Tuesday, July 15, 2008

What Would You Do?



So, this little topic is right on the edge of what I consider controversial for the site. Oh, I'll show celebrity peen, but I tend to shy away from anything that is politically sensitive. However, this is celebrity related and I don't really have an opinion so am curious as to what all of you think.

One of the main members in the Charles Manson Family Cult was Susan Atkins. In fact it was Susan who stabbed Sharon Tate at the home she shared with Roman Polanski and even wrote the word pig on the wall using the blood of the actress.

Susan was sentenced to death, but it was commuted to life without parole back in the 70's.

Now it appears that Susan has brain cancer and only about six months to live. She has asked to be released so she can spend that six months outside of the walls of the prison. The LA District Attorney is against it because Atkins "has failed to demonstrate genuine remorse and lacks insight and understanding of the gravity of her crimes".

Atkins' hearing is today. Would you keep her in, or let her be released? What if she ends up living longer than six months? What if they find a cure for her brain cancer? Does she have to return to jail?

112 comments:

ms snarky said...

I do believe in forgiveness, but she doesn't belong free. When someone does such a heinous thing, they need to be kept from other people so that there's no chance of it happening again.

nicola said...

I'm sure Sharon Tate asked for a "reprieve" before she died too.

Kait said...

Sharon Tate and her baby don't get to walk free - why should the whack job that killed them?

Burgundee said...

The sentence was commuted to life, not "life unless you get sick".

irishstayc2 said...

oh what a shame the murderer is dying... Her sentence was life without parole, period. So I don't care how sick she is - she stays behind bars and dies in the prison hospital.

Lil said...

I agree. So what if she has brain cancer - Sharon Tate didn't get a 2nd chance at life, neither should Susan Atkins.

What do you think, Ent? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.

Ms Cool said...

She lost her freedom when she took away someone else's.

Ms Cool said...

She lost her freedom when she took away someone else's.

SchmaddaKid said...

i have to agree with everyone else. she should have already been killed. sentence is life. she should stay until her life is over.

parisss said...

She deserves the same kindness and consideration she showed her victims... none. She should be thankful she didn't get the death penalty, and happy she's had over 30 years that her victims did not have. I am sorry to say- I feel no sympathy for her.

Marna Palmer said...

Agree with the other readers. I don't know if she's included but I've heard some of the imprisoned Manson family members are still proud of what they've done and have never apologized for it. She took another life in cold blood and now she has to pay for it, cancer or no cancer.

Kristen S. said...

I agree...Sharon and her unborn child were not allowed a reprieve. She needs to stay behind bars.

The only ones that seem to have any remorse are Krenwinkel and Van Houten, and I don't think they should get out either.

MontanaMarriott said...

KARMA IS A MOTHERFUCKA

Anonymous said...

Joining in with the others, I'd say keep her locked up. Too bad she's sick. She surely can't think that after all these years in prison that she would be able to adjust to being outside now. Sharon Tate probably would have liked to live. Her unborn child would have liked to live. This woman gave up the right to life outside of prison when she took that knife and stabbed a pregnant woman to death. Too bad. Keep her behind bars.

lyz said...

She received LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE...which means that she stays there until she dies, not she stays there until 6 months before she dies.

Case closed.

Mary said...

I agree with everyone too. What is the meaning of life in prison without parole? So what you're sick/dying that's bound to happen when you're in prison for the rest of your life. I'm so tired of the victim being forgotten and the criminal getting the breaks.

calsyrial said...

did sharon tate or any of their other victims get special treatment because they only had a limited amount of time to live? no, they were brutally murdered and that is the bed susan has to lay in for the rest of her life, no matter how long or short it is.

Maja With a J said...

Yeah I have nothing to add, really. I find it very hard to feel sorry for this woman.

digawina said...

Sharon Tate did ask for a reprieve before they brutally murdered her and her baby. She begged them to let her live so she could have her baby. No mercy was shown.

From what I recall, Susan Atkins, aside from Manson, was the craziest of the lot of them. Like not just brainwashed, but certifiable. No way should she be let go. What if they let her go and she hurts someone again?

You have terminal brain cancer and will die in jail Karma's a real bummer sometimes.

Be Adequite! said...

Unfortunately, keep her in. I'm a big believer in redemption and people improving their lives...but as stated by others I'm sure Tate begged for her life too.

Chatty Cricket said...

