Manson Family Member Denied Parole Again
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 29, 2000 -- Former “MansonFamily” member Susan Atkins has been denied parole for the 10thtime for the murders 31 years ago of pregnant actress SharonTate and six others, a spokeswoman for the parole board saidtoday.
Atkins, 52, is serving a life sentence at the CaliforniaInstitute for Women in Frontera for the bloody rampage byCharles Manson and his followers — who stabbed to death Tate,three of her houseguests and three other people over two nightsin 1969.
Denise Schmidt, a spokeswoman for the Board of Prison Termsin Sacramento, said the board Thursday denied any possibleparole for at least four years in part because Atkins hadrefused to undergo a psychological evaluation.
“She needed a current psychological evaluation and she hadrefused to participate in it,” Schmidt said. “They recommendedshe participate in that and that she take advantage of anytherapy and self-help programs that were available.”
Schmidt said that at the hearing Atkins told the board thatshe had done everything it had asked her to do and said shedeserved parole.
Anguished Father’s Plea
Atkins and other members of the cult were convicted ofkilling Tate, the wife of film director Roman Polanski, as wellas the six others in a grisly crime spree that horrified thenation and produced one of the most sensational murder trialsof the century. Manson remains in Corcoran State Prison innorthern California.
Tate’s sister, Debra Tate, read a letter at thehearing from their father, who urged the board to deny Atkinsparole due to the horrific nature of the crime. She broke downcrying while reading the letter.
The father’s letter said: “I don’t believe there is anyoneat the hearing who saw Sharon’s house, the crime scene, as Idid — the way Miss Atkins left it. I saw everything that hasbeen described today and personally what she did to my child.… If Susan Atkins is released to be rejoined with her familywhere will our justice be?”
