Sharon Tate's sister speaks out against Manson and his fiancée

Sharon Tate's sister speaks out against Manson and his fiancée
(Image credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive)

There's one person who won't be sending Charles Manson and his new bride a congratulations card: Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate.

Sharon Tate was eight months pregnant when she was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969. Since her sister's death, Debra Tate has made it her mission to keep the spotlight off of Manson and his outrageous actions. Tate said she wasn't too shocked to hear earlier this week that he plans to marry a 26-year-old woman named Afton Elaine "Star" Burton, because "it's always something with him," she told The Associated Press.

Burton apparently believes that Manson is spearheading a movement called ATWA — standing for Air, Trees, Water, and Animals — with the goal of saving the planet, something that Tate says is a "con." "It makes me wonder what is missing in her life that she would want to marry an 80-year-old man," she said. "Is she a victim? Is she mentally deranged?"

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Burton and Tate have two very separate goals: Burton told AP she wants to help exonerate Manson, while Tate wants to prevent Manson from gaining any new fans. "I don't want any more heinous actions by another family like his because of something I didn't do," Tate said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.