Joe Remiro

Joseph Remiro (born 1947) is one of the founding members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. He used the pseudonym "Bo" while he was a member of the group.

Joe Remiro
Born1947 (age 73–74)
San Francisco, California
Alma materSan Francisco City College (did not graduate)
Known forMember of the Symbionese Liberation Army
Criminal charge(s)Life imprisonment for murder and attempted murder

Remiro remains in San Quentin State Prison where he is serving a life sentence.[1] He is the only member of the Symbionese Liberation Army still incarcerated, having been denied parole at least eleven times.

Early life

Remiro was born and raised in San Francisco in a lower-middle-class family,[2] where he attended Roman Catholic schools.[3]

He attended San Francisco City College, dropping out in 1965 to join the US Army.

Military service and Vietnam

Remiro served as a LRRP and served two tours in Vietnam as a member of the 101st Airborne Division[4]

He had training as an auto mechanic.[5] He participated in search and destroy missions in Vietnam and became addicted to drugs while there.[6]

Return and VVAW

When Remiro returned from service, he joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War and then the more radical Venceremos. He then became involved with the Black Cultural Association, an education program for convicts at the Vacaville psychiatric prison in California, and Peking House, a Maoist collective where he became best friends with fellow future SLA member Russell Little. He also became friendly with Willie Wolfe at this time and Angela Atwood.[5] This group became founding members of the Symbionese Liberation Army along with Donald DeFreeze, Thero Wheeler, Mary Alice Siem, Nancy Ling Perry, Patricia Soltysik, Camilla Hall, and Bill and Emily Harris.

Symbionese Liberation Army

The SLA was formed some time after March 5, 1973, when Donald DeFreeze, escaped from Soledad Prison then sought shelter with his Black Cultural Association contacts at the Peking House. Concerned about surveillance at their high profile radical commune, the residents moved DeFreeze to a less well known house in Concord rented by Nancy Ling Perry and also occupied by Patricia Soltysik. DeFreeze, whom circumstances suggested was an informant setting up sting operations, offered guns, explosives, and related supplies for sale to radicals he came into contact with.[7][8] The SLA founders gained possession of an arms cache, inferred to be supplied by DeFreeze, and were not arrested in the process. DeFreeze's sexual relationships with Perry and Soltysik, with whom he was sheltering, are at the center of theories as to why this informant with a honeypot became converted to a revolutionary fanatic.[9] The honeypot, intentional or not, that he encountered was more powerful than the honeypot he possessed.

Remiro's knowledge of weaponry from his time in Vietnam was a key element in transforming the group of affiliated radicals into an armed force. He trained other members in target practice, as well as the use, maintenance and dismantling of weaponry.[2]

During that transformation the group was joined by Thero Wheeler, a former Black Panther who knew DeFreeze from the BCA in Vacaville, and whose escape from Vacaville was aided by associates of the group. Following a cross-country trip to receive medical care away from the glare of law enforcement scrutiny in the Bay Area, he returned to find the group fully committed to armed violence and preparing for action.[10] Wheeler was not impressed with the blind charge towards gratuitous violence. Conflict soon erupted at the Concord house, where he was staying with his girlfriend Mary Alice Siem, with guns threateningly pointed at Siem on occasion by DeFreeze, Soltysik, and Perry, and Wheeler interceding on her behalf. A falling-out in which Wheeler called DeFreeze a "drunken fool" and DeFreeze made death threats against Wheeler and Siem was ths last straw. As they were leaving in early October, Wheeler and Siem were robbed of $600 at gunpoint by their ex-comrades. Wheeler moved to Houston, Texas under an assumed identity and Siem moved to Redding, California.[11] Reported sightings of Wheeler around the time of the Hearst kidnapping led to speculation that he was still involved, and to the notion that he was one of those killed in the Los Angeles shootout and fire.

With the internal opposition cleared out of the way, the SLA prepared for its first action, the assassination of Marcus Foster, which would result in the convictions of Remiro and Russell Little.

Assassination of Marcus Foster

The SLA selected Superintendent of Oakland Schools Marcus Foster and his deputy Robert Blackburn as their first assassination targets, denouncing them as "fascist" for supporting issuance of ID cards for Oakland students to keep non-student drug dealers off of campuses. Foster's proposal was actually a compromise offered in response to more intrusive proposals supported by more conservative players in Oakland city and school politics. The assassination was carried out on November 6, 1973, as Foster and Blackburn left an Oakland School Board meeting. Foster was killed by five cyanide-packed bullets and Blackburn was badly wounded by a shotgun blast. Although there were no eyewitnesses who could identify the assailants, circumstantial evidence discovered later implicated Joe Remiro and Russell Little.

