Friday, August 10, 2012

Susan Atkins: The Shattered Myth of 'Helter Skelter'





Perhaps the most well-known of the Manson Girls, Susan Atkins died in prison on September 24, 2009 at the age of 60. Her last words before succumbing to brain cancer were: "My God is an amazing God."

God must have been on vacation when Atkins and other Manson cronies brutally murdered actress Sharon Tate and her unborn son Paul Polanski, along with Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Voityck Frykowsky, Steven Parent, Leno LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca, and Gary Hinman.

Born on May 7, 1948 in Los Angeles, the runaway teenager met Charles Manson while living in a commune in the Haight Ashbury district. Manson re-named her Sadie Mae Glutz, and helped deliver her baby after she became pregnant by one of the other "family" members. He named the child (a boy) Zezozose Zadfrack. To date, the child's whereabouts are unknown.

Sadie Mae Glutz, as she was known within the psycho circle that was the Manson Family, claimed to have found redemption through Christianity. She wrote a book: Child of Satan, Child of God which chronicled her personal tale of spiritual re-birth. A man by the name of James Whitehouse claims to have read Susan's book during a time of struggle in his own life, and felt compelled to get to know the woman who wrote it.

While incarcerated, Atkins married twice: once to an eccentric Texas millionaire, and then to Whitehouse, who later graduated from the prestigious Harvard Law School and went on to represent her in legal matters.

Atkins-Whitehouse recited religious verse at her final parole hearing. In spite of her best efforts to prove to both the parole board and society that she was remorseful, reformed, Atkins remained one of the world's most hated women until the time of her death. At a hearing to request that she be paroled in order to die in a home setting with her husband at her side, she stated: 

"I don't have to just make amends to the victims and families, I have to make amends to society. I sinned against God and everything this country stands for."

Susan's final plea for merciful freedom was denied. After her death, Whitehouse published what was to be considered Susan's explanation of what really happened in the summer of 1969 and the ensuing trial, beyond what she called "the myth of Helter Skelter." 





Susan Atkins with husband James Whitehouse
at her final parole hearing in 2009 (she was denied)



More Information...

"Her life, her accomplishments, her work with the Church, the community, and the needy, and her art."


29 comments:

  1. susan had a rough enough life before she ever met charles manson. she was a beautiful girl, throughout her life why post pictures of her dying days? Im sure any one of us wouldnt look camera worthy at the end.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Anon!

      For the record, I did not post the 2009 photo to show her in a bad light; I merely wanted to provide readers with another angle by which to view Ms. Atkins. We all know what she looked like at the height of her infamy, but I think it is important to look for every possible perspective.

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    2. She has a "rough life" bahhhh. At least she had a life. How can people defend such evil? She had it easy compared to Sharon Tate and the other victims in 69.

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  2. to clear things up, susan died at 61.she was born in san gabriel, calif. she grew up in san jose.she fled home when her mom died of cancer, and her dad abandoned the family. she drifted to san fransisco & found work as the youngest topless dancer in frisco. she also met anton levay, the head of the church of satan & danced in a witchs sabbath for him. then she met manson. the whole world knows the terrible choices she made from there. the things she did at 20 yrs of age should not define her whole life!!! First off, while she was incarcerated, her 1st husband wasnt a millionaire ! he was a fraud, a publicity hound! she married james whitehouse in 1987. he stuck with her til the end! {God Bless you, James!} finally, susans last parole hearing was not in 2000. it was in 2009, just months before her death & the crimes took place in 1969, not 1968! just clearing a few things up, cause i've read everything i could on these unfortunate crimes. i wish everyone involved chose a different path, but i know they never saw this coming, and most didnt have a different path to choose from, they were stuck in something that, unfortunately, they can never take back! God bless everyone involved in this tragedy, America was forever changed,to the familys who lost so much, you are always in my prayers,(my brother was stabbed to death & i was stabbed almost to death!)to those who deserve it, RIP. to those who dont,RIP anyway! God don t discriminate!

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    1. Thanks, Jim, for your comments and clarifications. This wasn't to be a definitive account of the crimes by any means; merely a summary. There was so much going on at that time, it would take far more than one article to cover it all, and I am admittedly no "expert" in the Manson case.

      Although I agree with much of what you wrote, I don't feel that any of those kids were "stuck." Lost, confused, and misguided for sure, but I believe they all made their own choices. I understand that most of the Manson kids came from troubled homes, but this is obviously no excuse for their actions. The backstory of Manson himself is absolutely heartbreaking, but this will not (has not) garnered him any sympathy or understanding.

