Susan Atkins One of the most brutal murderers of the 20th century, a follower of the American maniac Charles Manson Date of Birth: 07.05.1948 Country: USA

Susan Atkins: Biography of a Notorious Murderer

Susan Denise Atkins, born on May 7, 1948, was an American convicted murderer and a member of the "Manson Family," led by the infamous serial killer Charles Manson. Manson and his followers committed nine murders in four different locations in California over a five-week period in the summer of 1969. Atkins, known in the family as Sadie Mae Glutz, confessed to her participation in eight of these murders, including the infamous "Tate/LaBianca" killings.

Atkins was born in San Gabriel, California, and was the middle child of three. Her parents, Edward John Atkins and Janet Atkins, were alcoholics, according to her own words. Susan's mother passed away from cancer in 1963, and the following three years of her life were marked by constant moving and family discord, eventually leading her to leave home in an attempt to find independence.

Atkins and her family lived in San Jose, California, where she celebrated her thirteenth birthday. Those who knew her at the time remember her as a quiet and introverted girl. She was involved in the school choir and sang in the church choir after school. Two weeks before her mother's final hospitalization, Atkins pleaded with choir members to sing Christmas carols outside her mother's window. After Janet Atkins' death, the care of the children was left to relatives. According to various sources, the family circumstances led Susan's father to continue drinking and wander around the country in search of odd jobs, resulting in frequent changes of homes and schools for the children.

In the end, Edward Atkins arrived with his family in Los Banos, California, where he found work on the construction of the San Luis Dam, leaving Susan and her younger brother, Steven, to fend for themselves. Susan found work to support herself and her brother. Her academic performance in school in San Jose was average, but her grades dropped significantly in Los Banos. Various distant relatives took care of Susan and Steven during this time. Susan's older brother, Michael, had already left the family and joined the navy.

Susan ultimately dropped out of school at eighteen and moved to San Francisco, where she worked as a secretary, office clerk, and topless dancer to make a living. During her time as a stripper, Atkins met Anton Szandor LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, who hired her to play a vampire in a theatrical production. It was during this time that she also began to have legal troubles. In 1966, Atkins was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and receiving stolen goods.

In 1967, Susan met Charles Manson, who was playing the guitar in the house where Atkins was living with friends. When the house was raided by the police a few weeks later, and Susan lost her place to stay, Manson invited her to join his group, which he was assembling for a summer trip in a black-painted school bus. Atkins was given the pseudonym Sadie Mae Glutz and later claimed to consider Manson as Jesus. The growing Manson Family eventually settled in a ranch in San Fernando, Southern California.

On October 7, 1968, Atkins gave birth to a son at the ranch, whom Manson named Zezozous Zadfrack Glutz. After Susan's arrest, her parental rights were revoked, and the child was given a new name and put up for adoption.

One of the most horrifying murders Atkins participated in was the killing of Sharon Tate and the LaBianca couple. On August 8, 1969, Manson sent some members of the group, including Charles Watson, on a mission of murder and robbery. The first attack took place in Beverly Hills at the home of the famous director Roman Polanski. Polanski's wife, Sharon, who was eight months pregnant, and four of their friends were brutally killed by Atkins and her accomplices. Before leaving, Susan wrote the word "PIG" on the front door with the victims' blood. Manson was displeased with the actions of his followers, deeming them too careless, and decided to personally demonstrate the proper way to commit murder. Victimizing Leno LaBianca, the owner of a grocery store, and his wife, Rosemary, Manson and Watson bound the couple, claiming that they only intended to rob them. Manson left the scene and sent his helpers to carry out the killings. On the same day, the group went hunting for an actor named Saladin Nader, who lived somewhere in the vicinity, but Atkins and her friends failed to accomplish this task.

When the "Manson Family" was arrested, Susan confessed to participating in eight murders. She was initially sentenced to death, but her sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. Atkins spent forty years and one week in prison in California until her death from cancer. She applied for parole eighteen times and was denied each time. Susan holds the record for the longest-serving female inmate in the history of the California penal system.