Manson Cult Member Susan Atkins Dies

September 28, 2009 7:26 a.m. EST

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Susan Atkins, who was convicted four decades ago along with Charles Manson for the murders of actress Sharon Tate and seven other people, died late Thursday. She was 61.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Atkins died of natural causes at the Central California Women's Facility. She was under hospice care.

Atkins was convicted along with Manson, Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten in 1969 for the murder of eight people, including Tate, who was eight months pregnant. Known as Sadie Mae Glutz among members of Manson's cult, she and her three accomplices were sentenced to death in 1971 for the Tate-LaBianca massacres. Their sentences were later commuted to life in prison following state law.

A model prisoner, Atkins had applied for parole a dozen times. She was diagnosed with brain cancer on March 18, 2008, but was denied compassionate release this year.

According to the website devoted to her and put up by her husband and legal representative, James Whitehouse, "Though convicted for the Tate-Labianca murders in 1969, even the prosecuting attorney for the case claimed Susan did not have independent counsel, was deliberately prevented from putting on any defense, and was forced to lie on the witness stand."