Manson follower Susan Atkins denied parole

For the second time in as many years, a state parole board voted Wednesday to deny one of Charles Manson’s fiercest followers her request for a “compassionate release” from prison so she can die at home.

Convicted murderer Susan Atkins, 61, is terminally ill with cancer and has only months to live, doctors say. The issue of mercy has long dogged Atkins. Nearly 40 years ago, actress Sharon Tate begged the knife-wielding Atkins to spare her life and that of her unborn child.

“She asked me to let her baby live,” Atkins told parole officials in 1993. “I told her I didn’t have mercy for her.”

On Wednesday night, the parole board meeting at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla had little mercy for Atkins, who slept on a gurney for much of a hearing that began in the early afternoon.

The result was the same as last year when, despite the presence of a number of supporters and the approval of the prosecutor who put her behind bars, the 12-member California Board of Parole unanimously voted to deny Atkins’ release.

Atkins is serving a life sentence for the slaying of 26-year-old Tate, who was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and musician Gary Hinman. She has served 38 years in prison, longer than any other female in California.

The victims’ relatives and supporters opposed Atkins’ release, saying she showed no mercy Aug. 9, 1969, when she and other young followers of Manson entered a hilltop Benedict Canyon mansion and murdered the five people.

A former topless dancer who used to sing in her church choir, Atkins was one of Manson’s most loyal disciples. After fatally stabbing Tate, prosecutors said, Atkins tasted the actress’ blood and used it to write "PIG" on the front door of the mansion.

During her trial, which took more than nine months, Atkins seemed to show no remorse and maintained utter devotion to Manson, whom she called "Jesus Christ," "the devil" and "the soul." During sentencing, she taunted the court, saying, "You’d best lock your doors and watch your own kids."

-- Richard Winton and Hector Becerra

Photo:  Susan Atkins lies on a gurney at her parole hearing today.   Credit: Ben Margot / Pool photo

Comments

[Captain Jack Sparrow]

Susan, you were shown the same "compassion" that you showed your victims. Burn in hell!

[fabgear]

It sounds harsh but her own words come back to haunt her.

[Andrew]

Good.

[tim]

About time I see the people at the top making decisions that employ common sense.

[Arlene L. Silva]

What a source of comfort it is to know the parole bored (board), with society's best interests at heart, refuses to release a bedridden amputee incapable of inflicting harm while they cheerfully released Charles Samuel so he could slaughter Lily Burk. Are they accountable to anyone? Even to the reflection fondly gazing back at them from their mirror?

[john t stuart]

Thank the good lord for those god loving parole board members. ms. susan deserves to die in prison, what she did was unthinkable unhumane...my heart goes out to the victims families.

[JoAnna Dennis]

Good, glad she got denied. People like that should die the same way as their victims.

[m]

It seems to me that Atkins is faking terminal cancer and still poses an imminent threat to the public.

[Terry]

I don't understand the plea for mercy in the Atkins parole.... This women was shown mercy... Has she not been cared for ... has she not recieved medical,food, shelter and clothes... She even got married...

She has recieved more care than many of the homeless out on the street, and there only ere was they are poor.... she took inoccent lives.... this is the consequence for that choice... If she wasn't ill, her sentence was to live out her life in prison... So why should her illness change that?

Lastly, she was allowed to live.... while her victims didn't get that opportunity.... I believe she has been shown a tremendous ammout of mercy!

[Dr. B. Cayenne Bird]

No mentally ill person was ever deterred from acting out their illness because another mentally ill person was punished. Anyone who wishes a cruel death and suffering on another human being is no better than the most mentally ill person in prison. She will die in the hospital and no one will be better off for how she suffered. Retributive justice serves no good purpose and degrades us as a society. This "revenge-based" justice is why we have fewer education and human services dollars. This is not what Jesus would do for those going along with this who claim to be Christians.

