence finally enables convictions of the SLA members involved in the murder and robbery (Crocker), including Emily and Bill Harris, Mike Borton, James Kilgore, and Sarah Jane Olson.
  (55:15–56:44)
  • All serve time — even if sentences now seem minimal by modern standards.

10. Reflection & Aftermath

• Ash and Alaina reflect on the complexity of the Hearst saga, the failures and triumphs of justice, and Patty’s later philanthropic work.
• They spotlight the determination of Myrna Opsal’s family in securing accountability, and remind listeners: “A cold case is never cold.”
  (57:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Nothing's worse. Nothing in the whole world. In the whole galaxy."
  — Alaina (describing recording mishaps, 01:46)

• "I wonder." (about the success of the robbery)
  — Alaina (11:12)
  Ash: "Well, the plan did work relatively well..."

• "[The SLA] are really bad at errands."
  — Alaina (26:17)

• "Emily Harris is an asshole."
  — Ash (19:13)

• "[On Patty’s raised fist at arrest:] ...which indicated that the latter was the truth."
  — Ash (34:08)

• "Armed robbery. That's just... you know, think of how crazy that is, though. She is the heiress to one of the richest families in the entire world, and she's serving seven years."
  — Ash (38:29–38:41)

• "That's fucking reckless and dangerous and violent. Regardless of whether you're brainwashed or not, you are alone in a car with a set of keys, and you chose to shoot into a sporting goods store and possibly kill children in there."
  — Alaina (46:51–47:07)

• "You just after talking shit about said woman who you killed. You married a doctor and just settled in St. Paul, Minnesota, and went on to have children and live a regular life."
  — Ash (51:55)

• "Poetic justice."
  — Alaina (57:51) (about all facing some level of consequence)

Important Timestamps

• 05:14 — Recap of SLA’s collapse & introductions
• 07:44 — Surviving SLA go on the run
• 09:51 — Guild Bank robbery
• 13:41 — Prepping for Crocker Bank job
• 14:42 — Myrna Opsal enters, leading to her murder
• 17:49 — Immediate aftermath, group discussion about the killing
• 24:09 — Emily’s infamous “bourgeois pig” justification
• 34:08 — Patty’s booking, “urban guerrilla” moment
• 38:24 — Patty’s trial and verdict
• 45:34 — Carter commutes Patty’s sentence
• 50:18 — America’s Most Wanted leads to arrest of Sarah Jane Olson
• 55:15 — New evidence, delayed convictions for Myrna’s murder
• 57:31 — Reflection on justice for Opsal family

Tone & Style

Morbid’s blend of empathy, gallows humor, and exasperated social commentary shines throughout. Ash and Alaina critique the actions and rationalizations of the key players, show sympathy for victims, and are not shy about denouncing injustice or hypocrisy. The covered material is graphic, heavy, and thought-provoking, but made approachable by the hosts’ banter, honesty, and warmth.

Conclusion

This final installment on the Patty Hearst case unpacks the messy truth behind headlines: trauma and agency can coexist; justice is haphazard; privilege and ideology often collide peevishly with reality. The podcast highlights not just what the SLA did, but the long-term consequences for victims and for society’s understanding of victimhood, brainwashing, and complicity.

In the end, though delayed and partial, some form of justice is served—not least, thanks to persistent victims’ families and the public’s enduring interest in accountability. Through it all, Ash & Alaina keep the narrative engaging, questioning, and, occasionally, darkly hilarious.