Murderer, Cult Leader Charles Manson to Marry in Prison
GRACE: Cult leader Charles Manson hits the headlines again over three decades after a murder spree that shocks the nation, including the murder of actress Sharon Tate. Tonight, the Sharon Tate family is furious mass murderer Charles Manson set to wed behind bars to a 26-year-old woman, a Manson groupie look-alike. And jail policy, he will get to kiss the bride.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am Charles Manson`s wife. Charles is not innocent because he sought out to influence others.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Killing spree that left seven people dead, including actress Sharon Tate.</s>MANSON: Do I look like I have remorse or fear about anything?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate to see any young person get sucked into this.</s>MANSON: Well, you see, I live in the underworld. You live in the overworld. I do a lot of things underworld that you guys don`t see.</s>GRACE: OK, the bride, Afton Elaine Burton, was raised in St. Louis by very devout religious parents, Baptists, I believe, and she was always a good girl until, apparently, she began experimenting with mushrooms and marijuana. Well, they did what any good parent would do and locked her in her room. Well, around age 16, she apparently got ahold of some writings of Charles Manson`s in which he espouses "ATWA" -- air, trees, water and animals. And she, a few years later, taken with his writings, knew what she had to do. She packed up her bags and moved to the maximum security facility that houses Charles Manson. Joining me right now, Alisa Statman, author of "Restless Souls," who has literally written the book on Charles Manson. OK, Alisa, when so many people want to get married and they can`t, why is Charles Manson allowed to get married? Not only that, kiss the bride? I`m not even going to discuss the possibility of tongue, all right? Why? Why is this being allowed?</s>ALISA STATMAN, AUTHOR, "RESTLESS SOULS": You know, because it is a law in California, you know, and until we change those laws, these people, these killers are allowed to get married. These laws were set up to help the less heinous killers readjust and to give them a reward system. You know, Charles Manson was sentenced to death 45 years ago. Sure, his -- his sentence was commuted to life, but that`s all he should have the right to, to live, plain and simple, not to get married. And let`s remember, he`s not the first Manson family member to get married. We had Susan Atkins who got married twice, we had Charles "Tex" Watson who got married and was allowed to have conjugal visits, and they had four children out of those conjugal visits.</s>GRACE: Yes, I appreciate that, Alisa, but right now I`m talking about Charles Manson, the ring leader. The head of the organization that ended up murdering, mass murdering. With me right now is Vincent Bugliosi who prosecuted Charles Manson, author of "Helter-Skelter." Vincent, it is an honor to have you with us and I would like your reaction to Manson being allowed to marry a 26-year-old behind bars and kiss the bride.</s>VINCENT BUGLIOSI, PROSECUTED CHARLES MANSON, "HELTER-SKELTER" AUTHOR: Nancy, I`m honored to be back on your show with you. Of course like most people I`m disgusted by the upcoming marriage. It`s one more assault in the Manson case, on the whole notion of justice, and who knows more about justice than you, Nancy. And I`m sure you agree that Manson has not been brought to true justice. He was convicted of nine murders, may have been responsible for 35. And instead of getting the death penalty which he deserved and would have been true justice, he had his death penalty, as you`ve indicated earlier, set aside by the U.S. Supreme Court. And since then for over 40 years he`s been fed three meals a day, gotten free medical care, recorded two musical albums behind bars, has books to read and gets more mail, according to the "L.A. Times" than any other inmate in U.S. prison, the U.S. prison system. And now this. Now I said this was an assault upon the notion of justice. It`s also a terrible assault upon the feelings and sensibilities of the survivors of the victims who undoubtedly have had nightmares throughout their lives over what happened to their loved ones. I remember Sharon Tate`s wonderful mother, Doris, telling me, I live every day with Sharon`s screams and her begging for the life of her baby. Doris is gone now, but plenty of relatives still survive and this outrageous marriage just pours salt on their already deep wounds. It`s a travesty, Nancy.