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Born in Houston, Texas, Tate was a housewife and mother of three daughters and had never sought a public life or career. In 1969, her eldest daughter, Sharon, was at the beginning of a film career, and married to film director Roman Polanski. Eight months pregnant with their first child, Tate and four others were murdered at the Polanski's Beverly Hills home in a case that was sensationalized throughout the world. The killers were eventually identified as Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel, acting on behalf of the leader of their group, Charles Manson. All four were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death, along with Leslie Van Houten , who had not participated in the murder of the Tate victims, but had participated in the murder of a Los Angeles couple the following night. The death sentences were overturned before they could be applied when the State of California temporarily abolished the death penalty.
For more than a decade after the murders, Tate battled depression and was withdrawn and unable to discuss her daughter's death. In 1982 she was told that Leslie Van Houten had obtained 300 signatures supporting her quest to achieve parole. Tate, who had vowed to keep her daughter's killers behind bars, mounted a public campaign against Van Houten, winning the support of the National Enquirer, which printed coupons in its magazine for people to sign and send to Doris Tate. With more than 350,000 signatures, Tate demonstrated that a considerable number of people opposed Van Houten's parole, which was denied.
Tate, a shy woman, found herself thrust into the limelight, and realizing that she could continue to work on behalf of her late daughter, gradually adapted. She appeared on various television talk shows, discussing her opinion of the corrections system and the impact her daughter's murder had had on her family. She joined the Los Angeles chapter of the "Parents of Murdered Children" organization, and while she drew support from the group, also found that she was rewarded by assuming the role of counsellor. She later became an active member of the Victim Offender Reconciliation and Justice for Homicide Victims groups. She founded COVER, the Coalition on Victim's Equal Rights, and served on the California State Advisory Committee on Correctional Services as a victims' representative.
She was part of a group that worked towards the passage of Proposition 8, the Victim's Rights Bill, which was passed in 1982. It allowed the presentation of victim impact statements during the sentencing of violent attackers. Tate became the first Californian to make such a statement after the law was passed, when she spoke at the parole hearing of one of her daughter's killers.
In 1984 she ran for the California State Assembly as an advocate for victim's rights. Though unsuccessful, she continued to campaign for changes to existing laws, and was involved in the passage of Proposition 89, which allowed the governor of the state to overturn decisions made by the Board of Prison Terms.
Tate was unflinching in her assessment of Manson, Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten, saying that their crimes were so vicious as to warrant execution. Susan Atkins, who had boasted of stabbing Tate because she was "sick of listening to her," began to change her story as she sought to obtain parole. She had embraced religion and argued that, since God had forgiven her, she did not need the forgiveness of anyone else. Denying responsibility, she changed her story to say that she had argued with Watson against killing Tate. Doris Tate, at a parole hearing, called Atkins "an excellent actress."
Giving voice to crime victims, Mrs. Tate helped to enact notable changes in legislation, and sentencing of violent criminals
I remember Sharon Tate from the movie Valley of the Dolls...a beautiful young woman...what the Manson animals did to her was especially horrific given she was 9 months pregnant...Doris Tate is reunited once again with her daughter...while Manson and his followers hopefully rot for eternity in Hell!!!
Yep I hope all those manson pigs burn in hell . Funny how they all got old and got cancer , god is punishing them if you ask me . Like my late mother used to say "what man cant take care of , God will " and in the manson case he has so far , the biggest one I want to see suffer is the head pig Charles Manson and I hope he suffers like no one else . yes sharon and her mother are dancing in heaven .
There is a youtube vid of Mrs. Tate at a parole hearing re: Charles "Tex" Tex Watson. She was an amazing, truly admirable woman who survived heartbreak and tragedy, and fought to keep Watson in prison. Watson is still trying to get out, too.
The man is a homicidal sociopath but now claims to be born again. He should have received the death penalty, it was unfortunately repealed.
There is a youtube vid of Mrs. Tate at a parole hearing re: Charles "Tex" Tex Watson. She was an amazing, truly admirable woman who survived heartbreak and tragedy, and fought to keep Watson in prison. Watson is still trying to get out, too.
The man is a homicidal sociopath but now claims to be born again. He should have received the death penalty, it was unfortunately repealed.
I saw that, too. Born again. Who knows if he is truly sincere or isn't, but not many of us care. The whole thing about redemption is for another thread, but this crime was so, so horrible.
Thanks for posting. Mrs. Tate is just so admirable, it really brought tears to my eyes hearing her comments to the parole board. God bless her, and everyone affected by these heinous senseless crimes.
I saw that, too. Born again. Who knows if he is truly sincere or isn't, but not many of us care. The whole thing about redemption is for another thread, but this crime was so, so horrible.
Drugs had a heavy influence on every member of the Manson tribe. Hard to say if anyone in prison seeking parole is sincerely born again, parole boards know this. Manson cult members will never live amoung society.
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Originally Posted by dreamofmonterey
Thanks for posting. Mrs. Tate is just so admirable, it really brought tears to my eyes hearing her comments to the parole board. God bless her, and everyone affected by these heinous senseless crimes.
A great story, an admirable woman and mother. Her hard work brought about changes for victims of violent crimes as well as victim advocacy. Thanks Dream, for bringing her work to our attention.
I saw that, too. Born again. Who knows if he is truly sincere or isn't, but not many of us care. The whole thing about redemption is for another thread, but this crime was so, so horrible.
I agree with you too. Hadn't heard much about this case but seeing what the woman went through is truly inspiring.
Watson also should never get parole imo, lately VanHouten is trying to get out, claiming she didn't stab anyone. Yet she was still present at the LaBianca murders.
The thing w/ this crime, I can understand how when you're young you're malleable and all of that, to outside forces. Drugs, too, loosen your control, inhibitions--doing things you might not do. But, I still think, you have to be cut from a different cloth to stab someone, terrorize them, kill a pregnant woman. I know Manson systematically de-programmed them and re-programmed them w/ his craziness, though. Hard call to know if anyone can be "made" a killer.
I agree. While VanHouten claims she was 'young and stupid' I just cannot get past the psychology of anyone who can sit and watch the LaBiancas being stabbed to death, and the brutality of both crimes.
Would not a person with a conscience have left the ranch at that point?...Plus the drug and brainwashing issue is not an excuse. VanHouten's psychiatrist had a few observayions about her being a sociopath, predisposed to violence, even before meeting Manson.
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