Claim: Susan Atkins was a member of a group.

The Manson Family was a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s , led by Charles Manson . They gained national notoriety after the infamous murder of actress Sharon Tate and four others on August 8 , 1969 by Tex Watson and three other members of the Family , acting under the instructions of Manson . Group members were also responsible for a number of other murders and assaults , and the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford .