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EspañolKATHLEEN SOLIAH
'Kathleen Ann Soliah' (born January 16, 1947) is an American woman who was a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in the 1970s. She grew up in Palmdale, California the daughter of Palmdale High School teacher and coach Martin Soliah.[1] She has lived most of her life under the alias 'Sara Jane Olson'. In 2001, she pled guilty to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder.
After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Soliah moved to Berkeley, California with her boyfriend, Jim Kilgore. There, she met Angela Atwood at an acting audition where they both won lead roles. They became inseparable during the play's run. Atwood tried to sponsor Soliah into the SLA. Regardless, Soliah and Jim Kilgore, along with her brother Steve and sister Josephine followed the SLA closely, but did not join. When Atwood and other core members of the SLA were killed in Watts, California, the Soliahs organized memorial rallies.
On April 21, 1975, SLA members robbed the Crocker National Bank in Carmichael, California, killing Myrna Opsahl, a bank customer, in the process. Patty Hearst, who admitted to being a getaway driver, stated that Soliah was one of the actual robbers. According to Hearst, Soliah also kicked a pregnant teller in the abdomen, leading to a miscarriage. [2]
Several rounds of 9mm ammunition spilled on the floor during the robbery bore manufacturing marks that matched that of ammunition loaded in a 9mm Browning high power automatic pistol found by police in Soliah’s bedroom dresser drawer at the SLA safehouse on Precita Avenue in San Francisco.
On August 21, 1975, a bomb that had failed to detonate was discovered where a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car had been parked earlier in the day. Soliah was accused of planting the bomb in an attempt to avenge the slain SLA members.
The bomb was a pipe bomb rigged to detonate as the patrol cars drove away.
When she was eventually brought to trial, the evidence against Soliah in the bomb incident was thin. Two witnesses who had testified in her grand jury indictment had died: A plumber who had sold materials used in the bomb had picked Soliah out of a lineup as one of the buyers and a bomb expert who stated the explosive could have been built in Soliah's apartment. Police could not identify any fingerprints on the devices other than those of officers who had disarmed them.[1]
In February 1976, a grand jury indicted Soliah in the bombing case. Soliah went underground and became a fugitive for 23 years. She built a life with her husband and three daughters from Zimbabwe to St. Paul, Minnesota, having assumed the alias 'Sara Jane Olson'. She was active there in community issues and human rights campaigns. On March 3, 1999, and again on May 15, 1999, Soliah was profiled on the ''America's Most Wanted'' television program. After a tip generated by the show, she was arrested on June 16, 1999. Soliah was then charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of explosives, explosion and attempt to ignite an explosive with intent to murder.
Shortly after her arrest, she legally changed her name to her alias, Sara Jane Olson. Her community raised a substantial amount of money to post bond for her, demonstrating that she had become accepted under her new identity. She eventually published a cookbook entitled ''Serving Time: America's Most Wanted Recipes''. On October 31, 2001, Soliah, now Sarah Jane Olson, accepted a plea bargain, and pled guilty to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder. As part of the bargain, the other charges were dropped.
Immediately after entering the plea, however, Olson told reporters that she was innocent and that her plea bargain was a lie forced on her by the climate after the September 11, 2001 attacks. "It became clear to me that the incident would have a remarkable effect on the outcome of this trial ... the effect was probably going to be negative," she said. "That's really what governed this decision, not the truth or honesty, but what was probably in my best interests and the interests of my family."
Angered by Olson's announcement that she had lied in court, Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler [3] ordered another hearing on November 6, at which he asked her several times if she was indeed guilty of the charges. Olson replied "I want to make it clear, Your Honor, that I did not make that bomb. I did not possess that bomb. I did not plant that bomb. But under the concept of aiding and abetting, I plead guilty."
Then, on November 13, Olson filed a motion requesting to withdraw her guilty plea because "I realize I cannot plead guilty when I know I am not." She acknowledged that she did not misunderstand the judge when he read the charges against her. Rather, she said "Cowardice prevented me from doing what I knew I should: Throw caution aside and move forward to trial. ... I am not second-guessing my decision as much as I have found the courage to take what I know is the honest course. Please, Judge Fidler, grant my request to go to trial."
On December 3, 2001, Fidler offered to let Olson testify under oath about her role in the case. She refused. He then wondered "I took those pleas twice ... were you lying to me then or are you lying to me now?" -- and denied her request to withdraw her plea. Observers expected her to serve only three to five years, but on January 18, 2002, she was sentenced to two consecutive 10-years-to-life terms. She will be eligible for parole in five years.
On January 16, 2002, first-degree murder charges for the killing of Myrna Opsahl were filed against five SLA members including Olson. Olson pled not guilty to that charge at the time, but on November 7, changed her mind and pled guilty. She was sentenced on February 14, 2003 for the maximum term allowed under her plea bargain, which added six years to the 14-year sentence she is already serving.
