The cult of death and destruction known as the Manson family perpetrated one of the most heinous crimes in California's, if not the nation's, history: the killings of actress Sharon Tate and others in 1969. Besides the mastermind Charles Manson, Susan Atkins was among the most culpable.

It was she who, deaf to appeals for mercy, stabbed Sharon Tate, then 8¹/₂ months pregnant, to death and later tasted her blood and used it to write "Pig" on her house door. After spending nearly her entire adult life in prison, Ms. Atkins is dying of brain cancer and has sought a compassionate release from prison so she can spend her last months with family and friends.

"Susan has served a life sentence," her sister-in-law argued. "This is about her death." That is wrong on all counts -- and on Tuesday the California Board of Parole Hearings wisely agreed. This denial was about justice and it upheld an important principle. If the death penalty can't be applied, society needs to be assured that murderers aren't ever going to get out to enjoy the taste of life and freedom denied their victims in the grave.