I don't understand- there was never any question that Susan Atkins would die behind bars, just because she's going to die of a disease as opposed to old age means she should get her six months on the outside? What kind of "logic" is that?

I agree with everyone else here. A life sentence is a life sentence and especially in light of the fact that she has shown no remorse, I don't understand why she thinks the conditions of her sentence might change?

Reese said...

Sharon begged to be allowed to have her child (who was due in a couple of weeks) and Susan Atkins not only brutally killed both of them but later bragged that the experience brought her to orgasm. Boo hoo that she has brain cancer; she can die in the hospital ward of a prison. I have no sympathy for her, especially since she's never been contrite even slightly for her actions.

Alice D Millionaire said...

Agree with all of the above. I wouldn't feel sad if she had cancer and the jail refused her pain medication.

On a more positive note look at sharon's body. I want to reach out and touch her. She doesn't have perfect balls for breasts and her skin isn't spray tanned. Sure she probably has on a hair piece and fake lashes but I am going to let that go. I wish more movie stars today looked like this.

Cheri said...

Hmmm, isn't she the one that stuck a fork in Sharon's 8 month pregnant belly? Didn't she testify that she told Sharon, "Listen bitch, I have no mercy for you" when Sharon pleaded for her and her baby's lives?

Let the murderer rot in jail.

Kristen S. said...

I think Squeaky could give Atkins a run for her money in the crazy dept!

littleoleme said...

Keep her in. Boo hoo. You get what you deserve.

Ice Angel said...

Hmmm...good question...let her out because she's sick? Well-ask yourself this...if Charles Manson asked to be let out because he was dying, would you consider it???

And hey-he's not even the one who did the actual killing.

Are we supposed to have sympathy for her because she's a woman? Why is this even a question?

Oh-and by the way-this psycho even tasted Sharon's blood as her poor victim lay dying.

jw12 said...

That bitch doesn't deserve my tax paying money for treatment.

rip sharon and baby

sandman said...

yup, count me in, I vote to let the convicted killer who tortured & terrorized many innocents to spend the last six months of her life free to kill all over again with nothing to fear...she has a death sentence anyway...brilliant.

Mother Campfire said...

It depends. Does anybody ELSE get out for a quick stint because they got a terminal disease? Exactly. Nice effort though you low-life fucking psycho.

And is it just me or is Lilo seriously styling herself as a Sharon Tate twin? They look eerily similar.

SHE SHE said...

She should have received the death penalty in the 1st place. Then we wouldn't be having this stupid discussion. Eye for an eye!!!!!

mooshki said...

So you take a homicidal maniac and mess up her brain, then let her back out into society? Ha! I'm a bleeding heart, but I don't think so. I do believe in fair treatment for prisoners, but not to the extent of letting them out of jail.

Ninabeth84 said...

Nope. They can make her cell as comfy as possible, but in no way does she deserve to get out.

Brain cancer doesn't negate or erase her actions, and hasn't even triggered remorse, regret, or comprehension of the horrific nature of her crime.

Fuck her.

Unknown said...

Very touchy subject for me, as my son's killer only got 7 years no parole for 'involuntary manslaughter'. Involuntary or not, you take a life, you give your life (unless it's a situation that is completely out of your control, like a freak
accident). This woman meant, and wanted to kill S.T. and her unborn child.
I also believe in forgiveness, but in this case, it's an eye for an eye. A life sentence is a life sentence, whether you die of old age, or illness. No pity for monsters like this.

sassafrass said...

yo, sheetrock. she did get a death sentence, but California abolished the death penalty a year or two after her conviction so her sentence was commuted to life.

Marnie said...

Never happen. Victim was beautiful, pregnant and a celebrity? Brain cancer does not trump that.

merrick said...

Having participated in two of the most gruesome murders in our history, remember the lobianco's, this woman deserves nothing ..it always baffles me when people who have committed heineous acts on innocent people ask for mercy for themselves when tragedy strikes them .. there was no mercy and there remains no remorse from this woman .. let her rot in her cell ..

life is but a dream said...

seriously, fuck her. this is a clear case of karmic retribution. she doesn't deserve any amount of kindness bestowed upon her.

weezy said...

Poor Sharon must have been so frightened. The sentence and commutation said nothing about "for life without parole, unless you're uncomfortable in a final illness and wish to die in peace." I hope she rots in hell.

vitazza said...

Sorry no get out of Jail cards for you .....Thanks for Asking!!

featherbell said...