Olson is serving her time at the Central California Women's Correctional Facility in Chowchilla. Her custody status is "Close A,"[4] which is reserved for inmates requiring the most supervision. This status limits her privileges and requires that she be counted seven times a day. It also prevents her from being able to seek a relocation to a facility closer to her home. David Nickerson, Olson's attorney states that this status reflects the Department of Corrections' view that she is a potential flight risk.[5]
Olson's husband and three daughters continue to support her during her imprisonment and take turns visiting her frequently in Chowchilla.[6] In an article for fashion and lifestyle magazine Marie Claire, Olson's 23 year old daughter Emily Peterson dismisses her mother's radical past with the SLA, saying:
The state Board of Prison Terms had scrapped her original sentence in October 2002 in exchange for a 14-year sentence, saying Olson's crimes had the potential for great violence and targeted multiple victims. In July 2004, a judge said there was "no analysis" of how the state Board of Prison Terms decided 14 years was appropriate and threw out the sentence. Her sentence was converted to five years, four months[9]. This would put her release date as sometime in February of 2008.
An Appeals Court Panel has restored her full sentence as of April 12, 2007. They ruled that a lower court did not follow procedure when they allowed Olson to appeal. [10]. Her family expects her to be released some time in November 2009.[6]
1. Free Library.com
2. Payback from a long-forgotten account, Dennis Roddey, Pittsburg Post Gazette, March 10, 2001
3. Now ex-fugitive Olson wants to stand trial by Larry D. Hatfield, Chronicle Staff Writer, Wednesday, November 14, 2001
4. A Life on Hold in California Prison Page 2 Los Angeles Times, August 14 2006
5. A Life on Hold in California Prison Page 3 Los Angeles Times, August 14 2006
6. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 8 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
7. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 2 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
8. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 4 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
9. Minnesota Public Radio Newsby Marisa Helms, July 13, 2004
10. Sentence restored for Sara Jane Olson, former SLA member Star Tribune - April 14, 2007
11. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 8 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
★ Hendry, Sharon Darby, ''Soliah: The Sara Jane Olson Story'', Cable Publishing, 2002 ISBN 1893088359
★ Chronology of the SLA from CourtTV News (only goes up to 2002)
★ Profile of Sara Jane Olson
★ Full Court TV coverage of the Kathleen Soliah bombing case
★ Myrna Opsahl, woman murdered by SLA at Crocker Bank
★ A Life on Hold in California Prison By Jenifer Warren, Times Staff Writer August 14, 2006 LOS ANGELES TIMES
Symbionese Liberation Army
After graduating from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Soliah moved to Berkeley, California with her boyfriend, Jim Kilgore. There, she met Angela Atwood at an acting audition where they both won lead roles. They became inseparable during the play's run. Atwood tried to sponsor Soliah into the SLA. Regardless, Soliah and Jim Kilgore, along with her brother Steve and sister Josephine followed the SLA closely, but did not join. When Atwood and other core members of the SLA were killed in Watts, California, the Soliahs organized memorial rallies.
Crocker National Bank robbery and Myrna Opsahl murder
On April 21, 1975, SLA members robbed the Crocker National Bank in Carmichael, California, killing Myrna Opsahl, a bank customer, in the process. Patty Hearst, who admitted to being a getaway driver, stated that Soliah was one of the actual robbers. According to Hearst, Soliah also kicked a pregnant teller in the abdomen, leading to a miscarriage. [2]
Several rounds of 9mm ammunition spilled on the floor during the robbery bore manufacturing marks that matched that of ammunition loaded in a 9mm Browning high power automatic pistol found by police in Soliah’s bedroom dresser drawer at the SLA safehouse on Precita Avenue in San Francisco.
Los Angeles Police Department bombs
On August 21, 1975, a bomb that had failed to detonate was discovered where a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car had been parked earlier in the day. Soliah was accused of planting the bomb in an attempt to avenge the slain SLA members.
The bomb was a pipe bomb rigged to detonate as the patrol cars drove away.
When she was eventually brought to trial, the evidence against Soliah in the bomb incident was thin. Two witnesses who had testified in her grand jury indictment had died: A plumber who had sold materials used in the bomb had picked Soliah out of a lineup as one of the buyers and a bomb expert who stated the explosive could have been built in Soliah's apartment. Police could not identify any fingerprints on the devices other than those of officers who had disarmed them.[1]
Underground existence, capture and prosecution
In February 1976, a grand jury indicted Soliah in the bombing case. Soliah went underground and became a fugitive for 23 years. She built a life with her husband and three daughters from Zimbabwe to St. Paul, Minnesota, having assumed the alias 'Sara Jane Olson'. She was active there in community issues and human rights campaigns. On March 3, 1999, and again on May 15, 1999, Soliah was profiled on the ''America's Most Wanted'' television program. After a tip generated by the show, she was arrested on June 16, 1999. Soliah was then charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of explosives, explosion and attempt to ignite an explosive with intent to murder.
Shortly after her arrest, she legally changed her name to her alias, Sara Jane Olson. Her community raised a substantial amount of money to post bond for her, demonstrating that she had become accepted under her new identity. She eventually published a cookbook entitled ''Serving Time: America's Most Wanted Recipes''. On October 31, 2001, Soliah, now Sarah Jane Olson, accepted a plea bargain, and pled guilty to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder. As part of the bargain, the other charges were dropped.
