Man Who Kidnapped Patty Hearst and Stuffed Her in Car Trunk in 1974 Dies at 81

William Harris, a notable figure associated with the radical Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), has passed away at the age of 81. His wife, Rebecca Young, confirmed that he died of a heart attack on September 10 at a San Francisco hospital. Harris is perhaps best remembered for his involvement in the high-profile 1974 kidnapping of Patricia “Patty” Hearst, the 19-year-old heiress to a publishing fortune, an event that captured national attention and sparked a media frenzy.

The dramatic kidnapping unfolded on February 4, 1974, when Harris and two accomplices broke into Hearst’s Berkeley apartment, where she was living with her fiancé, Steven Weed. In a chaotic struggle, Harris helped to force Hearst into the trunk of a vehicle as the members of the SLA executed their plan. Initially held at a safe house in Daly City, she was kept mostly isolated as the SLA claimed that she was a “prisoner of war,” justifying their actions with a series of radical political narratives.

In a quest to leverage Hearst’s family wealth, the SLA made a series of demands, most notably urging the Hearst family to finance a massive food giveaway to the poor, estimated to cost around $400 million. Although the Hearsts pledged $2 million, the SLA dismissed this as inadequate. The situation escalated when two months following her abduction, the group released a photograph of Hearst brandishing a firearm, leading to her self-identifying as “Tania” and aligning herself with the organisation’s aims.

Harris later articulated that the decision to target Hearst stemmed from the symbolism her family represented. “Patricia Hearst was a symbolic target,” he remarked, highlighting the SLA’s view that her family controlled a media empire aligned with governmental propaganda. His involvement in the kidnapping not only secured Hearst’s notoriety but also positioned Harris and the SLA at the centre of one of the most sensational criminal stories of the decade.

Born William Taylor Harris on January 22, 1945, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he spent his formative years in Indiana. After serving as a Marine in Vietnam, he returned to University studies where his political views shifted leftwards, leading him to join the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. His marriage to fellow student Emily Schwartz in 1971 marked the beginning of their joint radicalisation, which ultimately led them into the clandestine activities of the SLA.

Following the kidnapping, Harris and his companions endured various confrontations with law enforcement, notably during a 1975 robbery in which a bystander lost her life. Myrna Opsahl was shot accidentally amid chaos when the group attempted to rob a bank in Sacramento. This act further compounded the legal troubles that would follow Harris, as it ultimately led to later convictions tied to both the kidnapping and the bank heist.

In 1975, authorities finally apprehended Harris, Hearst, and Emily Harris in a San Francisco apartment. They faced serious charges, including armed robbery, auto theft, and kidnapping, which led to their convictions and lengthy prison sentences. Although they were paroled after eight years, Harris’s criminal record would continue to haunt him.

Decades after the notorious events, Harris remained a controversial figure who often disputed the interpretations surrounding Hearst’s experience during her captivity. He maintained a stance that framed his actions within a revolutionary context, declaring in a 2002 interview to the Los Angeles Times that success in challenging power could elevate one’s status to that of a historical icon, akin to George Washington.

After his release from prison, Harris reinvented himself as a private investigator and later married Young in 1988. He is survived by his wife, their two sons, and his siblings. His death marks the end of an era connected to one of the most dynamic and discussed criminal narratives of the 20th century, one that continues to evoke interest and debate about political extremism, media representation, and the complexities of radicalisation.