Manson marriage license set to expire without wedding
80-year-old convicted mass murderer misses chance to wed 26-year-old woman
A marriage license issued to 80-year-old convicted mass murderer Charles Manson and a 26-year-old woman will expire this week without the couple having actually tied the knot.
Manson and Elaine "Star" Burton received a marriage license this past November, giving them permission to hold a ceremony inside a visiting room at California State Prison, Corcoran.
However, the license expires Thursday. Since inmate weddings at the prison are only held on Saturday and Sunday, during visiting hours, Manson and Burton have missed their chance to take the plunge.
"A Manson wedding did not take place," Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the Los Angeles Times Monday.
If the wedding is ever going to happen, the couple must register for a new Kings County marriage license.
Burton, who says she loves Manson, left her home In Illinois and has spent the last nine years living near the Central California prison.
Manson was convicted of killing seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski.
Burton, who maintains websites espousing Manson's innocence, has not responded to recent requests seeking comment on the relationship. Shortly after obtaining the license, she told The Associated Press the nuptials were imminent: "Y'all can know that it's true," she said in November. "It's going to happen."
The expiring license indicates that Burton intends to take Manson's last name, if they are married.
James McGrath, a New York City photo agency editor, said he maintains contact with Burton and she intends to obtain another 90-day license and go ahead with the marriage.
Manson became notorious in 1969 as the leader of a "family" of young killers.
Manson follower Susan Atkins died of cancer behind bars, but Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel remain imprisoned. So do Charles "Tex" Watson, Bruce Davis and Robert Beausoleil, who is expected to have a parole hearing Feb. 19. Manson is eligible for parole next in 2027.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
