A follower of Charles Manson who was convicted of murder nearly four decades ago has lost her 18th bid for release.
Susan Atkins was denied her freedom by the California Parole Board after a hearing at the prison where she is being held.
She is terminally ill with brain cancer and, according to her lawyer, paralysed over much of her body.
Now 61, Atkins was convicted in 1971 of taking part in seven 'Manson Family' murders, including that of heavily pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski.
Her death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972, when the California Supreme Court abolished capital punishment.
Atkins will next be eligible for parole in 2012.
