One of Charlie Manson's loyal followers, Susan Atkins, then and now. photo/franrose
Friday night's Larry King Live was a show about Charles Manson (40th anniversary of the Tate/LaBianca.)
Linda Kasabian and Vincent Bugliosi
King had a very rare interview with Linda Kasabian. Kasabian was granted immunity for her testimony which was key in getting a guilty verdict for Charles Manson and his so-called family members.
Also interviewed are Vincent Bugliosi, the district attorney who successfully prosecuted the Manson clan, and who also wrote the definitive book on Manson, Helter Skelter. And Debra Tate, Sharon's sister, the last of her family. She still fights to keep all "The Family", behind bars.
The interview of Kasabian with Bugliosi were obviously pre-taped, as were the interview with Chris Brown. So much for "Live" in the title of the show. Kasabian was also disguised and filmed in very low light.
King did ask the tough questions. What happened that night? Kasabian went through how Charlie told her to get a change of clothing, a knife and her driver's license. She was the only Manson member who had a license.
Kasabian claims that she had no idea they were on their way to kill any body. She thought it was another "creepy crawly" mission. (Manson would take followers into large homes in Beverly Hills and Bel Aire. They would creep around the house late at night, move furniture around, etc. Can you imagine there are people out there somewhere whose house was entered by Manson and they didn't even know it.)
Linda claims she didn't know they were going to kill anyone until Tex Watson shot Steven Parent, the first victim of the night. She was told to stand watch. Technically, she didn't kill anyone.
As she stood watch, she heard screaming (that she can hear to this day, if she allows herself to go there.) She ran toward the house just in time to see Voytek Frykowski chased onto the lawn by Tex Watson. Sadie Mae Glutz , (Susan Atkins.) Kasabian yelled for Sadie to "make it stop," Sadie said "she couldn't, it was too late."
King asked Kasabian why she didn't call the police. Kasabian thought about calling the police, but thought about her young daughter who was still at the ranch (although she later left the ranch and left the child behind,) and she also claimed in the 60s hippies didn't trust the police.
That lead to a very important question. If she was so upset by the first murders, why did she go the next night to the Labianca house? Kasabian did a bit of tap dancing. Vincent Bugliosi had a tendency to protect or defend Linda every chance he got. Telling King several times that he couldn't have won the case without her. Also, encouraging her to tell this story, or that story.
On the night of the Labianca killings, Manson actually went into the house first and set things up, tying up the Labiancas telling them they were just going to rob them, they would be ok. He left before the murders and hitchhiked back to the ranch. At least that is the story that has always been told.
Linda reveals that Manson wanted her to kill someone, she claims she wouldn't/couldn't do it.
As mentioned above, Kasabian did end up leaving the ranch, leaving her 18 month old child behind. She escaped to New Mexico, to her husband. He apparently wanted nothing to do with her.
When Kasabian found out there was a warrant out for her arrest, she turned herself in and didn't fight extradition. She claims she knew she had to go back to testify, but didn't ask for anything in return.
When King asked her why Manson didn't kill anyone himself (although there are murders that Bugliosi though he committed but coudn't prove it in court,) she said, with Bugliosi's help, that it was so that Manson would be immune to any prosecution if they were caught. This might have happened if Kasabian didn't testify.
During her testimony Linda had to look at Manson, and he look angry. Linda now lives in an undisclosed city, having raised four children. She has tried to live a normal life.
Debra Tate, Sharon Tate's sister.
Debra Tate comes off as a bitter person, and has every right to be. She does say the right things about not hating Manson, saying "I can't bring myself to hate anybody." I found her much more angry than she wanted to let on.
The Tate family found out about Sharon's death via a phone call. They were told that Sharon had died in a fire. It took several phone calls to fire departments and then to police departments before she finally get to the LAPD and was told the truth about the murders.
Debra was actually suppose to be at the house that night. However, the person that was suppose to drive her had an accident and he brought two men with him to help him walk. Debra called Sharon and they decided she wouldn't go to the house as Sharon didn't feel like having strangers in the house. She was due to have her baby any time and didn't feel like putting on make-up and getting dressed.
Debra now works tirelessly as did her late father to keep the Manson clan inside jail. She went to the hearing that was to decide if terminally ill, Susan Atkins would be granted a compassionate release from prison. She was denied the release, but this hearing isn't the last word, she could still be released. The film clip of her shows an old woman, who has had her leg amputated, who has terminal brain cancer and laid on a gurney during the hearing. She looking nothing like the defiant little spit-fire that was once a mindless follower of Charles Manson.
When asked about Susan Atkins, Debra said she didn't really believe that Atkins was terminal. That regardless, she should stay in jail.
Debra also believes that Kasabian should have been prosecuted, that Bugliosi should have tried every one of the family and took his chances. She thinks he could of made the case without Kasabians testimony.
At the end of the show King told Debra that he had interviewed Sharon two weeks before her murder.
