NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sara Jane Moore, notorious for her unsuccessful assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford in 1975, has passed away at the age of 95. Reports confirmed her death occurred on Wednesday at a nursing home in Franklin, Tennessee. Known for being an unlikely figure in the world of political violence, Moore attempted to shoot Ford outside the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, where her shot was thwarted by a former Marine named Oliver Sipple.
Initially sentenced to life imprisonment, she served over 30 years before being paroled on December 31, 2007, without public explanation from federal officials. After her release, Moore largely lived anonymously and expressed regret for her actions, saying in interviews that she felt pressured by radical political movements of the 1970s.
Moore's attempt to kill Ford mirrored another incident just weeks prior, when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme also tried to attack the President, which often led to public confusion between the two women. In her later years, Moore reflected on her motivations and her past with leftist political groups, citing that she felt her actions were intended as a statement against a government she believed was failing the people. Despite her infamy, she maintained a background that included being an FBI informant and has always remained an intriguing, if controversial, figure in American history.
Initially sentenced to life imprisonment, she served over 30 years before being paroled on December 31, 2007, without public explanation from federal officials. After her release, Moore largely lived anonymously and expressed regret for her actions, saying in interviews that she felt pressured by radical political movements of the 1970s.
Moore's attempt to kill Ford mirrored another incident just weeks prior, when Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme also tried to attack the President, which often led to public confusion between the two women. In her later years, Moore reflected on her motivations and her past with leftist political groups, citing that she felt her actions were intended as a statement against a government she believed was failing the people. Despite her infamy, she maintained a background that included being an FBI informant and has always remained an intriguing, if controversial, figure in American history.
