Courtesy of Exclaim.ca The Manson "family" committed a series of murders under the direction of Charles Manson, which included the brutal murder of Sharon Tate who was 8 months pregnant at the time. image:39954:2::0

Susan Atkins, a former follower of Charles Manson and confessed killer, has been denied compassionate release by the state of California. Atkins is suffering from brain cancer and is still serving a life sentence despite testimony from relatives of Atkins to include her husband, James Whitehouse.

Whitehouse claims that Atkins is only able to put together a few sentences a day and can barely snap her fingers. Whitehouse also says that doctors have given her three months to live and that she has had her left leg amputated and the right side of her body is paralyzed.

Atkins was among other Manson cult members who were convicted of killing eight people in 1969. During a confession, Atkins said that she stabbed actress Sharon Tate while on LSD and did not stop until Tate was no longer screaming. Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski, was 8 1/2 months pregnant.

"She then tasted her blood and wrote the word 'pig' in Sharon Tate's blood at the residence, "said District Attorney Patrick Sequeira.

So far,$2 million has been spent by California taxpayers to take care of Atkins.