If the term "commuted to life without parole" means "a life sentence behind bars," then I think the answer is unequivocal.

Life is Life -- whether she has a heart attack, or falls down the stairs, or gets brain cancer or whatever.

For people too young or too old to remember the event, it was an utterly horrific and vicious one. I don't know if Atkins is a clinical sociopath or a psychopath or what, but she pretty obviously, to me, needs to stay where she is.

Tea Lady said...

No parole. I'm with everyone else on this one.

Leslie said...

She stays in. I don't believe in the death penalty, mostly because I think the criminal justice system is broken and unreliable. I do believe in at least the ideas of rehabilitation and restorative justice, but in this woman's case, she gleefully admitted committing extraordinarily cruel crimes, she hasn't been rehabilitated to any extent, and I do not see how it can be considered cruel or unusual to hold her to the terms of her commuted sentence. Keep her in and publicize the hell out of her case.

If nothing else, maybe the message that life means life means you die in prison means you never see the sun outside of prison bars will get through to someone on the edge of choosing whether to do similar harm.

Murphy Brown 2020 said...

I know a woman who has had a brain tumor for over a decade. She's a brilliant, compassionate, animal-loving, child-loving, completely benevolent person who weighs something like 105 pounds because she's afraid to SWALLOW. She's not whining, either. She's accepted the fact that her survival thus far is a total miracle, her motor skills are never going to be what they once were (she was also a star athlete before she became sick) and she's not asking anyone for any special favors.

That said, fuck Susan Atkins. Let her rot behind bars until her brain gives out and the planet is rid of her heinous carcass.

I'm not usually this vehement, but I've read Helter Skelter twice. And this bitch does NOT deserve six days of freedom, let alone six months.

S. said...

She took a knife, and stuck it into a pregnant woman's belly who was pleading for her life and the life of her unborn child. And she laughed while she did it.

Personally, I think brain cancer is too good for her. And don't get me started on the three square meals and free medical care she's received for the last 40 years.

So yes, I guess you can presume what my opinion on this subject is :)

Anonymous said...

Has Sharon's Tate family made any comments about this?

jax said...

let this bitch fry.
crazy is as crazy does,no remorse no forgivness..this animal needs to be caged.

and my condolences Jewels,had no idea.

MnGddess said...

Ditto Sonia!! I'm pissed that food and medical care have been wasted on the bitch. You play, you pay. She knew what she did when she committed her crime. I think she should be stuck in a cell with no windows and starved to death. Then maybe she could feel a little of what she did to Sharon Tate.

Emma31 said...

HELL NO!!! Good try though :)

littlemanwhatnow said...

i wrote my thesis on the manson murders and i agree...let the bitch rot! i read this and my stomach started to turn. i got so burnt up and pissed.

sassafrass said...

In today's hearing they are even allowing the public to speak their opinions. Pretty sure Sharon's sister will there.

captivagrl said...

in. she's lucky to be alive this long. in. in. in.

Unknown said...

It's 100% consensus so far. To this day we all feel the same about what happened -- as if it happened yesterday.

And I agree -- life in prison means you die there.

Ice Angel said...

Sharon's sister is her only known living relative. She is vehemently opposed to any of these people EVER getting out of prison and opposes this.

hromaki said...

hear, hear leslie! my thoughts exactly.

Anonymous said...

I hope it is a slow, extremely painful brain cancer experience. I hope it triggers her memories of her murder spree and she has to relive them again, with some concept of what she did and what she IS. And if there is some afterlife, I hope Sharon Tate gets to personally kick Susan Atkin's ass eternally.

PotPourri said...

Sorry, henious crime felons do not belong on the street. There is forgiveness for unarmed robbery, or theft without a gun or a car accident that resulted in a death. This was intentional. She can rot in hell! Let her die there. Brain Cancer is still to kind for someone so monstrous.

nancer said...

susan was the nuttiest of the manson girls. she laughed throughout the trial, sang songs, carved a swastika in her forehead, and did various things to disrupt the proceedings.
she's getting a far nicer death than the one she gave sharon tate, who died terrified for herself and pleading for her unborn son. fuck susan atkins.
oh, after she dies, she can go burn in hell too. still too good for her.

RagDoll said...

Oh, man! Every few years, one of these Manson Family nut-balls resurfaces from the murk of the penal system to open their trap about something-or-other.

