In Memory of Susan Denise Atkins-Whitehouse
A Letter From Susan's Brother Steven
Susan had a parole hearing in 2005.
During that hearing, Susan was allowed to read a few letters from people
who supported her suitability for parole.
One of the letters she read was from her brother, Steven Atkins.
The parole hearing starts off as follows:
"Subsequent Parole Consideration Hearing
State of California
Board of Parole Hearings
In the matter of the Life Term Parole Consideration Hearing of:
SUSAN ATKINS
CDC Number: W-08304
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WOMEN'S FACILITY
CORONA, CALIFORNIA
JUNE 1, 2005
2:24 P.M."
Susan had a parole hearing in 2005.
During that hearing, Susan was allowed to read a few letters from people
who supported her suitability for parole.
One of the letters she read was from her brother, Steven Atkins.
The parole hearing starts off as follows:
"Subsequent Parole Consideration Hearing
State of California
Board of Parole Hearings
In the matter of the Life Term Parole Consideration Hearing of:
SUSAN ATKINS
CDC Number: W-08304
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA WOMEN'S FACILITY
CORONA, CALIFORNIA
JUNE 1, 2005
2:24 P.M."
The following is quoted from the transcript of this hearing.
Susan reads the letter from her brother to the Board.
These readings occurred late into the hearing.
Inmate Atkins: "This is from my brother. I am writing this letter
on behalf of my sister, Susan Atkins.
It has been 36 years since I have been able to
have a real conversation with my sister.
I can remember when we were a family and times were good.
Then our mother passed on. We were all young.
Susan was 15, I was nine and our older brother, Mike,
was 18 and went right into the service. My brother went into the Navy.
Our father ended up having to sell both houses
and all of our furniture to pay for our mother's hospital bills.
My mother's death was very hard on all of us.
Our father--Our father turned to alcohol,
which left my sister, Susan and I home alone a lot.
We were very close and become--and became dependent upon each other.
One day our father left us.
Susan was going to school and working full time to keep a roof over our head.
The landlord would not accept our rent money from Susan
as she was not of age to be my legal guardian,
which led us to look for somewhere to live.
Susan reached our brother, Mike, in the service
and even though Mike had just recently married, Mike took me in.
That left Susan alone to find--to fend for herself.
A few years later I heard Susan was in San Francisco
and that's when and where Susan met up with Charles Manson.
I was a freshman in high school a few years later
when I first heard about the Manson murders.
This made life pretty tough for my family and me.
Susan reads the letter from her brother to the Board.
These readings occurred late into the hearing.
Inmate Atkins: "This is from my brother. I am writing this letter
on behalf of my sister, Susan Atkins.
It has been 36 years since I have been able to
have a real conversation with my sister.
I can remember when we were a family and times were good.
Then our mother passed on. We were all young.
Susan was 15, I was nine and our older brother, Mike,
was 18 and went right into the service. My brother went into the Navy.
Our father ended up having to sell both houses
and all of our furniture to pay for our mother's hospital bills.
My mother's death was very hard on all of us.
Our father--Our father turned to alcohol,
which left my sister, Susan and I home alone a lot.
We were very close and become--and became dependent upon each other.
One day our father left us.
Susan was going to school and working full time to keep a roof over our head.
The landlord would not accept our rent money from Susan
as she was not of age to be my legal guardian,
which led us to look for somewhere to live.
Susan reached our brother, Mike, in the service
and even though Mike had just recently married, Mike took me in.
That left Susan alone to find--to fend for herself.
A few years later I heard Susan was in San Francisco
and that's when and where Susan met up with Charles Manson.
I was a freshman in high school a few years later
when I first heard about the Manson murders.
This made life pretty tough for my family and me.
It was hard to make and keep friends.
If their parents found out who I was,
some friends and neighbors just would not talk to us anymore.
Our whole family was on trial and eventually we lost our dad.
Some years later I met a wonderful girl
who accepted me for me, Steven Atkins and my family.
We married and started our lives together.
We now have two beautiful girls
that adore their aunt, Susan, and uncle, James.
We visit as often as we can.
When the girls were younger, they had a lot of questions.
Why can't Aunt Susan come to visit us.
Why does it take so long to visit Aunt Susan.
It was difficult trying to help the girls understand
that this is our only way to visit Aunt Susan.
Aunt Susan always helped talk with the girls
to help the girls understand why things are this way
and why we have to go and visit Aunt Susan
and why she can't come to visit us at our house.
We are hopeful and pray that Susan will be granted release, a release date.
Then our children can have a real close relationship with their aunt and uncle
as our own girls are very fond of their aunt, Susan.
Susan has been a very true inspiration to us in so many ways
by helping the girls understand all of her blessings and prayers
and bring the desire to my family to walk with the Lord.
We are a family in need of our sister
and our aunt and we wish to become
a closer family almost after 40 years.
Please grant my sister,
Susan Atkins,
a release date.
Sincerely, Steven Atkins"
The hearing adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
Susan was denied parole 4 years...
home
If their parents found out who I was,
some friends and neighbors just would not talk to us anymore.
Our whole family was on trial and eventually we lost our dad.
Some years later I met a wonderful girl
who accepted me for me, Steven Atkins and my family.
We married and started our lives together.
We now have two beautiful girls
that adore their aunt, Susan, and uncle, James.
We visit as often as we can.
When the girls were younger, they had a lot of questions.
Why can't Aunt Susan come to visit us.
Why does it take so long to visit Aunt Susan.
It was difficult trying to help the girls understand
that this is our only way to visit Aunt Susan.
Aunt Susan always helped talk with the girls
to help the girls understand why things are this way
and why we have to go and visit Aunt Susan
and why she can't come to visit us at our house.
We are hopeful and pray that Susan will be granted release, a release date.
Then our children can have a real close relationship with their aunt and uncle
as our own girls are very fond of their aunt, Susan.
Susan has been a very true inspiration to us in so many ways
by helping the girls understand all of her blessings and prayers
and bring the desire to my family to walk with the Lord.
We are a family in need of our sister
and our aunt and we wish to become
a closer family almost after 40 years.
Please grant my sister,
Susan Atkins,
a release date.
Sincerely, Steven Atkins"
The hearing adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
Susan was denied parole 4 years...
home
