By Kathryn Casey
Guess what boys and girls. While we've all been wondering what's going on with Susan Atkins, if her brain tumor will take her life or if she'll live long enough to perhaps get out of prison on parole this September, another Manson groupie has been quietly easing her way out of prison. Enter Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, the Mansonite who held a gun on then-president Gerald Ford. Of course, the gun was empty. Zilch bullets. And her motive? Well, Squeaky says she just wanted to talk to him, and, heck, why would he listen unless she held him at gunpoint?
In all honesty, on one level, I don't have a big problem with Fromme's release. She was twenty-six at the time of the quasi-assassination attempt, she's served thirty years, and from all appearances she never intended Ford any real harm. But that's just part of the story.
On another level, Fromme is frightening. While the other Manson followers have distanced themselves from their former leader, Fromme continued to avow her loyalty to the deranged death monger. She's never, to my knowledge, recanted her devotion to Manson. For years, she didn't even ask for parole, presumably because she knew she wouldn't get it while still pledging her support to such a hated, evil figure in American crime history.
At one point, in December 1987, Fromme actually escaped from prison for a couple of days. When caught, she said she'd gone on the lam to attempt to get closer to Manson, who's serving a life sentence in California's legendary San Quentin.
I'm kind of wondering if she's now changed her mind? The articles I've seen are unclear on whether Fromme's release was a parole granted because it had to be under federal law (Fromme had a life sentence for the attack) or if Fromme, now 60, has earned parole by finally swearing off Manson, no longer talking about the man who orchestrated the murders of Sharon Tate and eight others as the second-coming.
Whatever is going on behind the scenes, Fromme's release is scheduled for August 16th, from the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, TX. It's also unclear why she's in a medical/mental health facility.
So the question is: Will this start a mass parole of the Manson followers? Probably not. My guess is that parole boards understand there's a difference between actual murder and threatening a president with an unloaded gun.
13 comments:
LOL KC, I had to laugh at your comment about it being unclear why she is in a mental health facility. Seems pretty clear to me anyway. She is a nut! Great post.
Well, it is a medical facility, too, but you're right: this woman is a nut!
Personally, I don't have a problem with any of them being paroled. They have all been in prison for decades now and in all fairness, people with just as serious, or even more serious crimes, have been paroled after serving much less time in prison. If these women were not "Mansonites" they would have been out of the system a long time ago. These women were very young when the crimes occurred and they are in their 60's now and pretty unlikely to be much of a threat to society. I really hope Van Houten gets released next. I'm rooting for her.
Great website by the way, found it from your post on Twitter.
Glad to have you here, Jan. Drop in often. And thanks for commenting. It's fun to hear different takes on subjects. Hey, that's what blogs are about, right?
I find this all so fascinated as I am about two thirds through reading Helter Skelter for the first time. Susan Atkins is the one who really scared the bejesus out of me.
She was (is) pretty scary. Look at our past posts, Fritsky. She is up for parole, but very ill.
Very interesting, I hadn't even heard of her until now.
Jan? Seriously? You would let people out that butchered other people? Who begged for the life of thier baby?
Sure, Squeaky was a nutcase, but at least she didnt make fun of a fully pregnant woman who just wanted to save her child. And was stabbed multiple times, only to be mocked by her blood on the walls calling her a pig.
Squeaky didnt butcher people, she threatened to. Those 3 horrible monsters who thought it was ok to stab away should NEVER be let out. In fact they should count themselves lucky that the DP was put down while they were sentenceed to it.
They do not deserve freedom. I dont want them as MY neighbor. Do You?
Back in the mid 80's my sister started writing to Susan Atkins, and they became corespondents. I've read those letters from her many times, and I believe she was "brainwashed". I think almost all of the young women Charles Manson had under his wings were in a similar state.
I wouldn't be displeased to have any one of the three women convicted of the Tate-LaBianca crimes as my neighbor. I don't believe they are a threat to anyone anymore.
Squeaky Fromme, on the other hand, although never convicted of murder, scares me more. She's like a loose cannon.
If I was king of the world everyone of those hags ans freaks in the cult would have been executed...
I'm glad you aren't "king of the world".
:-)
I don't care why these women were involved in these horrible crimes they should stay in prison. I'm tired of people feeling sorry for the criminals over the victims.
What mercy did they show their victims?
Susan Atkins passed away today from cancer.
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