Audiobook on Patty Hearst
Out February 2026
Guerilla Princess
by Celine Fitzmaurice
Celine Fitzmaurice is working on the script for Patty Hearst’s famous trial, on charges of bank robbery.
Do check back on this page in the New Year for extended crime case notes, and a link to where you can listen to the trial as an audiobook of a serialised true crime podcast.
State of California v. Patricia Hearst
Case
Notes
California. 1976.
The trial of Patty Hearst is a landmark case. Accused of bank robbery, the court had to look at the culpability of this kidnapped heiress who seemingly joined forces with her captors, raising questions about coercion, radicalisation, and Stockholm Syndrome.
Patty Hearst was abducted by the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1974. Initially a fearful hostage, she later adopted the name “Tania,” declared allegiance, and participated in the Hibernia Bank robbery.
Defense vs. Prosecution
Her attorney, F. Lee Bailey, argued she was “brainwashed”.
The prosecution presented a “love trinket” from an SLA member, and psychiatrist Joel Fort’s testimony, suggesting a predisposition to radicalism.
The Patty Hearst trial is a compelling case study on the fragility of individual identity, the complexities of duress, and the legal challenges of assessing a defendant’s state of mind under extraordinary circumstances.
