The Manson Family Murders

The "Manson Family" is once again in the news with word that Susan Atkins is seeking to be released from prison due to health concerns. She has terminal brain cancer and doctors have told her she has only six months to live. It has been reported that Atkins has also had a leg amputated for reasons I do not know. She is seeking a release on "compassionate" grounds. This I find amusing since she showed absolutely no compassion for her victims. Let's look at Susan Atkins and her actions and see if she or ANY of the Manson Family deserves compassion.

This is for the younger readers who may not know about these gruesome murders:

On July 25, 1969, on orders from Charles Manson, Susan Atkins a.k.a. Sadie Mae Glutz, Bobby Beausoleil, and Mary Brunner went to the home of Gary Hinman. Why they went there is a matter of contention. Some reports say they went there to confront Hinman for a bad batch of LSD they had received from him. Other reports say that Charles Manson had heard that Hinman had inherited a large some of money and they wanted to rob him. In any event, Hinman was beaten by Beausoleil and when Hinman didn't give in to their demands, Manson should up wielding a sword and cut off Hinman's ear and slashing his face. Atkins and Brunner were order to stay behind and tend to Hinman's wounds. After two days and a phone call from Manson, Beausoleil killed Hinman. Atkins would later plead guilty to being involved in this murder. Beausoleil was arrested on August 7, 1969 while asleep in the victim's vehicle still wearing the bloody clothes from the murder almost 2 weeks earlier.

On the night of August 8, 1969 Atkins along with Patricia Krenwinkel, Linda Kasabian and Charles "Tex" Watson went to the Beverly Hills home of actress Sharon Tate and movie producer/director Roman Polanski with orders from Manson to "kill everyone there". Shortly after midnight on the morning of August 9, Atkins stabbed Sharon Tate (who was 8 ½ months pregnant at the time) to death and used her blood to write the word "PIG" on the front door. Tate was stabbed 16 times and was found with a rope around her neck that was slung over a ceiling rafter and tied to Jay Sebring's neck. Along with Sharon Tate, four other people were murdered that morning; Steven Parent was found shot to death in the front seat of his car in the driveway as he was trying to leave, Jay was shot, stabbed 7 times and kicked by Watson after Jay told Watson that Tate was pregnant and to leave her alone. Coffee heiress Abigail Folger was stabbed but managed to get out of the house before Krenwinkel caught her on the lawn stabbed her 28 times and Watson shot her. Wojciech Frykowski received the worst of all of them. He fought hard for his life against Watson and also managed to escape the house. He was also caught on the lawn, shot twice; pistol whipped and stabbed a total of 51 times.

Charles Manson thought that the murders were "too messy" and said he "would show them how it's done". The following night, August 9, Manson, Atkins, Kasabian, Watson, Leslie Van Houten and Steve "Clem" Grogan drove to North Eastern Los Angeles to the home of grocery store owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Once there, Manson and Watson tied the couple up at gun point and told them they were there to just rob them. Manson left the house, went back to the car and instructed Krenwinkel and Van Houten to "do as Tex said". Watson began stabbing Leno while Krenwinkel and Van Houten stabbed Rosemary. The two girls called for Watson to help them because Rosemary was flailing around and between the three of them, they stabbed Rosemary 41 times. Watson then returned to Leno and continued stabbing him. Krenwinkel had also stabbed him with a 14" carving fork and left it sticking out of Leno's stomach and a steak knife sticking out of his throat. He had been stabbed over a dozen times. One of the "family" members had carved the word "WAR" into his stomach. The girls then wrote the words "RISE" and "DEATH TO PIGS" on the living room wall and "HEALTER SKELTER" (Helter Skelter misspelled) on the refrigerator. All were written in the victim's blood.

With the exception of Linda Kasabian, all were tried, convicted of 1^st degree murder and sentenced to death for these murders. While she was present for both the Tate and LaBianca murders, she did not participate in the killings. The state therefore granted her immunity for her cooperation and testimony. No Manson Family members were ever executed because on February 18, 1972 the California Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty in that state was unconstitutional and all the defendants in the case had their sentences commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

This is not news but it is important to here the details once again as Susan Atkins is trying to get out of prison. She probably has the best shot at getting released because she's not going to be alive much longer and the doctors say she'll probably remain hospitalized until her death. But the question is.....should she be released?

These murders took place 39 years ago next month and while none of the players were executed, none of them have been released either. Should any of these people be allowed to walk the Earth free? After all, they were re-sentenced with the chance of parole and spending almost 40 years in jail seems like a fair sentence, doesn't it? All of them have had multiple parole hearings and all were denied.

There are going to be a million of you who say "fuck 'em; let them rot!" But before you do, let me ask a question of all of you. Please think about this before you respond. Is there a point when someone deserves a second chance even when they have committed a heinous crime such as these? We know that most of the "family" members in this case were young drugged out kids when they went on this murdering rampage. Now they are in there 50s and 60s and are not the same people they were back then. Charlie Manson is crazier than a shit house rat so let me make it clear that I'm not talking about him. He wants to stay in prison and that's fine with me.

Should we, as a society, show any of them compassion or mercy? I'm on the fence about this for many reasons. I think that these crimes were so gruesome and outrageous that I wouldn't have had a problem with their original death sentences and I'm a death penalty opponent. So how much time should they have to serve before we can say that they have paid their debt to society? I am a firm believer that people can change for the better and I also believe that none of these people (with the exception of Charlie) are no longer a danger to society. I have read A LOT about Atkins, Van Houten, Krenwinkel and Watson and from what I see; they have all turned their lives around so why not give them a second chance. What do you say? I am "sort of" just kidding.

It is my belief that all of them will die in prison and I don't think that will hurt anyone's feelings. Those seven people were tortured and killed because a madman wanted to start a race war. What possible reason should there be to allow them to breathe free air again? This is still one of the most infamous murders in United States history and will be talked about for decades to come. I want to hear you views on this case and what you think about Susan Atkins possibly being released from prison. I don't want any of them set free but that is just this man's opinion.