On a side note...The interview with Chris Brown will be re-run over the weekend.
Larry King Live runs Monday through Friday 6pm pst 7pm mountain time and 9pm est.
Comments
TK, hope you are doing well! I watched about 30 secs of this the other night... unwatchablee mousy (unwatchably mousee?).
Have a nice holiday weekend :)
I wish Susan would just die! I'm sick of paying for these animals in prison. No mercy for you, you butchered a baby for Christ sake!
I'm sick of hearing about this. Charles "Tex" Watson butchered Sharon Tate while Susan Atkins restrained her. He pumped 4 bullets into Steve Parent, before he entered the house. He woke up Voytek and said "I am the Devil and I am here to do the Devil's business. I wish Atkins would die all ready. Who cares where she is when it happens. I just wish she would put herself and the rest of us (including that sniveling lawyer/husband of hers) out of the misery she has caused everyone.
Susan Atkins deserves to leave this planet and go where she belongs. In HELL with her master SATAN. Burn in hell WITCH!
I just want to make a comment about how this is a good article, but could someone PLEASE proofread, and/or use Spellcheck before these things get posted?!? There are SOO many typos it's distracting! EX: "...before she finally get to the LAPD...Debra was actually suppose(d) to be at the house that night...She thinks he could of (are you KIDDING me?!? It's "could have," not "could of") made the case." Grammar school grammar, folks. UGH. Otherwise, GO DEBRA!! These people never showed their victims any mercy, why should they be shown mercy?
Your hearts of full of hate. It's sickening!!!!
Susan Atkins helped to buthcer eight innocent people including Sharon Tate's unborn child! If she has reformed, that is between her and God. As for the justice system, she and the rest of the "family" are right where they belong..jail.
Linda is named Linda ChioChios and she lives in Washington State - just use Zabasearch.
Try to imagine being in Debra Tate's shoes...hearing at age 17 that this horrific crime happened to a member of your family, that every few years you would have to show up at a parole hearing and put yourself through the emotional trauma of fighting to keep these inhuman life forms behind bars, and finally face the fact that you would never be able to lead a normal life. Debra's parents and two sisters went to their graves fighting to maintain justice for Sharon.
There was a special on the History Channel recently featuring a new interview with Linda Kasabian. I doubt this woman has had a decent night's sleep in 40 years. Anyone who thinks she should have served time should see this interview...she has "served time" already.
As for compassion for Susan Atkins given her current situation, I would ask her to revisit her compassionate response to Sharon Tate when she begged for her own life and that of her child, "to get ready to die bitch and I don't feel a thing about it."
I am only 31; these crimes took place 8 years before I was born. But, I have followed news media to a large extent about these horrific crimes in American history. I agree that there should be no leniancy in the case of Susan Atkins. Based on all historical footage of the trial and its precedings, I have always felt, that in that moment, aside from Manson, she was the most dangerous and vicious of the accused. But, by a natural twist of fate, she has been served her death sentence, of which, she was initially to receive. She will likely die of her cancer. The death penalty will be carried out, in this case, in the debilitating and agonizing form of terminal cancer. Sharon Tate's killer has now paid for her crime. In this case, it doesn't matter if she dies at home or in prison. I will add, why couldn't this form of death be faced by the true perpetrator, Charles Manson?
Linda....dear sweet Linda, I was alive at the time you were a cold bloded murderer, not even for the excuses so commonly given, just for fun I hope your life so far has been good, one day you will die...and then it will not be good, just imagine, I can and enjoy every minute of your pain, you are a sick twisted (edited by the host), along with that dwarf charlie...may you burn in hell....
Sterling
the whole manson family should have been taken out and thrown into a pile and burned alive with gasoline! and let the 'bleeding hearts watch' maybe then they would have a mild sense of what cruelty they inflicted on others and their loved ones.that kasabian bitch ' is quite an actress,to say the least.they are nearly all claiming to be 'christians now right? then its no problem if they are executed because they will forgive us wont they?
There has been lots of lives effected by this, more lives than you will ever know. Linda was a victim herself in this situation wrong place wrong time .. she was and is not a killer by any means she did the right thing and I am very proud of her.
The did it because they had because they wanted to and more frightening because they liked it they enjoyed they litteraly enjoyed it they didn't want to stop. Charles Manson definetly enjoyed it it dosen't matter what people say he is a serial killer who agrees ?
The Manson Family needs to go to Hell, where they belong. So, the rest of Sharon Tate's family can finally have peace.
I want to know why, it's all right for Charlie to write letters to Debra Tate. While, he's in prison. I've never heard of that before. That's bull shit. What the hell was wrong with those kids, anyways/ They threw their whole lives away. They should have called the police instead. And turned Charlie in. They deserve to burn in Hell.
Another questions that is begging to be answered is 'who was Charlie calling on the cell phone the prison guards found him with'? Scary Stuff. I believe he got several months added to his sentence.
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