Sara Jane Olson, better known as criminal Kathleen Soliah, was released from prison in Chowchilla, California, today.  She had avoided police and authorities for nearly a quarter of a century after bombing two Los Angeles police cars in 1975.

She is a former Symbionese Liberation Army member who eventually became their leader.

For almost 24 years, Olson was one of the nation’s most sought-after fugitives - she disappeared in 1975, the same year two Los Angeles police cars were bombed. She changed her name from Kathleen Soliah and, over the years, lived as a mild-mannered Midwestern housewife. She married a Minnesota physician and became a celebrated cook and soccer mom in the St. Paul area.

She was captured in June 1999 on charges of planting the police car bombs. She subsequently pleaded guilty to attempted murder charges for the attempted car bombings. In 2004, a Sacramento judge vacated the 14-year sentence for the car bombs given to Olson after ruling that the state Board of Prison Terms did not independently review her case upon sentencing her in 2002 for the bombings. After a review, her sentence was reduced by one year.

She had also been serving time for the murder of a woman that took place during a bank robbery the SLA pulled off in 1975.

It is disturbing that Olson was freed after being sentenced for murder and attempted murder charges.