Susan Atkins 1985 Interview Part 1

Susan Denise Atkins (born May 7, 1948) is an American who has been imprisoned in the State of California in punishment for her conviction along with Charles Manson and several others for a series of murders often called the "Manson murders", among which the most notorious are the "Tate/LaBianca" murders. In the space of five weeks in the summer of 1969, nine people were murdered at four locations. She was convicted of involvement in eight of these killings. Atkins's sentence is seven years to life (she is eligible to apply for release on parole). She has been incarcerated since October 1, 1969, longer than any other woman in California history.[1]

Atkins has claimed over the years that her participation in the crimes led by Charles Manson was passive and that she didn't actually kill anyone. However, in her own statements regarding the crimes, she says that she fought with Voytek Frykowski and stabbed him in the legs and held Sharon Tate down while Tex Watson stabbed her.