      As for what Susan et al did 20 years ago continuing to define their lives and legacies... Well, given that Sharon Tate will always be known as a famous victim of violent crime, I think it's only fair that her murderers bear the associated stigma.

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    2. I read the book, Child of Satan, Child of God. I always wondered what happened to Susan. I personally look forward to meeting her someday and I am so glad she found the Lord! People are not our enemies no matter how bad they sin, the truth is Satan is our enemy and he is the one who deceived them all! The truth is Jesus himself was murdered, beaten or made fun of but He did it for us and I am glad that Satan didn't win in the end with Susan! In this life she had to pay for the crime she committed, but now she is free forever. She was probably more free in prison than some are on the outside. We don't war against people, we war against principalities and powers of the darkness of this world. We do have to reap what we sow, but there is also mercy in the end if we seek the Lord with all our heart and there will be peace, joy & love forever if we surrender to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords...Jesus Christ the son of the Living God :-)

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    3. Amen and thank you - Psalm 34:3

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  3. You're right, Kitty,it would take far more than one article to cover the whole story, and Manson doesn't deserve any sympathy at all! I imagine it doesn't take a genius to control a bunch of drug-addled teenagers who were isolated from the world at Spahn's Ranch. Theres alot of interesting stuff on this subject online. I've read everything I could find on Susan Atkins, and the others as well. Do you know if her book The Myth Of Helter Skelter is available in bookstores? I've read it online but would like a copy. And you're correct that the murderers should bear the stigma of the crime as well. Thank you for your replies. By the way, I was also Anonymous above.

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  4. I see the person Susan became....that's who she really was...beautiful.

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  5. Please, anyone of you got the other susan's book? Child Of God, Child of Satan?

    I am looking for every ebook (FREE!!!) that i could find, because i want to read a lot about her and the manson familly.

    Thanks in advance,

    Joao!
    Best regards, from Portugal.

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  15. Joao Palma from Portugal, yes, I have a copy of Susan Atkins 1977 book, Child of Satan, Child of God! I found it online years ago. Just look under her website or on amazon and you can probably find a copy, It's a good read! I've got a whole library on the Manson case, it's amazing after all these years, people are still interested!

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  16. Sure, but im looking for free versions :|

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  17. They all deserved the death penalty. Too bad it was converted. The people they killed went through he'll and to be stabbed many times means the murderers enjoyed it. Take note that although Linda was in the family, she knew right from wrong. Sharon Tate was almost ready to give birth. Can you imagine what that poor baby went through. It was a nightmare never to be forgotten because of the brutality. I had just turned 18 in July 1969 and I remember the nightmare well. May karma come back on them in the next life.

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    1. I agree. It's good to see someone on this blog actually talk about the victims. I don't feel sorry for the evil people who took the lives of an innocent woman and unborn child along with all the other Victims.

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  18. They all deserved the death penalty. Too bad it was converted. The people they killed went through he'll and to be stabbed many times means the murderers enjoyed it. Take note that although Linda was in the family, she knew right from wrong. Sharon Tate was almost ready to give birth. Can you imagine what that poor baby went through. It was a nightmare never to be forgotten because of the brutality. I had just turned 18 in July 1969 and I remember the nightmare well. May karma come back on them in the next life.

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  19. She was simply an evil con artist I'm afraid. Most people don't realise how convincing these people can be.

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  20. It all starts with what she did. How strange that when the white hot glare of the world's attention was on her she combined her utterly contemptuous matter of fact violent truthful account to an alarming effect on said world. She, even more than manson reveled in it all. Susan Atkins and Tex Watson were the hippy Bonnie and Clyde. And like their progenitors, Sadie and tex were every bit as violent, twisted, blood-thirsty and pyschopathic. Everything I've discovered about her confirms it. To think she might have been killing people before 1969 in my hometown (San Jose) scares my eight year old former self. I heard tell that Atkins was a nympho and multi-layered personality capable of violent rage in split seconds. She fucked Manson within 15 minutes of meeting him. The only decent thing about Atkins was she was honest. For whatever reason it was her confession, repeated several times, that broke the case and sealed the deal. Didn't see any of the other Manson bastards doing that. Krenwinkle was in a nunnery when she got arrested. All the usual rules and affects of crime and punishment went out the window with Atkins. Maybe because like a fool she was the only one who took "helter skelter" seriously. She did write it in blood on the walls of the Tate house.

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  21. This book really gives me some closure on what happened, it makes the most sense! it is truly a tragedy what happened for everyone,I truly feel like susan was remorseful, she been in prison for that long there is no reason to lie, I hope everybody that was involved can find peace within themselves RIP to everybody.

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