Captured by the U.S. government while fighting for the Taliban, John Walker Lindh, or Hamza Walker Lindh as he is known today, is famous for being one of few American operatives in Al-Qaeda.

Lindh, also known as the “American Taliban,” attended Redwood for the first semester of his freshman year, after which he transferred to Tamiscal, where he attended until earning his G.E.D. in 1998 at the age of 16.

Three years later, Lindh was discovered in a Northern Alliance prison during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, claimed to have trained with Al-Qaeda, and expressed support for the Sept. 11 attack on America.

Lindh’s capture evoked strong response from Redwood students and attracted national media to the school.

Reporters from across the country attempted to find students who might have known Lindh, while others offered students money for their 1996 yearbook, which contained his picture from freshman year. Although most students avoided the reporters, one student sold their yearbook for $50 to the Boston Globe.

The Bark displayed Lindh’s yearbook photo on the cover of its December edition, and ran a story covering Lindh’s capture, asking current students about their reactions.

In 2002, Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison without parole. He is currently serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Indiana.