I think she should stay put in jail (where, by the way? She's getting better care for her condition than upstanding citizens who work hard all of their lives, but are too poor to afford health insurance).

Dijea said...

No, she stays in jail and my personal opinion is they don't treat her brain cancer. Just keep her comfortable with pain meds. My tax dollars don't need to go to saving an lifer's life.

Erinaz said...

She showed no mercy. No mercy should be shown. She's getting far better than her victims did.

K said...

Recently, right after this brain cancer story broke, one of the major networks simply re-broadcast an interview conducted with her in 2005 -- filmed, I suppose, around the time of one of her many failed parole hearings.

She wore a Mona Lisa smile as she chirped out the gruesome details of that murder, in a manner so cold and clinical that I was staggered. Without batting an eyelash, she noted that Sharon Tate begged her repeatedly to at least spare the baby's life (something easily achievable since, as an earlier poster pointed out, the actress was very close to her delivery date).

That video alone, without one word of editorial commentary, is enough to convince a random observer that Atkins should never be released.

LaurenD said...

Thanks God everyone on this board is an agreement. This sick beotch should have been put to death. She was lucky. Now she's not. Karma is a bitch...and then you die. She does not deserve 6 minutes outside of jail. Sorry.

All of these years later and I still shudder when I think of 8 month pregnant Sharon Tate's last minutes. It must have been hell on earth. So tragic. So crazy. So needless.

Fry in hell...killer!

kimi said...

let her die in prison. she created it,this is some bits of justice.

Anonymous said...

Count me in. If her psychiatrists are saying she's not remorseful, she's not getting out under any terms.

However, I would say that her family should get extra access to her given that she's near death. At least let them grieve appropriately.

lisap515 said...

Didn't Sharon beg for them to not kill her, not kill her baby? Of course this is from the movie version of Helter Skelter and may not be fact. Either way she should be kept locked up.

nunaurbiz said...

OK, I'm going to be in the minority of one and say let her out. For one, cancer treatment is expensive and the state MUST provide treatment inside the prison. So, Californians, you're paying for that. Let her out and she's on her own.

Second, she has expressed remorse. If the purpose of incarceration is "corrections" then it would appear that she would be highly unlikely to repeat her crimes, or even a parking ticket. If she were released, she would be one of the most-watched people on this planet, Paris Hilton excluded.

So if she's highly unlikely to commit another crime, why keep her in prison for the next six months, paying probably 10 times what it normally costs to incarcerate someone? (Many inmates who are dying are released from prison when the costs of keeping them there and treating them outweigh the danger to society.)

Most of the people here are expressing feelings of revenge for Sharon Tate's tragic killing, but revenge is not (or, rather, SHOULD not) be the purpose of the criminal justice system. Whether Susan Atkins truly has embraced God as she claims or not, she will be ultimately judged when she dies.

And no, Manson should NEVER be released from prison. Even if he never directly participated in the Tate/LaBianca killings, he is more responsible than anyone else who was charged (and others who weren't).

I expect people are going to rip into me for actually saying this, but these are my opinions and they are rooted in rationality, not emotions.

nunaurbiz said...

P.S. Do I think they will let her out. No. Because of politics. Not justice. Politics.

classalpha said...

... strange that a lot of life-sentenced *prisoners* eventually develop cancer of some sort. There must be something carcinogenic in prison buildings; it could be high magnetic flux "Em"minating from the multitudes of metal bars, or perhaps toxic radon leeching out of the concrete walls... not that I care about the "health and welfare" of *prisoners*... I'm just "noting"...

Anyway... since *many 'OTHER' convicted prisoners* get cancer while "Em"carcerated... but no one lets *them* out to DIE "free"... why should *S.Atkins* get any special treatment?

Lori Johnston said...

I cannot believe they are having a hearing on this b.s.
Life without parole should mean just that - - you remain in prison for the rest of your life. Period.
For what it's worth, Susan Atkins had life outside of prison walls - - and she forever gave that up by willingly and joyfully participating in some of the most brutal murders imaginable. She showed no sympathy for her handful of victims (the most pathetic of which was Sharon Tate, for obvious reasons) and has shown zero remorse over the last nearly forty years she has had to appreciate the seriousness of what she did, and apologize to the family members of her victims.
As other posters have so eloquently stated, Fuck her.

classalpha said...