[Tom Hartman]

Well it's an embarrassment to a country that prides itself on going to church every Sunday and preaching forgiveness and mercy. When we show that we have no compassion, we become what Susan Atkins was herself that awful night.

TH

[Kevin]

You are right Dr. B and Tom,

We should be learning from the bible and Jesus' parables and teachings....

How about an "an eye for an eye" in that case she should have been stabbed and left to bleed to death while begging for her life.

She is reaping what she sowed. It was her decision to violently and brutally slay her helpless victim. Her day of judgment is near.

[Joan Dalton]

An 'eye for an eye' is a philosophy that, if everyone followed it for every injustice done them, would ultimately bring about total war and the destruction of humanity. It is a philosophy that should find no home in contemporary society.

The woman is a cripple and diseased and ready for death. I see no good being served by continuing her lockup.

[Kathi M.]

I have never understood why these people who committed such horrible, vicious crimes and were originally given the death penalty are eligible for parole. When the death penalty was originally overturned by the Supreme Court, their sentences should have been commuted to life WITHOUT PAROLE.

[CocBoy]

Kevin, Christ never said 'an eye for an eye.' You're quoting the wrong guy. He did say however, 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

[Tucker Kreamer]

People don't seem to remember that the entire group was sentenced to death in the first place. That sentence was overturned and commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Each of them have had parole hearings, by the way. The justice system cannot set the precedent of granting parole in a case like this, whether she is a danger or not. I don't understand how some people can act like this is a personal attack on Atkins or any of the rest of them. It's clearly business, business many people can not understand many of the dynamics of. That group made adult decisions in August of 1969, and must accept complete and total responsibility. The court handed down the verdict from the jury, and that's that. They said what they meant, and they meant what they said.
I feel for any person who is confronting their mortality as Susan is. Especially for someone who, by my belief, will have to face Sharon Tate, her unborn child, et al. But you know what? Not one person on this earth is permitted to decide who lives and dies, and at what moment they are to die. Not me, not you, or any jury of our peers. Certainly, an executioner must have some remorse or apprehension for taking a life regardless of whether a judge or jury said it was OK. We just aren't allowed this type of decision as human beings. So anyone who has killed in my mind is certainly capable of doing it again. Any murder conviction should mean life in prison without the possibility of parole. It's in free people's best interest that ANY murderer remain in prison for life.

[Deanna]

Susan should be thankful for each breath she's taken for the past 40 years. Since she was originally sentenced to death. Not one of these individuals should ever have one second of freedom, until their casket is carried out. I only hope "Ms. Sadie May Glutz" is still able to feel pain, and that she is hurting like hell right now!

[Colin MacLeod]

Interesting to hear the latest news on Susan Atkins being denied parole yet
again. The Manson case is something I have followed avidly over the years,
even though I was still at school when it happened.

Contrast this, with the recent decision here in my native Scotland relating to
the convicted mass murderer, Mr Al Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber. He
was released allegedly on compassionate grounds, although as we are now
seeing, this appears to have had more to do with trade and finance with
Libya than anything else.

As one Scot who did not agree with the decision of his release, it is interesting
to compare and contrast both decisions.

This is one Scot who believes that our so called 'Justice' Minister, Mr
Mr MacAskill
could certainly learn something from the California Parole Boards.

Best wishes to one and all in the U.S. and I sincerely hope that we here in
Scotland have not lost the faith of all you people in America.

[vlizzle]

She wants compassion? That is a complete joke. Nothing should be done to make her even comfortable let alone release her.

[Chris]

Susan you reap what you sew. You should have been put down like a rabid dog decades ago. No mercy! Your familiar with that concept arent you?

[Pamela Williams]

Why should you be able to go home & die peacefully??? Did you give Sharon and all the others that right? NO you didn't, you should die in prison where you belong!

[Lynn S.]

