Charles Manson Follower Susan Atkins Has Died at 61
Charles Manson followers Leslie Van Houton, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel
Susan Atkins, who committed one of modern history’s most notorious crimes when she joined Charles Manson and his gang for a 1969 killing spree that terrorized Los Angeles and put her in prison for the rest of her life, has died. She was 61.
Atkins died at the Central California Women’s facility in Chowchilla on Thursday night, said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Atkins, who had been receiving medical care at the prison’s nursing facility over the past year, died of natural causes, Thornton said. Sources told The Times she had been battling brain cancer. She was pronounced dead at 11:46 p.m.
Now, finally some JUSTICE for the Tate and LaBianca families. Remember the crime scene of Sharon Tate’s murder and that of her unborn child?
Remember Susan Atkins famously told a sobbing and begging Sharon Tate prior to her murder and mutilation, “Look bitch, I have no mercy for you.â€
Atkins confessed to killing actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski who was hanged and stabbed 16 times; Tate’s nearly full-term fetus died with her. The next night, Atkins accompanied Manson and his followers when they broke into the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca and killed them.
“She was the scariest of the Manson girls,” said Stephen Kay, who helped prosecute the case and argued against Atkins’ release at her parole hearings. “She was very violent.”
Former chief prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, who sought and won death sentences for Atkins, Manson and other followers, said Atkins would be remembered “obviously as a member of a group that committed among the most horrendous crimes in American history. She apparently made every effort to rehabilitate herself.”
He added: “It has to be said that she did pay substantially, though not completely, for her incredibly brutal crimes. And to her credit, she did renounce — and, I believe, sincerely — Charles Manson.”
It was Atkins who broke open the case when she bragged of her participation in the slayings to cellmates at Sybil Brand Institute in East Los Angeles, where she was being held on other charges; two of her cellmates told authorities of her confession. After prosecutors promised not to seek the death penalty against her, Atkins appeared before a grand jury, providing information that led to her own indictment, as well as that of Manson and others. Later, in a lurid 10-month trial, she provided crucial testimony that fed the public’s fascination with Hollywood celebrities, drugs, sex and violence.
It also left an unshakable image of Atkins as a remorseless killer, who taunted the court at her sentencing with chilling words: “You’d best lock your doors,” she said, “and watch your own kids.”
In 1971, two separate juries found Manson, Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles “Tex” Watson guilty on seven counts of first-degree murder. Another Manson follower, Leslie Van Houten, was convicted of two murders. All received the death sentence, later reduced to life terms after the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972. (The Legislature later reenacted the death penalty statute.) Manson, Krenwinkel, Watson and Van Houten remain in prison.Atkins also pleaded guilty to the murder of musician Gary Alan Hinman, who was killed in a dispute over money shortly before the Tate-LaBianca murders. She received another life sentence for the Hinman killing.
Susan Atkins has been living on borrowed time for the past 40 years. May she atone to our creator for the heinous crimes against humanity.
Susan Atkins in 1969
Previous:
Charles Manson Follower Susan Atkins Denied Parole Again
Charles Manson Follower Susan Atkins Parole Hearing Today
Manson Family Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi on Susan Atkins Parole
Susan Atkins Parole Hearing Rescheduled to September 2, 2009
Susan Atkins May 29, 2009 Parole Hearing Postponed
Elderly Charles Manson Photo Released by California Correctional Authorities
Charles Manson Follower Susan Atkins Denied Compassionate Release
Technorati Tags: Susan_Atkins, Charles_Manson, Patricia_Krenwinkle
138 Comments
MurphyMorseJohnson
The Holy Father has finally spoken and your day will be coming soon, Charley–sleep well tonight.
Tony
Well, finally justice has been served.
She was given life in prison and she died there.
Now all she has to do is deal with the Devil for her deeds on earth.
Shay
To me, Patricia Krenwinkel looks like a man with just a wig??
Martin
She became a Christian ages ago. I read her testimony in “Child of Satan, Child of God” in the 1970s. She apparently did not waver from being a convinced Christian. She was a model prisoner.
Whitesam1001
anyone can pretend to change. Manson was a master at beguiling others into believing anything he said. That’s how he got these people to commit murder for him. People, when around the people they’re trying to beguile for a long enough time, know what they want to hear. so it’s not that hard to write down a testimonial paper and plead it’s the god’s honest truth.
t.rex
When they reinstated the death penalty, they should have carried out all their executions instead of letting them live out life in prison.