Plea controversy
Immediately after entering the plea, however, Olson told reporters that she was innocent and that her plea bargain was a lie forced on her by the climate after the September 11, 2001 attacks. "It became clear to me that the incident would have a remarkable effect on the outcome of this trial ... the effect was probably going to be negative," she said. "That's really what governed this decision, not the truth or honesty, but what was probably in my best interests and the interests of my family."
Angered by Olson's announcement that she had lied in court, Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler [3] ordered another hearing on November 6, at which he asked her several times if she was indeed guilty of the charges. Olson replied "I want to make it clear, Your Honor, that I did not make that bomb. I did not possess that bomb. I did not plant that bomb. But under the concept of aiding and abetting, I plead guilty."
Then, on November 13, Olson filed a motion requesting to withdraw her guilty plea because "I realize I cannot plead guilty when I know I am not." She acknowledged that she did not misunderstand the judge when he read the charges against her. Rather, she said "Cowardice prevented me from doing what I knew I should: Throw caution aside and move forward to trial. ... I am not second-guessing my decision as much as I have found the courage to take what I know is the honest course. Please, Judge Fidler, grant my request to go to trial."
Sentencing in explosives charges
On December 3, 2001, Fidler offered to let Olson testify under oath about her role in the case. She refused. He then wondered "I took those pleas twice ... were you lying to me then or are you lying to me now?" -- and denied her request to withdraw her plea. Observers expected her to serve only three to five years, but on January 18, 2002, she was sentenced to two consecutive 10-years-to-life terms. She will be eligible for parole in five years.
Sentencing in Opsahl murder
On January 16, 2002, first-degree murder charges for the killing of Myrna Opsahl were filed against five SLA members including Olson. Olson pled not guilty to that charge at the time, but on November 7, changed her mind and pled guilty. She was sentenced on February 14, 2003 for the maximum term allowed under her plea bargain, which added six years to the 14-year sentence she is already serving.
Aftermath of prosecution and sentencing
Olson is serving her time at the Central California Women's Correctional Facility in Chowchilla. Her custody status is "Close A,"[4] which is reserved for inmates requiring the most supervision. This status limits her privileges and requires that she be counted seven times a day. It also prevents her from being able to seek a relocation to a facility closer to her home. David Nickerson, Olson's attorney states that this status reflects the Department of Corrections' view that she is a potential flight risk.[5]
Olson's husband and three daughters continue to support her during her imprisonment and take turns visiting her frequently in Chowchilla.[6] In an article for fashion and lifestyle magazine Marie Claire, Olson's 23 year old daughter Emily Peterson dismisses her mother's radical past with the SLA, saying:
"She lived in Berkeley. It was kind of normal. [7] I always tell people she wasn't a terrorist. She was an urban guerrilla."[8]
Judge reduces sentence
The state Board of Prison Terms had scrapped her original sentence in October 2002 in exchange for a 14-year sentence, saying Olson's crimes had the potential for great violence and targeted multiple victims. In July 2004, a judge said there was "no analysis" of how the state Board of Prison Terms decided 14 years was appropriate and threw out the sentence. Her sentence was converted to five years, four months[9]. This would put her release date as sometime in February of 2008.
Appeals Court Panel Restores Sentence
An Appeals Court Panel has restored her full sentence as of April 12, 2007. They ruled that a lower court did not follow procedure when they allowed Olson to appeal. [10]. Her family expects her to be released some time in November 2009.[6]
Notes and references
1. Free Library.com
2. Payback from a long-forgotten account, Dennis Roddey, Pittsburg Post Gazette, March 10, 2001
3. Now ex-fugitive Olson wants to stand trial by Larry D. Hatfield, Chronicle Staff Writer, Wednesday, November 14, 2001
4. A Life on Hold in California Prison Page 2 Los Angeles Times, August 14 2006
5. A Life on Hold in California Prison Page 3 Los Angeles Times, August 14 2006
6. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 8 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
7. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 2 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
8. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 4 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
9. Minnesota Public Radio Newsby Marisa Helms, July 13, 2004
10. Sentence restored for Sara Jane Olson, former SLA member Star Tribune - April 14, 2007
11. When Mom Has A Secret: An Exclusive Report on a Family Torn Apart By Tara McKelvey Page 8 from Marie Claire June 2007. Accessede June 26 2007
Further reading
★ Hendry, Sharon Darby, ''Soliah: The Sara Jane Olson Story'', Cable Publishing, 2002 ISBN 1893088359
External links
★ Chronology of the SLA from CourtTV News (only goes up to 2002)
★ Profile of Sara Jane Olson
★ Full Court TV coverage of the Kathleen Soliah bombing case
★ Myrna Opsahl, woman murdered by SLA at Crocker Bank
★ A Life on Hold in California Prison By Jenifer Warren, Times Staff Writer August 14, 2006 LOS ANGELES TIMES
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