Teen Abducted By Teacher Is Acting Like Different Person; Family At A Loss

The Motives For Patty Hearst’s Kidnapping

While the SLA’s plan to abduct Hearst was simple, its objectives were less clear. She was selected as a target simply because she was in the area that the SLA operated in. Initially, they demanded the release of two SLA members who were being held as prisoners over the murder of a black superintendent. When the authorities refused to comply with this request they turned to a demand for ransom instead. Hearst’s parents were instructed to buy and distribute $70 of food to every needy person in California. This would have cost them an estimated $400 million. However, they began to comply and borrowed nearly $2 million to begin a program of food distribution.