...to "nunaurbiz"... uhm... Justice IS "revenge"... only it's not a "personal revenge" per se... it's carried out by the System and for Society's sake. Therefore, God Bless Our U.S. Court System... because that's all we've got to serve JUSTICE when it is *deemed* neccessary.



... 'nuff said.

Unknown said...

wow - nunaurbiz- i wish i could live in world where bad people can be reformed after a little time and maybe a hug...

see i can't live in a world like that cuz my world is one where a family member was brutely murdered- so when i go home at night i check my closets and under my bed for the bogeymen becuz they are out there - and we are helpless to do anything about it except - make sure whenever possible to use the law fully and with no bias - to keep garbage like this aktins freak in jail until the day she dies- prison is not about murderers being reformed - in the case of murderers it is about an eye for an eye

i wish for the tate family- that sharon and her baby had gotten the 2nd chance that u wish for their murderer but instead they are dead never to get a chance to feel warm sun on their skin or see the mountains or the ocean never able to experience just one more day ever again- they are dead in the ground while atkins gets to live with hope everyday that she will be "freed"

kris said...

"has failed to demonstrate genuine remorse and lacks insight and understanding of the gravity of her crimes".

I think that says it all...it's too bad she is ill but if she does not have any remorse than she should not be out.

Merlin D. Bear said...

I'm a very non-violent person by nature, however I do make notable exceptions.
This being one of 'em.
Let her rot in jail, and I quite honestly hope that despite treatment, she undergoes unspeakable daily torment for her actions on those fateful horrible nights.
And even if she develops a death bed conversion, believe me, the Universe has its own way of payback. This is only the start.

Unknown Quantity said...

Yes, she had karma coming, but let's be careful not to imply that everyone who gets brain cancer is reaping bad karma.!

Judi said...

Nun, no flames here; you're entitled to your opinion and it's respected.
That said, the death sentences of all 5 were commuted to life WITH parole, which is why their names pop up every year or 5. Prior to that, Chino had to built a death row in their womens' prison just for them. They didn't have one before these women being sent there.
In 1969, I was growing up near here and the effect it had on ever-y-one was dramatic. EVeryone was horrified and fearful. It VERY effectively ended the 60s. Sharon begged for baby Paul's life yet Susan didn't give a cr*p. She held Sharon down while Tex Watson stabbed her. She also stabbed Jay F. Sharon's wounds were to her chest, not her stomach. Tex and Susan were Manson's "executioners." Of everyone in that cult, she was the greatest sociopath and over the years has tried to work the system to get out, even filing a claim in Federal court that because of repeated refusals by the parole board to release her, she was in essence a political prisoner. That cult is suspected to have killed about 35 people in various parts of the world. She now has her death sentence, and one less leg (it was amputated). Let her rot.
If you're interested, read "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi. He was the DA who prosecuted the 5 and this book is the seminal work on these cases. Terrifying.

nursekelly said...

she deserves exactly the same mercy she gave to sharon and her unborn child...........none whatsoever. to even waste taxpayer money on a hearig is sickening. let her die in agony as she so richly deserves.

selenakyle said...

They better not even be giving her any cancer treatment. Actually, I mean that WE shouldn't be giving that cunt bitch cancer treatment.

She should have a slow, torturous death herself, much less have gotten three hots and a cot this whole time COURTESY OF US, THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS.

Ms. said...

Keep her locked up.

She's a sociopath and most likely has additional mental illness compounding the issue. I don't believe in the death penalty, but I certainly believe in life imprisonment.

Helter Skelter - I had nightmares for years after reading that book.

nunaurbiz
As for stating Susan no longer being the state's problem if she's released, that's not true. Her income will be ziltch. She'll be probably be on welfare and with zero income, she is eligible for medicade.

You're entitled to your opinion - to which I do not take offense. However, I am put off by your last comment of, "but these are my opinions and they are rooted in rationality, not emotions."
To dismiss other opinions as emotional is arrogant.

Jewels - very sorry to learn about your son. What a terrible burden you bear, yet you still manage seek out the joy in life. I really admire you for your gusto.

Ms. said...

Judi, didn't they attempt to remove the baby after they murdered Sharon?

nunaurbiz said...

classalpha: To you, justice may be revenge, but that is NOT the way the justice system is supposed to work. That's why we have courts and not lynching parties (as a rule).

Also, classalpha, many states DO let dying prisoners out. They just don't get the fanfare that this case has because they aren't high-profile. Of course, Atkins would never be freed because it's not good publicity for the politicians. They have to "look tough" on crime by making examples of high-profile criminals, nevermind that they have a double standard when it comes to others. But that's how the system "works."

