Susan Atkins Dies

Susan Atkins, the ex- Manson family member serving a life sentence in California for the infamous Tate Labianca murders died late last night after a battle with brain cancer at 61 years of age.

There was speculation that and pleas from her family for a release so Atkins could spend the final waning days of her life outside of prison, but that request was denied. Initially she and the other Manson Family members involved in those heinous 1969 murders were sentenced to death, but when the U.S Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that the death penalty was unconstitutional; her and the sentences of her fellow ‘family members’ was reduced to life in prison. And though I know this sounds cold-hearted that’s exactly where she should have been. After all a sentence of life in prison doesn’t mean ‘life in prison unless you have terminal cancer’ it means the only way you will be leaving here is in a body bag.

PHOTO: about.com