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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Community Comment

Question: When is it OVER?

Good evening, Netizens...

Here's one for you to consider. Susan Atkins, a follower of Charles Manson who stabbed pregnant actress Sharon Tate to death nearly 40 years ago but is dying of brain cancer in a California prison was denied compassionate release Tuesday. The California Board of Parole released its unanimous decision on the release of Atkins hours after a 90-minute hearing, during which it heard impassioned pleas from both sides.

Atkins' doctors and officials at the women's prison in Corona made the request in March because of her deteriorating health. She also has had her left leg amputated and is paralyzed on her right side. Aw, poor baby. You wonder why I am being so sarcastic?

Arkins has been at the California Institution for Women for 37 years, where she has been held longer than any other female inmate in state history. She was transferred to the prison hospital in March of this year. Atkins, 60, has been denied parole 6 times.

Shall I recall the crime for which she is incarcerated? Sharon Tate was 8 and one-half months pregnant at the time of her gruesome murder, and pleaded with Atkins to spare her unborn baby in the last minutes of her life. Atkins then wrote the word PIG on the wall in Tate's blood. On the witness standing during the Manson trials, Atkins recounted her role, claiming she was on LSD at the time but did not apologize for the crime until a parole hearing years later. The murder of Tate was one of the most gruesome crime scenes imaginable, according to Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted the Manson family for the murders, and went on to write several books about it.

I attended most of the trial, and furthermore, did not pretend to be surprised that Manson was responsible for the Tate-La Bianca murders. He was one crazy man.

So, would you grant Susan Atkins compassionate release? Under what terms would you even consider releasing her to die a death with dignity?

Dave



Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.