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| Manson follower asks to be freed from prison |
| By latimes.com |
| Published: 09/03/2009 |
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A parole board in Chowchilla, Calif., today will consider a request by Manson family member Susan Atkins, who is stricken with brain cancer, to be set free. It's the latest of several attempts by the convicted killer of Sharon Tate and others to be let out of prison. Relatives of the victims are expected to testify against her release. Atkins, 61, played a central role in the slayings of Tate and others in a two-night rampage in the Los Angeles area. She has served 37 years in prison, longer than any other woman currently a prisoner in California, officials say. Now ill with brain cancer, with one leg amputated and the other paralyzed, Atkins has only months to live, doctors have said. The petition for Atkins' release ignited debate about what mercy is appropriate, particularly considering the grisly crimes for which she was convicted. In opposing Atkins' release, some family members of the victims had to bring back painful memories. Critics have also said it is ironic that Atkins is seeking mercy given her actions back in 1969. That summer night, young followers of Charles Manson entered a Benedict Canyon mansion and murdered five people on the compound. Actress Sharon Tate, 8 1/2 months pregnant with the son of director Roman Polanski, begged one of the knife-wielding killers to spare her life. Read More. |
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