Patricia's Role in the SLA

Patricia's state of mind throughout her time with the SLA was a question posed by the public, her family, and police in the months after her kidnapping. In the beginning, everyone assumed that she was in danger from her kidnappers and that they might kill her at any time. As time passed, her communications changed, making it seem that she was a willing participant. When she was captured, she insisted she spent the entire time in fear. Only Patricia every really knew the truth, but others made judgments based on the evidence against her. There were several major pieces of evidence that makes it seem that Patricia was a willing participant.

Perhaps the most important piece of evidence was Patricia's participation in the shootout at Mel's Sporting Goods. She was left alone in the van for a period of time while Bill and Emily...