Judi: Yes, I have read "Helter Skelter." About 30 years ago. Have you read anything else or are you basing everything on one work? I've read much more about the case, and that's how I formed my opinions.

FYI, for those who haven't had someone they loved murdered (and I have), exacting revenge and violence upon those who committed the act doesn't bring any closure or peace upon the survivors. And it doesn't bring the dead back. Yes, Sharon Tate, her child and let's not forget the others who were slain, died horrific deaths. But repeating the gore without considering EVERYTHING else involved doesn't change a thing but get people all worked up and emotional. Learn to grieve. I had to. Many others do, too.

Justice is not about emotions.

I'm not saying let killers free or coddle them in prison, just be level-headed. Karma works both ways, you know.

nunaurbiz said...

"Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed out; for the first wrong, it doth offend the law, but the revenge of that wrong, putteth the law out of office."
--- Francis Bacon

lutefisk said...

Jewels--- I was extremely sad to read your post. I am so sorry.

Brain Cancer is actually too good for her. I recently saw on the news that there may be more victims buried at the Manson Ranch--there will be an excavation done.

I wonder what happened to all of the kids born there....

Ms. said...

nunaurbiz
My cousin was murdered. Doesn't make my opinion any more valid than anyone else on this board.

High profile case or not, Atkins is a diagnosed sociopath and there's no cure for that.

Keeping her locked up isn't just about punishment and consequence for her actions, but because she is the same person as she was back then. Just a better actress now and much more adept at crocodile tears and emotions.

For anyone who is interested, contact me at ms.chickiepoo@gmail.com and I'll email you a fantastic article (PDF format) on sociopaths that appeared in Psychology Today a few years ago.

nunaurbiz said...

FYI:

Thirty-three states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have procedures for granting "compassionate" release to dying prisoners; the remaining states have at least one
general mechanism that patients at end of life can use to seek release.

California, with a prison population of some 150,000, grants an average of 28 compassionate releases of 78 applications received annually. New York’s 1992 Medical Parole Law resulted in a total of 215 releases in the
seven years ending in 1998.

From: Incarceration of the Terminally Ill: Current Practices in the United States (University of Hawaii)

Ms.: I never said my opinion is more valid than anyone else's because someone I loved was slain. I was just explaining that I also have that experience as well because of people who say, "If you had a loved one murdered, you wouldn't be saying what you do." I did and I still do.

nunaurbiz said...

No surprise, the board has denied her request.

nancer said...

the guv said no. so there. i didn't know this but she also has had a leg amputated and is paralyzed on her right side. she can barely speak. she won't last long, but she can spend that time right where she is. it's settled now.

nunaurbiz said...

According to the LA Times, it has cost $1.4 million for her medical care and security since March.

sassafrass said...

no, they did not attempt to cut the baby out of Sharon. There are some books you can get about the murders and trials.

lutefisk said...

Helter Skelter has the complete horrific story.

Shelly said...

Keep her in. Her sentence was for life, not until you get sick.

Wil said...

I am very liberal .. VERY. But ya know what .. **ck Susan Atkins.

This b*tch brutally murdered a pregnant woman and - but for the sake of time .. or noises .. or I forget what - didn't get to carve out Sharon's unborn fetus like she wanted to. I agree with the DA.. she has no remorse.

If it was me .. I would have off'd this broad and the others a long time ago .. Death Penalty ruled inhumane or not. I am fine with life for one murder. However ..I strongly feel .. you commit multiple murders, you revoke the right to draw breath. These people should have been removed from the planet long, long ago.

I will no put my inner Neo Con away now .. sorry if I offended anyone.

And to Jewels and MS. my deepest, deepest sympathies.

Mindy said...

I would say I'm a pretty lenient person who thinks many of the punishments doled out for certain crimes are overly harsh, but absolutely not! There are some crimes a person should spend the rest of their days paying for. What was done to Sharon Tate and her friends was unspeakable. Susan Atkins has been shown a great deal more mercy than she showed her victims. Then again, who cares what I thine? If the court system has any question whatsoever, they should allow Sharon Tate's parents to decide.

Amy in MI said...

Her lawyers still filed in court to get her released, so even though the parole board denied her she still has to be denied through there.

And I hope they aren't giving her morphine. That's too good for her.

