Remembering Sara Jane Moore: A Radical's Life and Legacy

Fri Oct 10 2025 15:12:51 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Sara Jane Moore, who attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975 and spent over 30 years in prison, has passed away at 95. Her life story reflects the complexities of political radicalism and personal regret.

Sara Jane Moore, known for her 1975 assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford, died peacefully at the age of 95. Moore spent over three decades in prison and later expressed regret for her actions, revealing the struggles of a woman caught in the turbulent political climate of the 1970s. Her life story illustrates the collision of personal trauma and ideological beliefs in American history.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sara Jane Moore, the woman who gained notoriety for her failed assassination attempt on President Gerald Ford in 1975, has passed away at the age of 95. Moore died on Wednesday at a nursing home in Franklin, Tennessee. Her friend, Demetria Kalodimos, confirmed her death through the executor of Moore’s estate.

Moore's life was a complex tapestry of radical political beliefs and personal tumult. Describing herself as an unlikely figure in American political violence, she began to immerse herself in leftist ideologies and activism in California during the mid-1970s. On September 22, 1975, she attempted to shoot Ford in San Francisco, a moment that was disrupted by a nearby former Marine, who prevented her from succeeding.

Sentenced to life for her actions, Moore spent more than thirty years in prison before being paroled in December 2007. After her release, she lived privately, reflecting on her radical beliefs and expressing remorse for her actions, indicating a profound transformation shaped by years behind bars.

In a 2009 interview, Moore expressed regret, stating, I’m very sorry that it happened... I’m very happy that I did not succeed. Despite her notoriety, she led a life marked by estrangement from family, including her children, and spent her later years attempting to reconcile her past actions.

Born Sara Jane Kahn on February 15, 1930, in Charleston, West Virginia, Moore’s story is a reminder of how personal motivations can intertwine with greater social movements, illustrating the mental and emotional turmoil that often fuels radical action.

Moore’s assassination attempt on Ford—a president who was not elected but appointed—was steeped in her belief that the government had declared war on the leftist movements she had been a part of. This fueled her actions, driven by a desperate desire for acknowledgment and change in a turbulent political landscape.

Ford himself insisted that such attempts on his life should not halt communication with the public, showcasing a commitment to dialogue in a time marked by division.

As we remember Sara Jane Moore, her life invites us to consider the nuance in political dissent, the ramifications of personal choices, and the enduring conflict between radical ideologies and individual consequences.