In The News

Is this kind looking,older lady a sweet schoolteacher who inadverdently found herself on the wrong side of the law? No,this is murderer Susan Atkins from the Manson Family.

Born in San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California, the second of three children, Atkins grew up in northern California, where she had a difficult childhood. Both of her parents, Edward and Jeanette, were allegedly alcoholics. Her mother died of cancer in 1962. Over the next three years, Atkins' life was disrupted by the gradual breakup of her family, frequent moves, and her leaving home to live independently.

In 1967, Atkins met Charles Manson when he played guitar at the house where she was living with several friends. When the house was raided several weeks later by the police and she was left homeless, Manson invited her to join his group, who were embarking on a summer road trip in a converted school bus painted completely black. She was given the nickname "Sadie Mae Glutz" by Manson and a man who was creating a fake ID for her at the time. Atkins later claimed to have believed Manson to be Jesus. The growing "Manson Family" settled at the Spahn Ranch in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California, where on October 7, 1968, she bore a son, by an unnamed father, whom Manson named Zezozose Zadfrack. Atkins' parental rights were terminated once she was convicted of the murders and no one in her family would assume responsibility for the child. She has had no contact with her son since her incarceration in 1969, when he was 1 1/2 years old. Her son was adopted and renamed "Paul".

I wonder if Paul knows or ever will know who his birth mother was?

The home where Tate and Polanski were living with friends was known to Manson and Watson, who had been there once and knew where it was, and Manson knew that wealthy, famous people lived there. One former tenant of the home was Terry Melcher, a record producer.

If the name Melcher sounds familiar, he was Doris Days son. He lived in that house with his girlfriend Candice Bergan. He co wrote the the Beach Boys Hit Kokomo.

During the sentencing phase of the trial, Atkins testified that she stabbed Tate. She candidly stated that she had stabbed Tate because she was "sick of listening to her, pleading and begging, begging and pleading". She also denied that Manson had any role in orchestrating the murders.

Atkins is the one who wrote "pig" in Sharon Tates blood on the wall.

She has been married twice since imprisoned. Once to a Texan who claimed to be a millionare and pledged to use his fortune to gain her release. She is currently married to a lawyer who continues to work for her release.

Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted Atkins and other members of the Manson Family, later stated that he supported her release only to save the state money. The cost for Atkins' medical care since she was hospitalized on March 18, 2008 has reportedly surpassed $1.15 million with additional cost of over $300,000 to guard her hospital room."
In June, Atkins' attorney, Eric P. Lampel stated that Atkins condition had deteriorated to the point that she is paralyzed on one side, can only talk "a little bit" and can't sit up in bed without assistance." She has also had her left leg amputated. She has been denied parole 17 times.

My thoughts on this issue: If she lives another 6 months cost for her care will easily top 3 million dollars. How much good could have been done with that money?

Vengeance is not justice I don't care how awful the crime.

You may say,"If it was my family I'd want those responsible to rot..." Believe what you want but,your family isn't beautiful enough,rich enough or famous enough to warrant vengeance in the US legal system.

Compassionate parole was denied for Atkins July 15 2008

If the Manson Family monsters had murdered someone in my family or yours most of them would have been out of prison a long,long time ago.