Lawrence Welk And Squeaky Fromme

Wednesday's One Cup of Java Challenge: On this date in 1975, then-President Gerald Ford faced the first of two assassination attempts against him. The Charles Manson follower who tried to kill Ford is still serving a life sentence and is still a devoted fan of Manson. Your One Cup question this morning: name this would-be assassin, who escaped from prison in 1987 only to be recaptured a few days later. You can give either her first name or nickname.

Answer: Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme. Sentenced to life in prison, she is currently in a federal prison in Texas. She was repeatedly refused parole hearings.

Bonus Blog Trivia: As a young girl, Squeaky Fromme once appeared on The Lawrence Welk Show as a member of the Westchester Lariats dance group. In junior high, she was a classmate of future Saturday Night Live star Phil Hartman, and the two took acting class together.