Woman who tried to assassinate President Ford is released from Calif. prison after 32 years

AP ^ | Jan. 01, 2008 | Staff

[jdm]

SAN FRANCISCO: Sara Jane Moore started the new year Tuesday a free woman more than three decades after a bizarre assassination attempt on President Ford that still baffles even her own attorney.

"I never got a satisfactory answer from her as to why she did it," said retired federal public defender James F. Hewitt.

Prison officials have offered no details on why Moore, 77, was paroled Monday from a federal penitentiary east of San Francisco, where she had been serving a life sentence. Moore had been behind bars for 32 years.

The one-time aspiring film actress was 40 feet away from Ford outside a hotel in San Francisco when she fired a shot at him on Sept. 22, 1975. As she raised her .38-caliber revolver and pulled the trigger, Oliver Sipple, a disabled former Marine standing next to her, pushed up her arm. The bullet flew over Ford's head by several feet.

The attempt came 17 days after a disciple of Charles Manson tried to kill the president in Sacramento.

[jdm]

Prison officials have offered no details on why Moore, 77, was paroled Monday from a federal penitentiary east of San Francisco, where she had been serving a life sentence.

Answer: It's San Francisco!

[Jeff Chandler]

In other news, they keep killing the wrong Kennedy.

[poinq]

Was her nickname tweetie or something like that

[freekitty]

Who’s stupid idea was this?

[Tall_Texan]

Well, she won’t be able to shoot at Ford now. Or, if she did, it wouldn’t do him much harm.

I presumed the story was about Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme. She missed Ford too, sparing America the embarassment of explaining to the rest of the world how a girl named “Squeaky” could get past our Secret Service.

[ValerieTexas]

The earlier attempt on Ford’s life was by Squeakie Fromme - the disciple of Charles Manson.

[forkinsocket]

I think you’re thinking of Squeaky Fromme.

Squeaky tried to kill him a couple of weeks earlier.

[Skibane]

Despite Moore's troubled background, which included five failed marriages, name changes and involvement with political groups like the Symbionese Liberation Army, her motives have never been clear.

Does being nuttier than a squirrel t*rd count as a "motive"?

[AlexW]

“Answer: It’s San Francisco!”

No, my friend. it is San FranSICKO.

DUmbist city on earth.. I should know. I have a brother in Pacifica and he is also a sicko.

[thundrey]

She didn’t succeed, and she’s had a good 32 years....

[Global2010]

I was thinking her nck name was squeekie from or sunshine

[napscoordinator]

Who’s stupid idea was this?

Well she is 77 after all. How much energy does she have now. What is she going to do run towards a President with a gun and cane? I think she will wish she was back in jail after a few months of reality hits. She is “institutionalized” and may not even handle being free.

[freekitty]

You don’t know many 77 years olds do you?

[freekitty]

yep

[moonman]

"You don’t know many 77 years olds do you?"

I know many have lower golf handicaps than me.

[freekitty]

You probably know a lot of people that have lower golf handicaps than yourself.

[moonman]

I do. I am a 14.

[ThreePuttinDude]

Sara Jane Moore is pictured on her way to federal court in San Francisco, December 17, 1975, where a federal judge accepted her plea of guilty to the attempted assassination of President Ford. U.S. District Judge Samuel Conti ruled that no trial would be held and set January 15, 1976 for her sentencing. (AP Photo/Jim Palmer)

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In a never-before-published police photo released September 3, 1976 by the Sacramento Bee, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is shown in an interrogation room with an empty holster strapped to her leg shortly after she was taken into custody on September 5, 1975 after attempting to assassinate President Ford outside the Capitol in Sacramento. She was later convicted and sent to federal prison for the assassination attempt. (AP Photo/Police Handout via Sacramento Bee)

[freekitty]

That’s pretty good. My husband is a 6, my dad was a minus 2, my brother is 4; my brother in law is a pro; my father in law was a 2. My dad was also a protege of Ben Hogan and Byran Nelson.

[gate2wire]

She can start hanging around these fine ladies.