The killing of Oakland's first black school superintendent, who was popular among Oakland's minorities and liberals, did not sit well among the leftists that the SLA saw themselves as the vanguard of. “Black folks have never been given enough power in this country to be No. 1 on anybody's hit list. Why Foster? Why not the head of Standard Oil of California, or Union Oil or Bank of America? By what standards do you kill one of the few black superintendents of schools in the country? You go down on East 14th Street in Oakland and explain it to the people, because the SLA hasn't bothered!” said Carolyn Craven, a black reporter with strong leftist sympathies.[9] Speculation circulated through leftist publications that the previously unknown group who assassinated a popular liberal figure was actually a right-wing false flag operation.

Arrest

On January 10, 1974, Remiro and Russell Little were apprehended by police, as they were driving suspiciously in a quiet neighborhood in Concord, California at 1.30am in a battered van. Little showed the officer a fake license and claimed he was looking for the "Devoto" home. However, Little had been staying there for several weeks with Nancy Ling Perry, who had rented the house under the assumed name. When the officer then asked the passenger to identify himself, Remiro grabbed a holstered pistol. The officer took cover behind his car. When the officer peered out from cover, Remiro fired two rounds at the policeman, who fired two shots back at him. Remiro took cover and then emerged again, firing three more rounds at the officer, who again fired twice at Remiro. Although neither Remiro or the officer were hit, Little was wounded during the shootout. Remiro fled the scene as police arrested Little.

Four hours later, Remiro surrendered only a block from the SLA hideout. Officers found the Walther automatic pistol that had been used in the murder of Marcus Foster. Since Little had mentioned the name Devoto, it was presumed by the SLA that it was only a matter of time before police would discover their hideout. That evening the house was doused with gasoline and sprinkled with gunpowder. Nancy Ling Perry was seen driving rapidly away.[5]

Detention

As soon as Remiro and Little were booked into Concord City Jail, an extra shift of guards was called in to surround the building. No one got in or out without being thoroughly checked. The two were transferred almost immediately to Contra Costa County Jail, where armed guards on the roof were joined by extra street patrols. New and more serious charges were filed against the pair, bringing their bail to almost $750,000 each. Not wanting to allow any chance for escape or for an assisted breakout, it was decided that Remiro and Little would be transferred to California's most secure penitentiary, San Quentin prison. This move was unprecedented, as suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and only the guilty are housed in penitentiaries.[12]

On Feb 17, 1974, Little and Remiro attempted to release a statement to the public with some of their grievances. This was seized by prison authorities but found its way to the media in March. Some grievances included that they were being held in isolation, "the hole" on Death Row, of being starved, and other claims of harassment, intimidation and violence. They claimed that this was under direction of the FBI.[13][14]

In late February 1974, Little's father, O. Jack Little, made a statement to the media and to other SLA members. He offered to take Patty Hearst's place as a kidnap victim. Part of his statement read:

If Russ Little and Joe Remiro are innocent in the Foster murder and are in fact victims of a police state, then how in heaven's name can the kidnapping and threatened execution of Patricia Hearst have any significance to Russ and Joe but to sustain their indictment? ... Seeing as Russ is the only son I have, at least you could have the satisfaction of knowing that you had been instrumental in the destruction of not only Russell but of his whole family. I beg you to think about it, and please agree to release that child unharmed.[15]

Sentencing

In February 1975, the jury in the murder and attempted murder trial of Remiro and Little sent a note to the judge that it had been unable to reach a verdict in the case.[16] A new jury was selected.[17]

On June 27, 1975, Little and Remiro were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and the attempted murder of Foster's assistant, Robert Blackburn. Although there were no positive eyewitness identifications of either man at the murder scene, considerable circumstantial evidence, including possession of the murder weapon, was relied upon. The pair was also sentenced for the shooting incident that occurred on their apprehension, as well as an assault that occurred on a prison officer in January 1974.[18]

Personal life

Remiro has one son, Joshua.[1]

