Nancy Ling Perry (September 19, 1947 – May 17, 1974, born Nancy Ling) was also known as Nancy Devoto, Lynn Ledworth, and Fahizah while a founding member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a small leftist terrorist group based in northern California. Considered one of its chief theorists and activists, she died in a shootout with the Los Angeles Police Department at an SLA safehouse in that city. Background Nancy Ling was born in San Francisco in 1947 to an upper-middle-class family. She attended Montgomery High School in Santa Rosa, where she was a cheerleader. She also served as a Sunday school teacher at her church. In 1964, while in high school, she was a campaign worker for Barry Goldwater. While in high school, Ling was also involved in Job's Daughters (Bethel #16) and served as their Honored Queen. She began university at Whittier College. After a few semesters at Whittier, however, she transferred to the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley she majored in English. Ling met black jazz musician Gilbert Perry when he was working for a state employment office, and the couple were married December 26, 1967. Married for six years, they had a relationship described as a "love-hate affair". It ended when Gilbert left Nancy, but she remained deeply interested in black culture. Retaining her married name, Ling Perry worked as a topless blackjack dealer in San Francisco. During this period, she was deeply involved in using psychedelic drugs and amphetamines. Symbionese Liberation Army Perry became politically active and joined other students serving in a university-sponsored prisoner outreach program through the Black Cultural Association (BCA) at Vacaville Prison. The program was organized by Colston Westbrook, a professor at University of California, Berkeley. At Vacaville, Perry formed a relationship with black inmate Donald DeFreeze, who was active at the prison. He was given permission to see her in conjugal visits. This was unusual, as authorities generally authorized such visits only for married couples. DeFreeze was transferred to Soledad Prison for good behavior. He escaped from there in March 1973 and made his way to Oakland, where he contacted Russ Little and some other white associates he had met through the BCA at Vacaville. Little put him in touch with Patricia Soltysik, and he started living at her apartment. They formed a sexual relationship and were co-founders of what became the Symbionese Liberation Army. Perry is also considered