Miss X said...

Jewels and all others who lost loved ones...my sympathy is with all of you. I am so sorry you have to live with this.

If they let her out, then chances are somebody would kill her. And life without parole is just that - no parole, no matter what. I'm not a very big fan of the death penalty but I think people like her should be put down.

Catherine said...

Jewels, my heartfelt condolences. Unfortunately, sometimes the system doesn't work. I am sorry for your loss.

In the case of Susan Atkins and her 'family', they were sentenced to death and the sentences were commuted. While they are eligible for parole, the fact that they have never shown remorse, nor demonstrated an ability to feel compassion for others only reinforces their psychopathy and shared madness. Susan Atkins claims that she has found God, salvation, redemption, and so on. If that were truly the case, her focus would be on really being prepared to accept the salvation of the Creator. She's full of shit. Sharon's murdered baby, Richard Paul, was due the same time I was born. We'd be the same age. Susan has had a life, such that it is, based on her choices. That is more compassion than she deserved, and far more than she showed to her victims.
(Jumping off soapbox w/a thud!)

Production Girl said...

I have NO sympathy for cold-blooded killers ESP when the victim was pregnant.

Crazy Bitch!


Jewels I am so sorry for your loss. I too am a mother and fear what you have gone through.

Dead Angel said...

I think all of the women who followed Charley are remorseful to some degree or another, save Sandra Goode, she's still an ardent devotee. I guess the reasoning is sound, carve an 8 month old fetus out of a woman, stay in jail.

AM said...

It costs more to try/convict/carry out death penalty cases than to imprison for life (with all the appeals and investigative work and public defenders, etc.). I don't think the death penalty is an effective crime deterrent, and I'm a registered Republican (with a definite libertarian streak). Does anyone really think Susan Atkins would've stopped because of the death penalty? I'm bringing that up in regards to Nunaurbiz's "logical" and "rational" cost-saving arguments.

If we would've let her out, as Nunaurbiz suggested, we'd still be paying for her expensive medical treatment. Does she even have any family who've maintained contact and would support her? I know it's a moot point now as they've already ruled but I'm glad she's not going anywhere for all the reasons mentioned above. I don't think she's remorseful and I did read that Sharon Tate's sister did not want her released.

Again to be "logical" about all this why should she be released? The only life she's ever really known has been behind bars. She's safer in prison than out--how many Jack Ruby's are out there? After reading the emotions expressed in these posts I think it's safe to assume there are people who feel very, very strongly about these killings and who knows what they'd do?

Give her family access to her and leave her where she is. That's best for everyone.

Midge said...

I've been reading this blog for quite some time but I joined just now only to give my feedback on this topic:

She was a cancer to society - it is most befitting that she sucumbs to cancer. Perhpas in her painful last days she can truly see herself for what she was and repay her karmic debt to her victims and to society

Moonmaid said...

A truly heinous crime - stabbing a pregnant woman to death - received a serious sentence. That she is still alive rather than executed was lucky for her. I think she should serve out her sentence, "for the rest of her natural days."

Sis said...

I have personally known Sharon Tate's sister Debra, this has been a recurring nightmare for the family since the beginning. When they were sentenced to die, it was just, and justice was served. But, when the sentences were overturned to serving life with parole made their lives a more living hell, not only did the parents have a child to mourn but also an unborn grandchild, and nephew but they get to relive all of the horrific details at each and every parole hearing every five years or so (it is not only the Tate family but the other victims families too). The "Manson Family" crimes never go away, it is always there and will be until they are all dead, and rightly so.

Oh yea, I hope she rots in prison, she has had a life the last 39 years, has Sharon and the others? No, no they have not.

Judi said...

Delighted that Atkins's request was denied.
Nun, I read news reports at the time, watched tv coverage of the trial (what a circus), read all the reports on the various dedicated web sites which have been updated over the years with additional info. There's a lot of it available. And as time goes on, these people talk, and those they talk to write books or publish using other media what they've learned.
Sandra Goode, last I read, lives near the Corcoran prison where Manson is incarcerated. Because she's an ex-con, she's not allowed to visit.
Ms., Sassafrass is correct.
Over my lifetime, there have been many close friends who met violent ends and nothing can bring them back. It's not even an issue. It's just so unbelievable and we struggle to understand. We grieve the loss; it's all that's left. My deepest condolences to all.

Murphy Brown 2020 said...