Martin
This just in! The Swiss are to extradite Roman Polanski to the US to be tried for the crime of drugging and sodomizing a 13-year-old girl. Is it pure coincidence that this development comes so soon after the death of Susan Atkins? Probably, but there’s a kind of poetic justice to it. Atkins rightly paid for her crime of killing Polanski’s unborn child; Polanski should serve time in jail for his crime, too.
kim
i want to start a petition to free manson
Gmma
are u effin nuts ?? !! well I guess the answer is yes
kevin
kim you are as barmy as bag of bees but i love you…
tessa
she is dead. it’s about time. i hope she was in pain, a lot of pain. i have no mercy for her and her family
mama
wow.
mama
Oh I can’t believe she was that hideous.
R.I.P. Sharon Tate and the unborn child.
I remember this back when I was just twenty.
Mr.XXX
The sickest a criminal is the more reasons i have to not hate him, maybe manson was crazy but i hate people soi dont really care what happens to them (with some exeptions of course)
Jesse
Lol white panties 0_o
slayer
all hail charles manson hes a god slay them all hahaha the antichrist will rise mutherfuckers
Jacob Brenner
Justice was served but our god is still to lazy to punish the others. We need a god who is will to kill every single criminal in this world. This world is rotten.
damien lightbringer
you people who are so high and mighty with your holy father dont even see how much you crave for more news on violence sex and drugs. before judging other people and hoping for a god to kill every single criminal, look at yourselves–youre just as rotten as everyone else.
asifsjfsaajsf
god doesnt exist, charles mansion will not go to hell or heaven he will rot in the ground like the rest of us
Kerrys
Susan Boyle has a great voice, no doubt about that. She was my first choice in American Idol and sadly she did not make it.
Blank
Jesse: Lol? Are you laughing?
You’re all fucking disturbed, free the mansons?
This is so sad i cant put it into words, how evil can you be to kill a mother caring a baby, to kill humans… I hope they’ll all die soon so we get rid of them. Maybe im not the one to judge but who wants those creeps to live.
Mr.XXX
HA! you say its awfull to kill humans but you want the mansons dead ! how does that make sense?! if charles manson doesn have the right to live because hes “disturbed” (i dont see whats so wrong about him) why “normal” human beings do ? a human is still a human no matter what he does and if one deserves to live the others too (i dont think any serve to live normal or not)!! Psychopath or not Manson can and will deserve to live as long as he does!!
Monica
I find it very disturbing that the pics of a dead Sharon Tate were made and still are public. I find this kind of exposure extremely disrespectful, it serves no purpose, we all know how terrible all that was. I wouldn’t like a dear one been shown like that in public. In general people instinctively seek privacy when in pain, mourning, dying, that’s not a show for other people to watch. Just like dead people’s faces are covered to protect their privacy (even if dead their memory deserves to be respected) the same thing applies for their bodies. These pics were taken as part of the investigation work, not to be displayed in public. This kind of exposure would never ever happen in Europe and I found it surprising that it is not illegal in the US.
miss.crusty
i think that all u people that think that charles Manson is a monster u are all dead wrong! JUst because his followers killed watever her name is isnt a big deal because millions of people are murdered every day and to me this isnt a big deal just because she was famous makes this such a tragedy? i think not..
he wasnt the one who grabbed the knife and killed her he was nowere around there u guys should get your shit straight , i have no pity for that family
zach powell
dude what she did was the best thing ever i wish i could have been there to see it
Jackson M.
you are all asians!! your all conspiring against america!!!! mwuhahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Gage
Manson and his followers should have had the death sentence !
JShepherd03
hey all you fucktards charles manson is just as responsible for killing all those people as his “children” are. he might not have actually commited the crimes himself, but he might have well had. he brainwashed innocent teens and then drug them the only surving girl from all this even admitted how fucked up they were and he made them. Itz called the fucking history channel miss crusty, ur a fucking dumbass! and mr. xxx, have u ever seen him in an interview? the guy is a freakin psycho path! so i guess since most americans believe an eye for an eye than u dont? well then ur just as stupid as crusty bitch watever her name it.
Mr.XXX
The fucktard its you, you know to know if a person is a psycopath or not you have to go deeper than some words in an interview…You need to see that sometimes he makes more sense than you insulting everyone about a guy you only know because you saw it on TV! And really why am i even writing stuff here? And thank God im not american!
JShepherd03
I guess you’re right, how could I have been so ignorant? I mean I’m sure you were there and saw everything first hand as opposed to me and over 90% of the population thar saw it all on tv! And I don’t base judgments on 1 interview dumbass, I’ve done plenty of research, because I wuz once as ignorant as you are believing charles manson is a great human being and I dnt thnk innocent people should die but as far as guilty murderous bastards like charles manson, he shouldve been put to death about three decades ago.
