When Manson Family follower Susan Atkins was sentenced to life imprisonment for her role in the brutal 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, most observers assumed her world outside prison walls had vanished forever. Yet during her four decades behind bars, Atkins married twice. Her relationships with Donald Lee Laisure and James Whitehouse remain among the most bizarre chapters of her imprisonment, shedding light on the strange phenomenon of prison romances and hybristophilia.
Neither marriage followed a conventional path. Atkins met both men through correspondence after her conviction, drawing intense public fascination. Understanding who these men were, why they pursued a notorious killer, and how these relationships unfolded reveals a darker side of prison subculture and media sensationalism.
Who Was Susan Atkins?
Before exploring her marriages, it's vital to understand the gravity of her crimes. Susan Atkins, nicknamed "Sadie Mae Glutz" by Charles Manson, was one of the most active participants in the Manson Family murders. She confessed to her cellmates while awaiting trial for the stabbing of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and musician Gary Hinman.
Atkins received a death sentence in 1971, which automatically commuted to life imprisonment when California temporarily abolished capital punishment in 1972. She spent nearly 38 years at the California Institute for Women in Frontera, California, until her death from brain cancer in 2009. Locked away from society, she still received hundreds of letters from admirers, pen pals, and curiosity-seekers, setting the stage for two improbable wedding ceremonies inside maximum-security facilities.
First Husband: Donald Lee Laisure (1981)
Atkins married her first husband, Donald Lee Laisure, on September 2, 1981, in a private prison ceremony. Laisure was a colorful, eccentric figure who quickly became a magnet for sensational headlines.
The Self-Claimed Millionaire
Laisure presented himself as an oil-rich Texan tycoon with immense wealth and international connections. He claimed Atkins was his 36th wife, a staggering statistic that raised immediate red flags among prison officials and journalists. He arrived for the prison wedding wearing a coral-colored leisure suit and a cowboy hat, while Atkins wore a custom deep teal-blue satin gown that Laisure reportedly designed himself.
During interviews, Laisure insisted on Atkins' total innocence, claiming divine intervention would soon secure her release. He even told reporters that his good friend Fidel Castro had sent them wedding well-wishes—a claim that highlighted his penchant for grand fabrication.
The Rapid Dissolution
The union didn't last. Cracks appeared almost immediately as journalists investigated Laisure's background and found his multi-millionaire status was entirely fictitious. He had served a brief stint in the military and worked ordinary jobs, far from the oil magnate image he projected.
Worse for Atkins, Laisure made no secret of his desire to continue marrying other women. By early 1982, less than a year after exchanging vows, the couple divorced. Atkins later acknowledged to prison staff that marrying Laisure was a major lapse in judgment born of isolation and naivety. She retreated from correspondence for several years following the failed marriage.
Second Husband: James Whitehouse (1987)
Six years after her first divorce, Atkins found love a second time under drastically different circumstances. In 1987, she married James Whitehouse, a man 15 years her junior.
A Harvard Law Graduate
Unlike Laisure, Whitehouse brought professional credentials to the relationship. He was a Harvard Law School graduate who eventually became part of Atkins' legal defense team, representing her during successive parole hearings.
The two developed a deep intellectual and emotional connection through years of professional and personal interaction. Whitehouse maintained a low public profile compared to Laisure, avoiding the circus-like media appearances that characterized Atkins' first wedding. Their marriage endured for over two decades, lasting until Atkins passed away in prison in 2009.
Advocacy Until the End
As Atkins' health deteriorated due to terminal brain cancer in her final years, Whitehouse became her most vocal advocate. In 2008 and 2009, he appealed passionately to the California Board of Parole Hearings for a compassionate release, pointing out that she was paralyzed across much of her body and no longer posed any threat to society.
He told the board that he had promised to take care of her when they married and wished to care for her outside prison walls. The state repeatedly denied the requests, arguing that the gravity of her crimes outweighed her declining medical condition. Whitehouse remained by her side until her final breath, later telling reporters that her last whispered word before dying was "Amen."
The Psychology Behind Inmate Marriages
Marriages between notorious inmates and outside partners frequently baffle the public. Psychologists and criminologists study these dynamics through several distinct lenses:
- Hybristophilia: A paraphilia where individuals experience sexual or romantic arousal toward people who have committed atrocious crimes, such as murder or serial assault.
- The Savior Complex: Partners often convince themselves that they can reform, understand, or heal a broken criminal, believing they hold a unique place in the inmate's heart.
- Controlled Access: Prison relationships offer a controlled environment where a partner can experience intimacy, drama, and emotional attachment without the demands and compromises of a standard day-to-day relationship.
- Notoriety and Attention: Some partners are drawn to the spotlight that comes with high-profile criminal cases, trading ordinary anonymity for media coverage.
Common Mistakes When Researching Prison Marriages
When exploring true crime history, readers and casual researchers often fall into a few conceptual traps regarding cases like Susan Atkins.
- Assuming Equal Motives: Conflating Donald Laisure’s eccentric, media-hungry posturing with James Whitehouse’s quiet, long-term devotion ignores the vastly different nature of the two relationships.
- Overlooking Legal Realities: Believing that marrying an inmate grants automatic visitation rights or special privileges beyond standard prison regulations; correctional facilities enforce strict oversight regardless of marital status.
- Ignoring Parole Dynamics: Assuming a spouse can easily influence a parole board. In Atkins' case, despite Whitehouse's legal background and passionate pleas, her parole petitions were consistently denied due to the severity of the Manson Family murders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Susan Atkins have any children?
Yes. While living at Spahn Ranch with the Manson Family, Atkins gave birth to a son named Zezozose Zadfrack Glutz in October 1968. Following her arrest and conviction in 1969, her parental rights were terminated. Her son was adopted by another family, given a new name, and Atkins never had contact with him again.
Why was Susan Atkins denied compassionate release?
Even though James Whitehouse presented medical documentation proving Atkins was paralyzed and terminally ill with brain cancer, the California Board of Parole Hearings denied her release. The board ruled that her crimes—specifically her role in the torture and murder of multiple victims—remained too heinous to warrant clemency.
Did Susan Atkins ever express remorse?
In later decades, Atkins expressed remorse for her actions during various parole hearings and in her autobiography, Child of Satan, Child of God. She claimed that Charles Manson had exerted a cult-like psychological grip over her when she was a vulnerable young woman, though prosecutors and victims' families consistently argued her remorse was insufficient compared to the brutality of the crimes.
How long was Susan Atkins in prison?
Atkins entered custody following her arrest in late 1969 and remained incarcerated until her death on September 24, 2009. Her imprisonment spanned nearly 38 years, making her one of the longest-serving female inmates in California history.
