“The song "Polly" was written by Kurt Cobain after reading a newspaper article about a crime that occurred in 1987. The story actually starts back in July of 1960 when a man named Gerald Friend abducted a girl and her brother who were hitchhiking in Sumner, Washington. He forced the boy from the vehicle, and took the 12 year old girl to Mount Rainier National Park where he physically and sexually abused her. She escaped from his vehicle at a gas station and Friend was charged and convicted of kidnapping, ***, and torture, and was sentenced to a minimum of 75 years in prison. Friend was 22 at the time and would have likely been in prison the rest of his life.

Friend was released after serving 20 years at Walla Walla Prison. One might think it was on account of good behavior but he had escaped twice and was by no means a model inmate during his time there. Still, he was paroled in 1980. In 1987, he abducted a 14 year old girl who was walking home from a rock concert at knifepoint. She was taken to Friend's mobile home and repeatedly assaulted sexually and physically while suspended from the ceiling. She did ultimately escape and Friend was, again convicted of kidnapping and *** and ordered to serve the remainder of his original 1960 sentence and an additional 75 year sentence for the second victim. The second victim, "Polly" eventually sued the Department of Corrections for allowing Friend out early.”