Oh, man. This post initially made me furious, and now I'm just filled with sorrow for so many of you and your various losses. Some of you are such strong, strong, people. I know that life isn't easy, but you've made me feel really grateful for the life I've had and the people I haven't yet lost. I'm so, so sorry. I truly can't imagine such grief.

Anyway. Way to be a Debbie Downer, Enty. Just kidding.

It's easy to concentrate on the most gruesome aspects of the Manson murders, but please keep in mind that Sharon Tate was one of MANY PEOPLE killed during that spree; she just happened to be utterly gorgeous, heavily pregnant, and involved with a super-famous director at the time, which lent a different kind of gravitas to her tragedy. It just seems as if you always hear this situation referred to as the Tate-LaBianca killings, when Abigail Folger and her husband were also slaughtered, as was Jay Siebring, as were several other people -- and Manson even hinted that there could have been even MORE murders. Susan Atkins is an accomplice to roughly a dozen murders, in addition to being a total murderer herself.

You know, in some indigenous cultures, things like rape and murder are sort of unheard of because if such crimes are committed, someone's uncle, brother, or father will hunt you down and promptly kill you. It's just a known fact that you will NOT get away with performing such insidious actions. I'm not saying this is proper justice, either, because I basically don't believe in the whole Eye for an Eye thing. I'm just saying that in our, ahem, advanced society, we still don't have a logical system of moral reasoning and repercussions.

And don't get me started on how few rape cases end up in favor of the victim.

It's just a sick, cruel, unjust world. Some of us are so lucky, and some of us aren't. But it doesn't mean that compassion should be extended to everybody.

Jerry said...

I do believe in forgiveness...

Susan, I forgive you. Now get your ass back in that jail cell.

Unknown Quantity said...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,383124,00.html

parisss said...

Nun- I can respect what you're saying, and I think it is sad that so much money is spent on convicted criminals for living and healthcare. It's sad, it's wrong, and it has been that way for sometime. You can take the emotion out of all of this to some extent- BUT "compassionate release" right there says it all. They wouldn't be releasing her do to an unemotional reason, it's because they'd be feeling bad for her. She'd still get state issued Medicaid if she was released (I assume, not claiming to be an expert). So to me- she received her punishment for her heinous crime. She was given a trial, she was not lynched, nor violently attacked. She needs to finish paying her debt to society. IF she would be released for "compassinate reasons"--- isn't that putting WAY more emotion into this than keeping her locked up? There are fairly clear guidelines in law. If you do something illegal, and you are caught, and found guilty- there are repurcussions and punishments. I know if I speed, I may get a ticket. I know if I kill, I may in turn, be killed and/or imprisoned for life. No emotion about it. Just my thoughts!

mooshki said...

"Yes, she had karma coming, but let's be careful not to imply that everyone who gets brain cancer is reaping bad karma.!"

Good thing to remember. The son of some friends of my parents just passed away a few months ago after 5 years of fighting a tumor. He was in his 20s and had two young children. It was pure tragedy. :(

When I wish bad karma on people, I prefer things like stepping in dog poo, or not realizing they sat in chocolate ice cream. :) (Not to make light of what she did, I just don't think you can fight evil with evil.)

Nat said...

I think she should have to stay in jail. No doubt.

CarolMR said...

Susan should remain in jail.

I'm a big Sharon Tate fan. I was in high school when she was killed and I was devastated. ENT, do you know anything about her and Jay Sebring?

lunabelle said...

I just want to say, first, that I agree she should have no mercy. Those who show no mercy should not receive any either. However, even though everyone is saying let her rot in jail, she hasn't been in jail since March. She's been in a hospital near the jail. If it's a choice between her being in a hospital at the taxpayers expense ($1.4 million for four months, that's insane) or her say, being under house arrest for the last three months of her life, I have to take pause. I don't live in CA, but if I did, I'd be pretty pissed that my money was paying for end-of-life care, more or less, for this piece of garbage. If she actually were in jail, I'd say let her there to rot, but she's not. Also, just wanted to say, the reason people are focusing specifically on Tate, I think, is that that is the murder she specifically admitted to.

nieceytee said...

Um, no.

I'll tell you what, they can release Susan Atkins when Atkins can raise Sharon Tate from the dead.

*crickets*

AND when other people, who happen to have been born with, let's say, a tan, regularly get early release because of illness when they kill someone

*crickets*

That's what I thought. Nice knowing you Atkins.

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