Susan Atkins, Up for Parole . . . Again?

by Kathryn Casey

Time flies.

Need an example? It’s been more than a year since May 8, 2008, when I wrote a short post for WCI, spreading the news that Charles Manson groupie and convicted murderer Susan Atkins (seen with Manson in the courtroom in the photo at the left) suffers from brain cancer and was expected to die within weeks. Seems that since then Susan’s taken the lyrics to that old Bee Gees’ song to heart, and she’s Stayin’ Alive!

Please don't take this wrong. I'm not being flip, and I do understand that we're talking about life and death. But I have to ask: What’s the deal? How could someone given weeks to live still be alive more than a year later? The impression we were all given back then from those close to Atkins was that she was flat on her back and in horrible condition, waiting for the soon expected arrival of the grim reaper. Of course, at the time Atkins was asking for a compassionate release from prison, which was denied in July 2008.

Maybe some of you in the medical community can comment on whether or not this is a common turn of events with a brain tumor? As far as I know, it may be. I'm far from an expert. Yet since I write about crime all the time, I have to admit that I'm a bit of a skeptic. My first thought was: Did the folks around Atkins perhaps exaggerate the seriousness of her condition last year, to stir up sympathy and support for springing her while she still had time to live on the outside?

The irony is that a full year has lapsed, and Atkins is not only still alive but up for parole again. She was scheduled for a hearing in May, only to have it cancelled when not enough board members were available. The hearing is currently rescheduled for September 2 in Los Angeles. Her husband has said that if she's still alive, Atkins will attend, even if she has to be wheeled in on a gurney.

In the meantime, the controversy surrounding Atkins bid for release hasn't died either. Some of those who saw Atkins as a monster, the wide-eyed killer who stabbed Sharon Tate while the heavily pregnant woman begged for her life, have pointed at Atkins’ nearly four decades as a model prisoner and come out favoring her parole. Included is Manson prosecutor turned bestselling author Vincent Bugliosi, who has said Atkins deserves mercy, arguing against the stance that “just because Susan Atkins showed no mercy to her victims, we therefore are duty-bound to follow her inhumanity and show no mercy to her."

In contrast, Sharon Tate's younger sister, Debra, hasn’t changed their opinion on what should happen to Atkins and the rest of the Manson clan. "They all should live out their natural years in institutions," she's said. Why? If they are released, Tate has said, "I can't trust that they won't inspire other individuals to do similar acts."

Will Atkins cling to life long enough to make the September hearing? Who knows? Her husband described her current condition to CNN as dire. He says Atkins is barely able to speak, a leg has been amputated, much of her body is paralyzed and she has to be fed. If she does make it to September, it seems certain that this will be her last bid for freedom.

Hmmm. On second thought, are we sure about that?

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Left for Dead

by Susan Murphy-Milano

Munk Caselow Willis has been incarcerated for approximately 8,047 days. His home for 22 years--the Alabama State Prison.

One person is particular, has counted the total hours and days Willis has been in prison. It is a woman Willis and two others kidnapped, raped, beat, shot, and left for dead in an abandoned quarry.

On May 14, 1986, Susan Waller, 21, was a student at the University of Alabama while holding down a job in a clinical laboratory. That evening, her girlfriend Emily came over to her apartment. Susan answered the door. Three young men burst into the door of the dwelling, knocking both women to the floor. Armed with shot guns and knives, the men tore through the apartment room by room, like a tornado looking for anything of value.

At gunpoint, the men kidnapped Susan and Emily, taking the women across town to another location.

After hours of rape, torture and beatings, the 3 men took the women to an abandoned trash filled quarry. Both Susan and Emily were ordered by the men into the water. The young women swam as quickly as possible.

Little did either realize the next move by the men was to shoot at them like target practice as they swam for their lives.

When the bullets finally stopped and there was silence, Susan and Emily waited in the water, for what seemed like forever before swimming to the other side of the quarry. Once they reached shore, the women ran towards the bright lights up on the hill.

Suddenly, out from the darkness, the 3 men emerged. Susan and Emily begged the men for their lives, “please, please, we won’t tell anyone, just let us go.”

One of the men held a shot gun to Susan’s head. “I don’t care about you bitch.” Bang. The noise was so loud it scared one of the other gunmen and Emily was able to break away and jump back into the water and escape.

The men took Susan’s body, dragging it across the hard gravel. “The bitch aint dead”, said one of the men. "She will be" , remarked another. The men dumped Susan’s body into the water. Susan played dead, remaining conscious enough to keep her mouth out of the water.

The three men responsible have only served twenty-two years of two concurrent life terms for rape and attempted murder. Each man becomes eligible for parole every three to five years. On January 8, 2009 I must stand before the Alabama Board of Paroles and ask them to deny parole to inmate Munk Willis. “It is my belief that this violent sex offender will not be capable of conforming to minimal standards of conduct within a community; and in fact poses a grave risk to society.”

Susan Waller , Stacy Dittrich, Robin Sax and myself are asking readers to sign a petition of protest (you need only be a citizen of the U.S. for your signature to count) supporting this request to the board. As a political machine, they are influenced by public opinion, and every signature will matter. The petition is a confidential document; viewed only by Susan Waller and the acting parole board members. Your signature will never be made public.

We are enclosing a link directly to the petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/denyparole_munkcaselowwillis/index.html

On Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Susan Waller will be a guest on Justice Interrupted.

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