The Manson Family were a group of sociopaths that terrorized LA in 1969, leaving seven people dead including pregnant actress Sharon Tate.
Susan Atkins, now 61, slowly and brutally stabbed Tate 16 times killing both her and her unborn child. She later gave a detailed description of her crime, showing no remorse.
40 years later, she is still in jail and dying from brain cancer, that has left 85% of her body paralyzed--in fact she only has a few months to live. She has been denied parole 12 times and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has previously opposed Atkins' request for compassionate release (since she's dying).
Sooo why am I blogging about this--most of us know this story. But did you know that this sociopath is MARRIED???? And not only that--she's been married for 21 YEARS to her attorney! MEANING that 20 years AFTER she committed MURDER and being sentenced to life in prison someone thought she would make a good wife!! Someone (her attorney) that knew every explicit detail of her heinous crime! Are you kidding me?? (see the happy couple below)
Oo and the article mentioned that on her WEBSITE--yes this KILLER has a website--she writes that she feels bad about what she did and she will have to live with it every day of her life... *I'm now making a shocked face*
Married?? website?? -----I AM SPEECHLESS! I mean this is just my opinion but I don't think prisoners should have the privileges of internet OR A WEDDING!?
I just cant seem to wrap my head around the fact that THE KILLER IS MARRIED-----am I bitter?? noooooo not at all!
What do you think? Show forgivness? Show mercy? Believe that she really feels 'bad'? That after all these years she can repent? Should she be given parole so she can die in the arms of her husband? Do you think they should allow prisoners to have a website and get married??
I'm dying to hear your thoughts on this!
UPDATE:
Susan Atkins was just denied parole (her 13th attempt). She attended the hearing on a hospital bed due to her condition. The court ruled against her favor and Atkins will continue her sentence--most likely till death. Here are some images of the hearing and of Sharon Tate (RIP).
Parole Hearing:
Sharon Tate (holding up a baby sweater):
* I read the article and got my images from CNN
I actually saw an interview with her and with some director that vouched for her.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I felt for her.
I mean this crime was done 40 some years ago which she served time for ever since. It was a horrible crime and during her trial not only did they show no remorse but they mocked the jury as well.
There was something about shaving their head (along with two other girls) in defiance as a publicity stunt choreographed by manson himself. They also stood once during the trial and sung a song. Creepy!
There is no denying how ridiculously cold they were about the whole thing.
BUT...they were young minds, in a revolutionary time, with a charismatic,manipulative, sociopath as a leader.
How many of us were so admant about certain beliefs and ideas at age 21 and were ready to kill and die for them, then think they were soo absurd a couple of years later? Think about this point a while. What were you willing to do for something u believed in so much in a time where outcasts were considered popular and liberal fanatic ideas were everywhere.
Now add drugs into the mix. LSD mostly, which really fucks with your mind in a psychadelic (sp?) way and has side effects well beyond the "trip".
Enter this charismatic, extremley manipulative, hip, bearded charcter that spoke crazy ideas and actually had a cult following.
All that together paints a different story of how this thing went down.
Look i'm not advocating her release at all. I dont kow the details of the case, what kind of prisoner she's been,what kind of person she is, how long has she been this remorseful, what type of good would she so when out, etc. etc.
All i'm saying is that it is not so absurd to hear her out. Even if it is again and again.
The only problem i see is that it would cause a PR fiasco. People will always be talking about how they eventually let the "manson girl" loose, and what kind of deterant of crime would that be?
Then again this woman spent her youth and whole life with all its potentials behind bars! 40 odd years in jail! cuz she had a crush on some guy who turned out to be a maniac and did what he said.
Does she deserve to feel the sun on her face one more time before she dies of cancer?
Maybe
hmmmmm I must say you really got me thinking....I do believe obviously 40 years can change how someone thinks and maybe she is a better person now--but like you mentioned I'm not sure the community would appreciate her release even in her state. Forgiveness is a hard thing to give, but I honestly believe once given a weight is lifted from your soul. But would you be able to forgive the killer of your wife and unborn child? Your daughter? Your sister? Even 40 years later?
ReplyDeleteThe other subject that I touched on is how prisons allow their inmates to have access to the web and get married and who knows how many other luxuries...? Am I being too harsh? I feel kinda bad for being so against her, since she is dying and all, but something like what she did can never be undone or repaid...and the families of the victims will never be able to recover, no matter how remorseful she is now.
I'm sorry I just cant bring myself to right this off as "she was high and had a crush".