Animate. Inspire!: The Other Tate - A Mother's Endless Crusade for Justice

I’d wish for Doris Tate to inhabit my mother if ever I was murdered.

Those of you who know me, know of my fascination with crime, murder, and unfortunately anything doused in tragedy – I can’t help it. I don’t think it’s right but I’m amazed at all that goes wrong in the world, as well as I’m amazed by the good.

One crime story I’ve always found fascination with is Helter Skelter – the murderous cult of women and men led by Beatles-inspired nutjob Charles Manson who instructed his followers to infamously and senselessly take the life of an 8-month pregnant actress, Sharon Tate, and 3 of her friends in her home on August 9^th, 1969.

Photo Credit: Elle Frances, blogspot

The events of the crime were so brutal they shocked the world all over (primarily murderer Susan Atkins, as Sharon Tate begged for her unborn baby’s life, telling Tate “I have no mercy for you bitch” and scrawling “PIG” on Tate’s front door in Tates’ blood).

Most heartbreaking is Susan Atkins snickering account that 26-year old Sharon wailed for her mother as she died.

Like most high-profile crimes, the attention to Helter Skelter is still paid. I want to pay some of that attention to Doris Tate.

Understandably, a decade passed after the murders and Tate remained withdrawn, numb and depressed until 1982, when Doris gained knowledge that one of Sharon’s three killers managed to obtain 300 signatures supporting possible parole for herself. Outraged, Doris won the support of the National Enquirer in a campaign to oppose the prisoner’s parole and coupons were printed in the magazine for readers to sign and send to Doris. More than 350,000 signatures were collected, and parole for the murderer was denied.

The fact that one of Sharon’s murderers, even with a crime so brutal, could be eligible to petition parole caused Doris to investigate the United States corrections system and the impact that it and her daughters murder had on her family.

Again, in 1982, Doris worked tirelessly with a group to implement a law that allows the family of victims to make an impact statement during criminal sentencing or parole hearings. Tate became the first Californian to make such a statement under the new law.

“What mercy, Sir, did you show my daughter when she was begging for her life? What mercy did you show my daughter when she said give me two weeks to have my baby and then you can kill me? ... When will Sharon come up for parole?... Will these seven victims and possibly more walk out of their graves if you get paroled? You cannot be trusted.”

In 1990, Susan LaBerge, the daughter of Rosemary LaBianca – another victim of Charles Manson – began to advocate for Tex Watson and his parole, a prominent murderer in Charles Manson’s cult and one of Sharon’s killers. Tex had been behind bars for more than a decade, though he still managed to father 3 children during conjugal visits. He wanted to be free to be with his family and Susan felt this was justified.

Even in the face of grief Doris Tate is a Southern spitfire. During an interview with “Current Affair” in 1990, when asked what she would say to Susan if she were in the room right then, Doris replied with “You dumb shit! That’s what I’d probably say to her.”

“Every mother that is listening to the sound of my voice – it would be their fear that their kid would go in to a parole hearing and beg for their killers life…. You are the one that’s murdered and your kids are trying to get your murderer out!”

Throughout the years Doris was an acting member of:

Parents of Murdered Children LA, counselor

Victim Offender Reconciliation and Justice for Homicide Victims

C.O.V.E.R. Coalition on Victims Equal Rights, founder

California State Advisory Committee on Correctional Services, victims’ representative

In 1992, Doris was recognized by President George H.W. Bush as one of a Thousand Points of Light for her volunteer work as a victims advocate. She died of a brain tumor later that year, at the age of 68.

Doris worked endlessly for the rest of her life as an internationally-recognized advocate for not only the victims of Charles Manson, including Sharon, but victims of all violent crimes in America. Laws that she has helped pass still stay in effect and her work has been passed down through the remaining Tate daughter, who attends all parole hearings of Sharon’s killers and ensures they remain behind bars forever.

Although my heart breaks for Doris, my admiration for her grows in watching archived footage as, even amidst all the politics, she prioritizes her first role: mother.