Susan Denise Atkins was an American convicted murderer who was a member of Charles Manson’s “Family”. She was known within the Manson family as Sadie Mae Glutz or Sexy Sadie.
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Atkins was convicted for her participation in eight of these killings, including the most notorious, the Tate murders in 1969. She was sentenced to death, which was subsequently commuted to life imprisonment when the California Supreme Court invalidated all death sentences issued prior to 1972.
Atkins was born in San Gabriel, California, in 1948. She had a troubled childhood, and was sexually abused by her stepfather. She dropped out of high school and became a prostitute. In 1967, she met Charles Manson and joined his “Family”.
In August 1969, Atkins and other members of the Family murdered five people at the home of Sharon Tate, the wife of film director Roman Polanski. Atkins wrote “Pig” in blood on the front door of the house. The next day, Atkins and other members of the Family murdered Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
Atkins was arrested in November 1969, and she confessed to her involvement in the murders. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.
What did Susan Atkins say to Sharon Tate?
Susan Atkins said a number of things to Sharon Tate during the Tate murders. According to her grand jury testimony, Atkins told Tate, “Woman, I have no mercy for you.” She also said, “Rise, and walk into the light.” Atkins later claimed that she was talking to herself when she said these things, but it is also possible that she said them to Tate.
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Atkins also wrote “Pig” in blood on the front door of the Tate residence. She said that she did this because she was angry at Tate’s husband, Roman Polanski, for making a movie about the Manson Family.
It is impossible to know for sure what Atkins said to Tate during the murders. However, her testimony and the other evidence in the case suggest that she was verbally abusive to Tate and that she may have threatened her life.
Is Susan Atkins still living?
Susan Atkins is not still living. She died on September 24, 2009, at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California. She was 61 years old. She had been diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008, and she had been given only a few months to live. She underwent brain surgery, but the cancer eventually spread and she died.
Atkins was incarcerated for the entirety of her adult life, and she had no assets to her name. She was also denied any form of royalties or other financial compensation for her involvement in the Manson murders. In fact, Atkins was actually in debt at the time of her death. She owed the California Department of Corrections over $100,000 in restitution for the victims of the Manson murders. This debt was eventually paid off by the state of California.
Atkins’ death marked the end of an era in American crime history. She was one of the last surviving members of the Manson Family, and her death brought to a close the story of one of the most notorious criminal cults in American history.
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