Editing Susan Atkins

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{{Quote|Look, bitch, you might as well face it right now, you're going to die, and I don't feel a thing behind it.|Atkins's response to Sharon Tate's plea to have her baby.}}

'''Susan Denise Atkins''' (May 7^th, 1948 – September 24^th, 2009) was a convicted American [[murder]]er who was a member of the "[[The Manson Family|Family]]", led by [[Charles_Manson|Charles Manson]]. Over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969, Manson and his followers carried out one of the most sadistic and gruesome killing sprees in American history. Atkins was convicted for her participation in eight of these killings, including the most notorious, the "Tate/LaBianca" murders. She was sentenced to death, which was subsequently commuted to life in prison. Atkins was the longest-incarcerated female inmate in the California penal system, having been denied parole 18 times.

During the summer of 1969, Manson and his commune at Spahn's Ranch were attracting the attention of the police, who suspected them of auto thefts and were suspicious of the high number of underage runaways. In an attempt to raise money to move away to the desert, Manson encouraged [[Illegal Drug Trade|drug dealing]]. Purportedly, a botched drug scam by Family member Charles "Tex" Watson led Manson to confront and shoot a man named Bernard "Lotsapoppa" Crowe. Manson believed he had killed Crowe, and he further believed Crowe was a Black Panther. Neither was true. Nonetheless, Manson feared retaliation from the Black Panthers and pressured his followers for more money. During this time someone suggested that Family acquaintance Gary Hinman had just inherited a large sum of money. Manson hoped Hinman could be persuaded to join the commune and contribute his purported new inheritance.

Manson sent Atkins, [[Bobby Beausoleil]], and [[Mary Brunner]] to Hinman's home on July 25, 1969. When Hinman said that he had not inherited any money, Beausoleil beat him severely. When Hinman still insisted that he had no inheritance, Manson showed up in person and swung at his head with a sword, slicing his face and severely cutting his ear. Manson directed Atkins and Brunner to stay behind and tend to Hinman's wounds. Two days later, and after a phone call from Manson, Beausoleil had Hinman sign over the registrations to his cars and then fatally stabbed him twice. Beausoleil left a bloody hand print on the wall along with the words "Political Piggy" reportedly placed there in hopes of implicating the Black Panthers. Beausoleil was arrested on August 7, 1969, when he was found asleep in one of Hinman's vehicles. He was still wearing the bloodstained clothing he wore during the crime. The murder weapon was hidden in the tire well of the car's trunk.

On the evening of August 9^th, 1969, Manson gathered Atkins, [[Linda Kasabian]], and [[Patricia Krenwinkel]] in front of Spahn's Ranch and told them to go with [[Charles "Tex" Watson]] and do as they were told.

Five people were murdered at the Beverly Hills home where [[Roman Polanski]] and Sharon Tate lived: Tate (who was eight months pregnant), Steven Parent, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger. Polanski was in Europe finishing work on a film project.

The following night, August 10^th, 1969, Manson commented that the murders at the Tate residence had been too messy and announced he'd have to take his followers out and "show them how it's done". Manson called Atkins, Krenwinkel, Watson, Linda Kasabian, [[Leslie Van Houten]], and [[Steve "Clem" Grogan]], and they left Spahn's Ranch. Driving most of the night, he eventually found the home of grocery store owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in Loz Feliz, a section of northeastern Los Angeles. Manson and Watson entered the home and tied the couple up at gunpoint, winning their compliance by convincing them they were only going to be robbed. He then went back to the car and sent Krenwinkel and Van Houten inside to do as Tex said, once again directing them to leave writings in blood, and to hitchhike back to Spahn's Ranch.

Throughout the trial, Atkins and her co-defendants attempted to disrupt proceedings and were noted for both their lack of remorse for their victims and lack of concern for their own fate. They sang Manson-penned songs while being led to the courtroom. All four defendants were sentenced to death on March 29^th, 1971.

Atkins agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for dropping the death penalty, and she then testified before the grand jury as to what had transpired on the nights of August 8^th and 9^th, 1969.

==Prison Life==

Atkins married twice while in prison. In 1981, she married Donald Lee Laisure for his money after he claimed to be a billionaire, but after finding out he lied the two divorced. She again, in 1987, to a man fifteen years her junior, James Whitehouse, a Harvard graduate, who represented Atkins at her 2000 and 2005 parole hearings. He maintained a website dedicated to her legal representation in which he spread some slander.

Prior to her 2009 parole hearing, a website maintained by Atkins' husband claimed that she was paralyzed over 85 percent of her body and unable to sit up or be transferred to a wheelchair. For the eighteenth and final time, Atkins was denied parole on September 2^nd, 2009.

She finally died on September 24^th, 2009 after a life of failed attempts to gain parole. Her last words were "Amen".

[[Category:Charismatic]]

[[Category:Mentally Ill]]

[[Category:Greedy]]