Later years

On February 18, 1976 Patty Hearst at her armed robbery trial testified that she had been told that Little and Remiro were waiting in the car while Foster was killed by other members, although Bill Harris claimed that they had not even been there.[19] Little and Remiro also released a statement through their attorney that Hearst was "lying".[16]

Little, after winning his own freedom, stated "Who actually pulled the trigger that killed Foster was Mizmoon. Nancy [Ling Perry] was supposed to shoot Blackburn, she kind of botched that and DeFreeze ended up shooting him with a shotgun."[20]

In 1988, Bill Harris stated that he maintained the innocence of Russ Little and Remiro.[21]

On June 5, 1981, Little's conviction was overturned by the California Court of Appeal, and he was later acquitted in a retrial in Monterey County.[22] One of the reasons given in the unanimous decision by the three judges was that Superior Court judge Elvin Sheehy issued a "dynamite charge" to a deadlocked jury. This charge asks holdout jurors to reevaluate their decision and urges them to reach a conclusion. In 1977, the California Supreme Court ruled that this dynamite charge prejudiced the right to a fair jury trial. One of the Justices argued that Remiro's conviction should be overturned along with Little's.[23]

Nancy Ling Perry's former boss and friend, Rudy Henderson, also testified at the trial that Ling Perry had confessed to him prior to her death that she, Donald DeFreeze, Willie Wolfe and two other members who were killed in the Los Angeles shootout had shot Foster.[24]

Remiro remains in Pelican Bay State Prison today where he is serving a life sentence.[1] He is the only member of the SLA still in prison, having been denied parole at over eleven times.[25]

References
  1. Bulwa, Dan, For paralyzed meth addict worst is over, San Francisco Gate, Dec 4, 2009
  2. Franks, Lucinda, "This Soldier Still At War", The New York Times, June 15, 1975
  3. "The Revolt of SLA's Joe Remiro", (book review of "This Soldier Still at War"), Daily Independent Journal, San Rafael, Calif. August 2, 1975
  4. "The Symbionese Liberation Army: A Study", United States Congress House Committee on Internal Security, US Govt Printing Office, p 5.
  5. McLellan, Vin, "The Man and the Mystery behind the Sla Terror", People magazine, April 29, 1974
  6. Bryan, John, "This Soldier Still at War", Harcourt Bruce Javanovich, 1975, ISBN 0-15-190060-4.
  7. Kifner, John (May 17, 1974). "Cinque: A Dropout Who Has Been in Constant Trouble". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  8. Headley, L and Hoffman, W, Vegas P.I.: The Life and Times of America's Greatest Detective, Thunder's Mouth, 1993
  9. Davidson, Sara, Notes from the Land of the Cobra, The New York Times, June 2, 1974
  10. Rieterman, T, "They thought he was a kidnaper", "The Free Lance Star" Jan 7, 1976 https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19760107&id=TuJNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XYsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7366,650988&hl=en
  11. "Woman quits SLA over death threat", The Pittsburgh Courier, May 4, 1974, page 3.
  12. Burrough, Bryan, "Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence", Penguin, 2015
  13. http://freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC514_scans/514.SLA.RussLittle.JoeRomero.Statement.pdf
  14. "Aid for Miss Hearst Hinted by Prisoners", The New York Times, March 7, 1974
  15. "Seven Sought in Hearst Kidnaping", The Progress, (Clearfield, Pennsylvania), Feb 11, 1974, p7.
  16. "Jury Unable to Reach Verdict in SLA Case", The New York Times, Feb 19, 1976
  17. "Scrutiny of Trial Audience is Opposed by ACLU" The New York Times April 15, 1975
  18. "2 in Symbionese Army Get Life In Oakland School Head's Death" The New York Times, June 28, 1975
  19. Turner Wallace, "4 Say wrong SLA members were convicted in killing", The New York Times, April 4, 1976
  20. "American Experience | Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst | Transcript". PBS. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  21. "Hearst kidnapping called inept caper", Santa Cruz Sentinel, October 17, 1988
  22. Around the Nation: Russell Little is Acquitted of Slaying on Coast in 1973. The New York Times. June 5, 1981. Retrieved April 30, 2008.
  23. "Murder Conviction of SLA 'Soldier' Overturned" The New York Times, Feb 28, 1979
  24. "Two Found Guilty in Coast Murder" The New York Times June 10, 1975
  25. "SLA convict denied parole again". East Bay Times. October 8, 2004. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
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