How a quiet glee club singer became the most notorious member of the Manson Family
In short: Susan Atkins was once a self-conscious teenager in a church choir. By 1969, she was a central figure in the Manson Family, carrying out brutal murders on the orders of Charles Manson. Her journey from a middle-class upbringing to international infamy remains one of the darkest chapters in American criminal history.
Born in 1948, Susan Atkins grew up in a middle-class California home. Following her mother's death from cancer when she was 15, her life became increasingly unstable. After leaving home, she eventually settled in San Francisco, where she met Charles Manson. He renamed her Sadie Mae Glutz and she joined his growing commune, eventually settling at Spahn Ranch.
In 1969, acting under Manson's direction, Atkins participated in a series of horrific crimes. In July, she was involved in the murder of Gary Hinman, a musician targeted for his supposed inheritance. Shortly after, she took part in the Tate-LaBianca murders, which claimed the lives of actress Sharon Tate—who was eight months pregnant—and six others over two nights in August.
Following her arrest in October 1969, Atkins initially testified against Manson before recanting. In 1971, she was sentenced to death for her role in the killings, though this was commuted to life in prison after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated capital punishment statutes in 1972. While incarcerated, Atkins became a born-again Christian and expressed remorse, distancing herself from Manson.
Atkins spent the remainder of her life in prison, becoming California's longest-serving female inmate at the time of her death. Diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008, she was denied compassionate release and died in 2009 at age 61. Her son, born in 1968, was adopted after her conviction and had no further contact with her.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Susan Atkins | Died, Charles Manson, Sharon Tate, & Son | Britannica
- Also: Susan Atkins
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/music-susan-atkins.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Musicians and composers · More in Music · Latest · A–Z · All topics
