Gerald Friend is a Washington State sex offender serving two consecutive 75-year prison terms for the June 1987 kidnapping, rape, and torture of a 14-year-old girl in Tacoma. He was 49 at the time of the attack and had been paroled only seven years earlier from a 75-year sentence for similar crimes. The case later drew national attention as the real-life basis for “Polly,” a song on Nirvana’s 1991 album Nevermind.1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly
The 1987 Tacoma Abduction
In June 1987, a 14-year-old girl left a concert in Tacoma and became separated from her friends. Friend offered her a ride. Instead of taking her home, he kidnapped, raped, and tortured her.1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly
She escaped by persuading him to untie her and then breaking free at a gas station. Nirvana bassist Kris Novoselic described her decision years later: “The only chance she had of getting away was to come on to him and persuade him to untie her. That’s what she did, and she got away.”1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly Her name has never been publicly released.
Earlier Conviction and 1980 Parole
Friend’s record of violent sexual offenses goes back to 1960, when he was arrested for what sources describe as similar crimes and sentenced to 75 years in prison. He served about 20 years at the state prison in Walla Walla and escaped twice during that time. He was paroled in 1980, seven years before the Tacoma attack.1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly
Sentence and Current Custody
After his conviction for the 1987 crimes, Friend received two consecutive 75-year terms. Given his age at sentencing, the terms amount to a life sentence. He has been incarcerated at Airway Heights Corrections Center in Washington State.1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly
Connection to Nirvana’s “Polly”
Kurt Cobain read about the case in a newspaper near his home in Aberdeen, Washington, and wrote a song about it originally titled “Hitchhiker.” Renamed “Polly,” it appeared as the sixth track on Nevermind, released in September 1991. Cobain wrote the lyrics from the attacker’s perspective rather than the victim’s. In a 1991 interview he said, “What really needs to be done is teaching men not to rape. Go to the source and start there.”1American Songwriter. The Meaning and Tragic Kidnapping Behind One of Nirvana’s Darkest Songs, Polly The song is the main reason Friend’s name continues to surface decades after the crime.