Susan Atkins
| Susan Atkins | |
|---|---|
Susan Atkins mug shot in 2001
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| Born |
Susan Denise Atkins May 7, 1948 San Gabriel, California |
| Died | September 24, 2009 (aged 61) Chowchilla, California |
| Cause of death | Brain cancer |
| Other names | Sadie Mae Glutz |
| Criminal penalty | Death; commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court overturned the death penalty |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Spouse(s) | Donald Lee Laisure (1981–1982) James Whitehouse (1987–2009, her death) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parent(s) | Edward John Atkins (deceased) Jeanette (nee Jett; deceased) |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
Susan Denise Atkins (May 7, 1948 – September 24, 2009) was a convicted American murderer who was a member of Charles Manson's "Family". Manson and his followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in California, over a period of five weeks in the summer of 1969. Known within the Manson family as Sadie Mae Glutz or Sexy Sadie, 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 incarcerated from October 1, 1969, until her death – a period exactly one week short of 40 years. At the time of her death, Atkins was California's longest-serving female inmate.
Born in San Gabriel, California, the second of three children, Susan Atkins grew up in northern California. According to her, both her parents, Edward John and Jeanette, were alcoholics. Her mother died of cancer in 1963. Over the next three years, Susan's life was disrupted by the gradual breakup of her family, frequent relocations, and her leaving home to live independently. Until she was 13 years old Atkins and her family lived in a middle-class home in the Cambrian Park area of San Jose, California. She was described by those who knew her as a quiet, self-conscious girl who belonged to her school's glee club and the local church choir. Two weeks before her mother was hospitalized for the final time, Susan arranged for members of the church choir to sing Christmas carols under her bedroom window. After Jeanette Atkins' death, relatives were asked to help look after Susan and her two brothers.
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