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Folks, if you're obsessed with true crime or just getting into it, you're gonna love Crime House True Crime Stories, A Crime House Original Every Monday you'll go on an in depth journey through two of the most notorious true crime cases from that week in history, all connected by a common theme. From notorious serial killers to chilling disappearances and tragic murders, Crime House True Crime Stories is bringing you the defining events that shaped true crime both past and present. Follow Crime House True Crime Stories on the Odyssey app or wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday and now here's a sneak peek of Crime House True Crime Stories. This is Crime House.
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During the week of February 3, 1974, 19 year old Patrick Patty Hearst was taken from her home by a violent group of self described revolutionaries. Almost three decades later in 2003, another shocking abduction haunted the nation when the composite sketch of 14 year old Elizabeth Smart's abductor was released to the public. Today we'll dive into both of these notorious true crime cases, making this week's theme kidnappings. Welcome to Crime House the Show. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Every Monday we'll be revisiting notorious crimes from this week in history. From serial killers to mysterious disappearances or more murders, every episode will explore two true crime cases that share a common theme here at Crime House. We know none of this would be possible without you, our community. Please support us by rating, reviewing and following Crime House the Show wherever you get your podcasts and for ad free and early access to Crime House the Show plus exciting bonus content. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Once again, this week's theme is notorious kidnapping cases. We'll start Today's episode in 1974 when Patty Hearst was ripped from her life of privilege and taken hostage by a group of radical militants. Then we'll Skip forward to 2003 when Elizabeth Smart's parents turned their 14 year old daughter's kidnapping case on its head by publicly sharing information the police had kept to themselves. Both cases made headlines around the nation, even the world. They were stories of fear, resilience, uncertainty and changed the way we think about safety forever. It was around 9pm on February 4th 4th, 1974. 19 year old college student Patty Hearst was at her apartment in Berkeley, California with her fiance, 26 year old Stephen Weed. As they settled in for the night, there was an unexpected knock on the door. Stephen and Patty found it odd. It was getting late and they weren't expecting anyone. Berkeley was a college town, though it was entirely possible that it was just a friend dropping by, so Steven went to answer the door, Patty following behind him. They didn't have a window or peephole to see who it was, so Steven cracked the door. It was a woman neither of them knew. The stranger claimed she'd accidentally backed her car into theirs and asked if she could use their phone. Patty wasn't happy about that. She turned and headed back towards the living room, leaving Steven to figure it out. A moment later, there was a loud noise as the woman and two men barged their way into the apartment. They were all carrying weapons. They beat Steven until he was barely conscious, then tied Patty up and carried her outside. After a brief struggle, they forced her into the trunk of her car and sped away. Patty had no idea what they wanted or where they were taking her, but she was pretty sure she knew why she'd been targeted. Her name Patty belonged to one of the world's richest and most powerful families. Her grandfather, William Randolph Hearst, was the founder of a vast media empire. The company is still wildly successful today, generating billions of dollars every year. Patty had been raised accordingly, growing up in a mansion outside of San Francisco with her parents and four sisters. But even though being a Hearst came with a lot of perks, it also came with a lot of expectations, and Patty wasn't all that interested in following the blueprint her family set out for her. She was a bit of a rebel, pushing against the high society behavior and expectations demanded by her mother, Catherine. And although Patti's father, Randolph, appreciated his daughter's verve, her teachers weren't as amused. Patti quickly wore out her welcome at the various upper class schools she went to, and by the time she graduated high school, she'd gone to five different institutions. Her final one proved to have the biggest impact on her. It was there that she met her soon to be fiance, Steve. Like the rest of Patty's life so far, the match wasn't without controversy. Steve wasn't a fellow student. He was Patty's math teacher and seven years her elder. Safe to say Patty's parents didn't approve of their relationship. But she didn't seem to care what her parents thought because she and Steve moved in together and enrolled at nearby UC Berkeley. And then they got engaged in December 1973 when Patty was 19. Even though Randolph and Catherine weren't thrilled, they still printed an engagement announcement in the San Francisco papers. That's where 29 year old Bill Harris first saw the name Patty Hearst. Bill was a postal worker and member of a Bay Area militant group called the Symbionese Liberation army, or sla. They considered themselves guerrilla warriors and wanted to get rid of capitalism and start a war with the government. Their motto was, quote, death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people. After Bill saw the engagement announcement, he had an idea. Two members of the SLA had recently been arrested for a shooting in Oakland. Bill thought the group could use a high profile captive like Patty to negotiate a prisoner swap. As an added bonus, Patty would be a great metaphor for their cause. An absurdly wealthy family like the Hearsts were the epitome of capitalism. By kidnapping one of their daughters, the SLA would make headlines and presumably a lot of money. After reading the engagement announcement, Bill went to the Berkeley campus and was able to find Patty's address. Over the next month or two, Bill and the SLA found out that despite being from an important, well known family, Patty didn't have any security. So on the night of February 4, 1974, Bill and two other SLA members abducted Patty from her apartment. After shoving her in their car, they drove to their safe house and locked her in a closet. Like Bill predicted, the kidnapping made headlines immediately. Along with Steve, multiple people around the apartment complex had witnessed the kidnapping. They went to the authorities and it wasn't long before the media found out about it. The next day, February 5, the media converged on the Hearst's sprawling home outside San Francisco, trying to get a sound bite from her panic stricken parents. But the Hursts were in the dark too. Thankfully, they only had to wait one more day to find out what happened to their daughter. On February 6, the SLA contacted a Berkeley radio station by mail. In their letter, which was written in the style of an arrest warrant for Patty, the SLA took responsibility for the kid kidnapping. However, they didn't make a ransom Demand. That came six days later on February 12. But the SLA didn't ask for a prisoner swap like they'd initially intended to. They didn't ask for money either. At least not for them. In exchange for Patty's safe return, the SLA wanted the Hearst family to invest millions of dollars into a food program for Americans living in poverty. To prove Patty was safe, the SLA also included a voice message from her via tape. She told her parents that she was okay and urged them to listen to the SLA's demands.
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For the full episode of Kidnapping Patty Hearst and Elizabeth Smart and more behind the scenes stories of high profile cases, be sure to check out crime true stories available now on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.