Original 1974 Thero Lavon Wheeler Wanted FBI Poster / Flyer # 472 Founder Of SLA

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Original 1974 Thero Lavon Wheeler Wanted FBI Poster / Flyer # 472 Founder Of SLA:
$175.00

Authentic FBI wanted poster for Thero Lavon Wheeler, issued for interstate flight, escape, and battery on a police officer. Originally mailed to the Postmaster in New London, Connecticut.

Dimensions: 10.5" W x 16" H

Condition: Excellent, typical mailing creases from original postage.

Provenance: From the estate of the New London, Connecticut postmaster.

Historical Background:Thero Wheeler (1945-2009) was a founding member of the notorious Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), making him a prime target for one of the FBI's largest manhunts of the 1970s. His story represents a fascinating twist in the SLA saga.

Although Wheeler left the SLA in October 1973, disagreeing with the group's planned violent actions, the organization he helped create—without him—soon murdered Oakland school superintendent Marcus Foster and kidnapped newspaper heiress Patty Hearst in February 1974. Wheeler was mistakenly identified as a suspect in the Hearst kidnapping and placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List, despite having severed ties with the group months before.

Living under the alias "Bruce Bradley" in Houston, Wheeler successfully evaded capture until July 1975, when he was arrested after being hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The FBI later stated they did not want him "in connection with any SLA crimes," and he was returned to prison only for his prior escape conviction—not for any involvement in the SLA's notorious crimes.

Wheeler's case is a unique chapter in the SLA story: a founding member who walked away from the violence, yet became swept up in the massive federal dragnet that followed the Hearst kidnapping.

#FBIPoster #SLA #SymbioneseLiberation #PattyHearst #1970s #FBI #WantedPoster #TrueCrime #AmericanHistory #PoliticalHistory #TrueCrimeMemorabilia #Collectibles #RareEphemera #HistoricalDocument #FBIMostWanted