Embedded Files
Ford being rushed into his vehicle after Sara Jane Moore fired shots. (SFGate)
Early Life & Upbringing
Born February 15, 1930, in Charleston to parents Ruth and Olaf Kahn, Sara Jane Moore had a fairly normal upbringing, but she grew up during a time of great political and social change in the U.S. Moore had a loving family: both of her parents where musicians, and loved their daughter. Her brother, Skip, on the other hand, remarked that he always suspected that there was something odd about his sister.
In terms of school, Moore was never a standout student. Her teachers agreed that she was a very intelligent child, but they also noted how she was sensitive and somewhat withdrawn. In her teenage years, Moore began to rebel. She began to question societal norms, and became painfully aware that the world was not as clear-cut as she had once thought. Despite her clear signs of intelligence, Moore continued her lackluster academic performance though high school. After graduation, Moore would attend nursing school, but never completed the program.
Early Adulthood
After leaving nursing school, Moore bounced from career to career, desperate to find work to which she connected. Over the years, she held a wide range of positions: waitress, accountant, and bookkeeper. She even joined the Women’s Army Corps and became an informant for the FBI. As her employment led her deeper into the government circle, she became witness to the brutalist operations of the country, leading her to become very politically charged.
While exploring careers, she met and married Albert Moore in 1950. Albert was described as a “fairly conventional” man. The couple would have two children together before devoicing in 1958-- Moore’s relationships from that point on were, too, shaky at best. Moore would go on to divorce each of her new husbands, leaving her with a total of five separations by 1975.
Through the timeline of her marriages, Moore's disillusionment with the mainstream began to deepen. She was drawn in by left-wing politics, namely issues revolving around feminism and anti-establishment. The 1960s and 1970s were filled with political unrest, leading Moore to became even more radical.
Political Involvement
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Moore became involved with several left-wing organizations. Though she was never officially a member of any particular group, she sympathized with each and every one of their causes and believed deeply in their messages of social justice and radical change. She spent time in their circles and supported their activism. It was around this time that Moore also began to embrace a more violent ideology, where she believed extreme measures might be necessary to bring about the change she sought. Her immersion in these circles helped further her radicalization.
By the early 1970s, Moore’s life was marked by increasing desperation and a sense of alienation from the political mainstream. She had a history of struggling with her relationships and a deep dissatisfaction with the societal roles assigned to her. Her radicalization and political beliefs, mixed with her growing sense of personal disenchantment, made her believe that violence was an acceptable form of protest. However, her political motivations were complicated-- she wasn't a follower of any one ideology, but rather someone who had been swept up in the political turmoil of the time and was struggling to find her place in it.
Assassination Attempt
By the time Moore reached her 40s, she was utterly dissolvable by the actions of the U.S. government. She was convinced that the government was corrupt and that extreme action was the only thing that could bring about much-needed political and social change.
Moore’s planning was far from meticulous or deeply organized, and it showed a certain level of impulsiveness. She did not belong to a specific terrorist group or network. However, she was instead operating on her own, driven by a personal sense of outrage and a desire for revolutionary change. This was not a calculated, ideological assassination in the way that some others have been; instead, it was an act of individual anger and radicalization. Just hours before the attack, Moore purchased a .38 caliber revolver. Moore had previously attempted to bring forth social change by less drastic, violent means, but in a single moment, Moore chose to try a more drastic plan of action: to assassinate the president.
On September 22, 1975, President Gerald Ford was visiting San Francisco. The presidential team was on high alert, as just weeks before, Manson follower Lynette Fromme had attempted Ford's life in Sacramento. Ford had scheduled a campaign event at the St. Francis Hotel, the perfect setting for Moore to hide among the gathering crowds outside, eager to see the president.
When Ford exited the hotel, Moore knew it was the time to strike. As Ford crossed her path on the way to his motorcade, Moore raised her gun and fired at the president. Unfortunately for Moore, her aim was off, and she missed the president completely. Instead, the bullet hit a bystander in the crowd, Victoria Lamas (who survived). Panicked, Moore fired another shot before fleeing on foot. Secret Service and police quickly apprehended her. Moore did not resist arrest; her demeanor was described as “calm and almost resigned. As if she already knew the consequences of her actions.”
Moore at 94, discussing her assassination attempt. (Nashville Banner)
A news clipping of Moore's attempted prison escape (Newspapers.com)
Trial & After
Directly following her arrest, Moore was put under a competency evaluation and was deemed competent enough to stand trial. Against the advice of her council, Moore Pleaded guilty in hopes of a lighter sentencing. Despite this strategy, Moore was sentenced to life in prison in December 1975.
In April of 1976, Moore would submit an appeal, claiming that her plea of guilty was not of her own choice. Moore would claim that her defense had strongarmed her into pleading guilty and had no agency in the decision. The court looked at Moore’s claims. However, her version of the event could not line up with either the court’s record or the testimony from her legal defense of the case. Moreover, both the court and her defense present evidence of their thorough explanation to Moore of what a guilty plea would mean for her and that she, in turn, still voluntarily chose to plead guilty.
Moore would not go in to serve a life sentence, but rather only 32 years. During this time, she worked for the UNICOR prison labor program as the Lead Inmate Operation Accountant. Like Fromme, Moore also escaped in 1979 but was recaptured the same day. Moore was released on parole in 2007, Moving to Tennessee to live a life out of the public eye. Moore would not make her next public appearance until 2017, for an interview on CBS.
Why She Did It
Moore would go on to claim that she was "blinded by [her] political views". The assassination attempt seems to have been driven by a mix of personal struggles, radicalization, and a deep sense of alienation. Her early life was marked by isolation and confusion, compounded by rocky relationships and personal dissatisfaction. She was often disconnected from societal expectations, especially regarding gender roles (though, she is perceived in the show as one who follows these roles well... see our section on feminism to learn more!), which contributed to her sense of rebellion.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Moore became involved in left-wing activism, influenced by historical moments like the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam War protests. However, her political beliefs were more about emotional rebellion than a commitment to a specific ideology. Moore grew disillusioned with the government and its role in maintaining a dysfunctional status quo, especially regarding minority rights and controversial wars. Her frustrations, combined with personal instability, led her to embrace violence as a means of enacting change.
"I did it so I'd know where I was coming from."
Additional Resources
Interview from prison: https://californiarevealed.org/do/d435f240-34cb-4a56-8692-86859ec3fd74
Why she tried to kill the president: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4k4WF72dqk
Speaking out after Trump shooting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxQVPowDxZ0
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