‘Compassionate Release’ for Susan Atkins Denied
Susan Atkins, the woman who repeatedly stabbed actress Sharon Tate killing her and the baby boy she was due to deliver in two weeks (and several other people), has been denied parole once again.
Ms. Atkins has stated that Sharon Tate begged for the life of her child moments before being killed. She told the actress that she had no mercy for her. Then she killed her and the baby.
This all took place 38 years ago and have come to be known as the Manson Murders even though Charles Manson wasn’t actually there.
For a terrifying read of this incident I recommend Helter Skelter by Vince Bugliosi. He was the prosecuting attorney who was able to bring a conviction to the entire group of psychopaths.
Susan Atkins was given the death penalty at the time of her conviction but it was later overturned when the death penalty became illegal in California. She then got a life term.
Her bid for parole would not have made the news had it not been for the fact that she is terminally ill with cancer and has just weeks to live. She is a born-again-Christian and the argument is that she has paid her debt to society, is no longer a threat, should be shown some mercy, forgiveness, whatever, and sent home to die with loved ones.
Susan Atkins has made peace with her God which I am sure brings her comfort. I am sorry for her family and those who love her but she has gotten far more out of her life than her victims did. According to Wikipedia (always accurate),
Over the course of her imprisonment she has been involved in prison programs. She has received two commendations for helping save the lives of other inmates. She was married in 1980 to Donald Lee Laisure, a Texan claiming to be a multi-millionaire who would use his resources to help secure her freedom, but Atkins ended the marriage when it was revealed that many of his claims were false. She married a second time, in 1987, to a man 15 years her junior, James W. Whitehouse, who earned a law degree and represented Atkins at her 2000 and 2005 parole hearings. He maintains a Web site dedicated to her legal representation.
Sharon Tate and all the other people murdered that evening are still dead. The families still miss them and remember the details of their brutal deaths.
The cost of keeping her alive is rather ironic. If she is so terribly sick why not just treat her with pain medicine at this point and keep her comfortable?
I believe in forgiveness and I do not hold grudges, but I am relieved that Susan Atkins will never enjoy one breath of freedom.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCrygXkYYjI]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwqooUe0wC0]
Comments
i really like this article! very thought provoking. also, the vids are cool bc the first one shows susan atkins in the light she was portrayed during the time of the murder, and the second vid shows her in a more positive way.
she got a life sentence for a reason, and that means she needs to die in jail. sorry!
Nice article Mrs. Bunt! I need to get my hands on “Helter Skelter” cause it seems like a book I’d enjoy.
Here is a video with an interview with Vincent Bugliosi in which he agrees that she should be released. Pretty interesting!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x3UJmaQrW0
Had she shown mercy to Sharon Tate, I think she’d deserve a chance at mercy. She didn’t, and the result of her crime is irreversible. So should her punishment be.
I don’t feel sympathy for her.
Vincent B has gotten too soft… Susan A. still has those crazy eyes. off with her head I mean leg…ooopsss its gone….Im bad ! I have no mercy for her or any of them!!!!!
Isn’t it ironic that she is receiving better health care than much of America? I mean I don’t think she should NOT get care but given that health care reform is the major issue these days it is just kind of an interesting side note. Like… commit a crime and get yourself some good health benefits. What a world.
GET OVER IT.. you were given mercy..it is called : getting brain cancer and dying so you don’t have to be in jail anymore.
this is a travesty. i think the real issue is that OJ should be released. he did nothing wrong!
Well..he smeared the good name of Orange Juice!
JACKIE! OMG. Young Atkins is scary, and I think she should be denied parole — killing a mother and her unborn child are unforgivable.
Mom way to log some serious comments.