I'm pretty sure the people involved in these murders knew exactly what they were doing. How can you not be aware when you are murdering someone and the weeks/months after? I think these people deserve to stay in prison, nothing makes taking lives okay and "what goes around comes around." They should all realize their mistakes, and then let God be the final judge of where they end up.

[TOMMY BRUNO BROOKLYN N.Y.]

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THOSE WHO WANT COMPASION OR UNDERSTANDING FOR THIS WOMAN. THIS SENTENCE AND HER FAILURE TO MAKE PAROLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT JESUS WOULD OR WOULDN'T DO, AS IF ANYONE WOULD KNOW. SHE IS NOT BEING RELEASED BECAUSE OF HER HORRIBLE CRIME. FOR THOSE WHO DO WANT TO SHOW COMPASION, I ASK YOU THIS. IF THIS WAS DONE TO YOU OR YOUR CHILD , WOULD YOU WANT HER RELEASED? HER NOT BEING GIVEN PAROLE SHOULD ALWAYS BE ABOUT JUSTICE, NOT COMPASION. IF IT IS JUST TO LET HER GO, THAN I SAY, YES, LET HER GO. BUT IF IT IS NOT JUST , TO LET HER GO, THAN KEEP HER IN JAIL.I WONDER WHAT THE VICTIMS WOULD SAY. LIKE JESUS THOUGH, WE'LL NEVER KNOW. THIS MUCH I DO KNOW. LIKE THESE POOR HORRIFIED SOULS, LIKE THE LOBIANCA'S TWO NIGHTS LATER. LIKE THE CLUTTER FAMILY WHO WERE ALSO SLAUGHTERED IN THEIR OWN HOME, LATE AT NIGHT ON NOV.15 1959. REMEMBER, IN COLD BLOOD, TRUMAN CAPOTE?
THINK OF THE TERROR ,THE ABSOLUTE FEAR RUNNING THROUGH THEIR VEINS AS THEY ANTICIPATE THEIR OWN HORRIFIC DEMISE. I HAVE TO BELEIVE ONE OF THEIR LAST THOUGHTS WOULD HAVE TO BE ,THEIR HOPE THAT THESE PEOPLE ,HOPEFULLY , SOMEDAY GET CAUGHT. AND PAY FOR THIS HORRENDOUS ACT. DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD WANT COMPASION FOR THEIR EXECUTIONERS, THEIR SLAUGHTERERS? OR WOULD THEY WANT JUSTICE? TO END THIS DIATRIBE, I REMEMBER THE WORDS OF GREGORY PECK IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. THE COURTS ARE THE GREAT EQUALIZERS. I SAY ,THEY HAVE SPOKEN IN THIS CASE LOUDLY. IT WASN'T ABOUT COMPASION ,IT WAS ABOUT JUSTICE.

[Ethereal Sparkle]

I am not one who normally posts opinions on these sorts of things, but I find myself invigorated with passion on the subject and had to get my thoughts out. It makes me physically ill to think that Susan Atkins has the odacity to even beg for mercy and request to die COMFORTABLY at home instead of in prison. Her own exact words were that she possessed no mercy for a young expectant mother and an innocent unborn child, and proceeded to brutally SLAUGHTER them both. She is getting exactly what she deserves; in fact, maybe even a better than what scum like her deserves. We can speak/preach about forgiveness, but hasn't she been "forgiven" in a way that she was allowed to live, breathe, MARRY for goodness sakes, while Sharon Tate was cruelly denied any such chance? Susan Atkins should have been put to death, but instead she has lived for 40 years. Lived in prison, but lived just the same, and we all know prisons in modern times; people obtain university degrees in some cases while they are there....opportunity that is denied to upstanding, less fortunate in society, who are not disgusting murderers. This is not about an eye for an eye, because if that were the case, Susan Atkins would be dead as well. No, she has aready been given MORE THAN ENOUGH mercy. Even burning in hell is too good for her.

[Richard]

wow she got fat, how old is she now