Historical Dictionary of Terrorism Third Edition

652 • SYMBIONESE LIBERATION ARMYto release the two imprisoned SLA members. On 15 April 1974 theSLA robbed the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco of around $10,000,and Patty Hearst appeared to be a participant. During her trial herdefense team argued that she was not culpable for her actions due tobrainwashing. An expert witness, Dr. Margaret T. Singer, a clinicalpsychologist and expert on brainwashing, testified in defense of PattyHeart that her apparent conversion and recruitment into the SLA wasdue to Stockholm syndrome, a claim that failed to convince the jury,which convicted her of armed robbery on 20 March 1976. Hearstserved only 21 months of a seven-year sentence that was commutedby President Jimmy Carter. Hearst was later pardoned by PresidentBill Clinton.Other members of the SLA included James Kilgore, JosephineBortin, Martin Bortin, and William and Emily Harris. JosephineBortin was in fact the sister of Kathleen Soliah, one of the originalmembers of the SLA who went underground and who surrenderedto authorities only on 16 June 1999 after her profile was broadcaston the television program “America’s Most Wanted.” On 21 April1975 the SLA robbed a bank in Carmichael, California, in thecourse of which they killed a customer, Myrna Opsahl. Accordingto Patty Hearst, James Kilgore, an erstwhile member of the NewWorld Liberation Front, had participated in this robbery. Kilgorewas also a suspect in the bombing of the car of two sheriff’s deputiesat the Marin County Civic Center in 1974. In part to throwauthorities off track, the SLA members began to use the name ofanother leftist group, the New World Liberation Front, with whichthey had no direct link. Actually, very little is known about whatconnections, if any, the SLA had with other contemporary leftistgroups.Kathleen Soliah was arrested in 1999 and pleaded guilty to possessionof explosives, for which she received a prison term of 14 years.James Kilgore was arrested in South Africa on 8 November 2002 andextradited to the United States. On 14 February 2003 Soliah, MartinBortin, William Harris, and Emily Harris were convicted for the1975 slaying of Myrna Opsahl and each received sentences of sevento eight years’ imprisonment. On 26 April 2006 James Kilgore wassentenced to a prison term of four and one-half years on explosivescharges and for passport fraud. He also faced possible prosecution forhis involvement in the Opsahl slaying.