Mr.XXX
But he hasn’t so too bad for you! And anyways what are the opinions of all of you change about charles manson fate? He won’t die because you think he should…
me
um….Manson tied the hands of the LaBianca’s and then told his “followers” to kill them. He also told them to “kill everyone in the house” in the Tate/Polanski house. He is responsible for the murders and they would not have taken place if he was out of the picture. People who kill deserve to be killed or the world would be mayhem. How would you feel if your wife/daughter was in the above picture?
Mr.XXX
I dont have a family
true american not a terrorist
This creeper killed a ton of people. The person who is backing him up must be high.All the people who were killed never did anything to deserve this.:(
Mr.XXX
I’m not high, it wasnt hes fault if he was crazy or maybe he wasnt….pus e looks soo nic on his pictures
me
Mr xxx – If you were at that house 40 years ago you would have been killed too. Everyone in the house was marked for death. Steven Parent was the first to die while leaving the residence & he was only 17 yrs old visiting the caretaker. They didn’t care he was a nobody, they did not target the wealthy, they didn’t care who was in there. Did you know Manson raped a man while in prison. Maybe you have a gay thing for him? While his ex followers have repented & been rehabilitated in prison, Manson is still the same 40 years later.
BTW – here is a current picture of him – http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HgPZTxiZsSI/ScJhDagBoAI/AAAAAAAAAhg/jPAd2pPgig0/s400/charles+manson+at+74.jpg
Mr.XXX
No i’m not gay. i’m not american neither 40 years old i could not have been there anyways… what does it matter our wealthy or not ?
a
i think mr xxx has to get some help to a psychiatric!!!
Mr.XXX
sometimes i think that too
Mr.XXX
Bt then i realize that would mean be like you
The Highlander
Look ya shower o fanny’s Manson is a banger & the rest of these shite houses, especially Watson are sub human! Quite why American’s love that rocket so much is beyond explanation but, it probably explains why your aw so fucked up in the heid & mad wi it! Get a grip of yerselfs ya bunch of bams, Manson, “The mans an idiot! Get it right up Manson & his Ned brigade, ya balloons!
Jacob Gold
Whoa, there are more weirdos on this site than I have ever seen!
I strongly suggest you all seek psychiatric help, immediately.
t'Voltaire
Shales Manzonn … I always going to remember you like the bestt …. the oneee♥
easyrider
I like charley. I think he got a raw deal.
simora
charlie went down in history and no its not his fault because he had no gun to anyones head he couldn’t make nobody do shiit and you all know that and so what if he raped someone in jail people do it everyday and their still released why focus on him so much huh? and you all are saying god this god that fuck what yall gotta say about god cause if there was one this shiit wouldn’t have happened jesus was the fucking tard thas just like me sayin i am jesus wtf it aint true bitch yu believe santa clause r sumthan?
Luna Morrison
Bad simora! Very very bad! Stop -.- *glare*
Dan
Mr. XXX you are one sick individual… I would wish the same brutal tragedy on your family, but that would sink me down to your level. You are soooo disturbed and to try and defend what these people did is completely fucked. Man, I wish I could meet you just to fucking knock your teeth down your throat
Mr.XXX
Dont you mean “lift me up to your level”? any ways… Why wish pointless things such as beating the crap out of me? You can’t. Charles manson doesn’t deserve to be in jail just for telling some kids to kill, its you useless people who should be in jail for wasting your flesh and soul…Charles manson did someting right, its just your straight minds who see it twisted.
Alex
Some of you guys are really stupid….I can’t believe ANYONE would actually believe that someone like Charlie isn’t responsible for his actions…how dumb can you be? Ole Charlie is right where he belongs…I hope he’s gettin’ it up the butt every day from bubba…..even though he really deserves much worse…..As far as miz Atkins, I hope that evil biotch asked forgiveness and repented before she died.
Hey, Mr. XXX, if you want to contribute and be taken seriously, how about learning how to spell, pal…geez!
Alex
Oh, by the way, Mr. XXX….Either you have some serious anger issues in which case you should seek professional help immediately before you hurt yourself or someone else or you’re a narcissist and enjoy all this attention. Narcissism is a type of personality disorder as well. I feel for you brother. I hope at some point you’ll SEE that you aren’t a healthy person.,,,
Mr.XXX
You’re the ones who’re wrong, i just dont get how you people can be the way you are.
Diva D.
my only opinion on the matter is that it was kind of disrespectful to post the actual dead body pics on this blog post. but hey, it’s your blog, I’m just a visitor. A kind of nauseated, pissed off visitor, but still a visitor nonetheless.
s richardson
finally one of them got what they deserved! now if the others will just croak i’ll be a happy camper.