The apparent leader, Donald DeFreeze,
called himself Field Marshall Cinque Mtume. Like Charles Manson
only five years before, he wanted to start a revolution of the
underprivileged, and he intended to do that by declaring war on those
with status and money. From his followers he commanded total
obedience and worship.
By her account, Patty was kept
blindfolded for two months in a closet at the group's headquarters,
unable even to use the bathroom in privacy. DeFreeze realized
that her visibility as a social figure that had gained the nation's
sympathy would showcase his cause, so he worked to turn her into an
angry revolutionary.
From her report, DeFreeze relied on
harsh psychological techniques:
- She was isolated and made to feel
that no one was going to rescue her.
- She was physically and sexually
abused by various members of the gang.
- She was told that she might die.
- She was fed lies about how the gang
was oppressed by the establishment.
- She was forced to record messages
that blasted those she loved.
By early April, she had a new identity
and was deemed ready to accompany the gang on their next daring foray.
Patty's doting father, Randolph
Hearst, had initially responded to the SLA's demands (made by tape and
given to the media) by distributing millions of dollars worth of food
to the poor, which badly backfired. Groups like the Black
Muslims exploited the opportunity to fill their own coffers, and
others grabbed the free food to sell at exorbitant prices.
The SLA also wanted their propaganda
published, a demand with which Hearst complied. They said they'd
made "an arrest" and that Patty was in "protective
custody." Then they insisted that more food be distributed,
at which point Hearst laid down a condition---namely, Patty's safe
return. Abruptly, all negotiations ceased.
As weeks passed with no Patty and no
further demands, Hearst and his wife feared the worst.
Throughout this waiting period, several tapes of Patty's voice were
released, and the content of these "communiqués" began to
shift in favor of the SLA's agenda. The Hearsts believed that
she was being forced to say these things, but then they received a
photo of her with a carbine rifle in her arms, standing next to the
seven-headed cobra, which was the SLA's symbol. A tape revealed
that her name was now "Tania" (after the girlfriend of Che
Guevera, a primary mover in the spread of socialism in Cuba and
Argentina). She made it clear that she had joined the cause.
While Patty had once defied her parents' wishes by living with a man
who'd been her teacher, she had never before expressed such
sentiments. It all seemed incongruous.
Not long after that photo and tape,
she participated in the "fundraiser" at the Hibernia bank.
When the attorney general viewed the video footage, he formed the
opinion that Patty had been a willing participant. He got a
warrant for her arrest as a "material witness," but her
continued involvement with the gang soon changed her status in the
eyes of the law to something much more serious.
|