Underground Life, 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 had built a life with her husband Gerald Frederick "Fred" Peterson (who was a doctor) and three daughters from Zimbabwe to Saint Paul, Minnesota, having assumed the alias Sara Jane Olson; the surname chosen being one of the most common names in Minnesota due to the large decent of Scandinavian-Americans. She was active in Saint Paul on community issues. Her husband described the family as interested in progressive social causes.
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, Soliah legally changed her name to her alias, Sara Jane Olson. She also published a cookbook entitled Serving Time: America's Most Wanted Recipes. On October 31, 2001, she accepted a plea bargain and pled guilty to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder. As part of a plea bargain, the other charges were dropped.
Read more about this topic: Sara Jane Olson
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