Manson follower dying of cancer refused parole after 40 years

Nearly 40 years ago, Susan Atkins was a leading character in one of the most horrific chapters in Californian history.

This week, the former follower of Charles Manson sought to end her story, by being allowed to go home. The state parole board denied her request.

Atkins, convicted in the murders of actress Sharon Tate and eight others in 1969, is dying of brain cancer and asked that she be granted compassionate release from prison. She wants to spend her final months surrounded by family and friends, not prison guards.

“Susan has served a life sentence,” Virginia Seals, Atkins’ sister-in-law, said in arguing that the state’s longest-serving female inmate be freed. “This is about her death.”

In a unanimous decision, the California Board of Parole Hearings denied the request. Her lawyer said he has filed a separate motion in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking his client’s release.

Los Angeles County prosecutor, Patrick Sequeira, said the board made the right decision. He informed Sharon Tate’s sister, Debra Tate, and two other family members of the victims.

“They are both relieved and pleased with the decision,” Sequeira said. “It obviously doesn’t take away the pain for them.”

Through 90 minutes of testimony in a packed hearing room, the two sides of California justice played out against the backdrop of one of the nation’s most infamous crimes.

Atkins has been serving her punishment for the murder, but did she — a 60-year-old woman who has spent nearly her entire adult life in prison — deserve a brief, final show of compassion from the state?

Prosecutors and surviving members of the victims’ families were emphatic that she did not.

Anthony Di Maria, the nephew of Jay Sebring, who was killed along with Tate, said the families were left with scars that have never healed.

“Ms Atkins can die with dignity,” Di Maria told the parole board. “You’ll hear nothing from the nine people in their graves who died horrendous deaths at the hands of Susan Atkins.”

Atkins, Manson and two other cult members, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, were tried for the August 1969 cult killings of Tate, Sebring, Voytek Frykowski, Abigail Folger and Steven Parent, as well as Leno and Rosemary La Bianca a night later. Tate, the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, was 8½ months pregnant.

The Manson cult also was involved in another murder a week earlier. Manson and the two other women remain in state prison.

Atkins was the one who stabbed Tate to death, saying she killed her to silence the actress’s pleas to spare her unborn baby. After the slaying, Atkins tasted Tate’s blood and used it to write the word “Pig” on the victim’s door. She claimed she was on LSD at the time of the murders, but did not apologise until years later.

Atkins’ doctors and officials at the women’s prison in Corona made the request for her compassionate release in March because of her deteriorating health.