# Should Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme be freed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 6, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502 "2009-08-06T03:27:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/21 "2009-08-06T16:56:20Z")
> [@Tamara+](#): > > Its obviously up to the parole board. I doubt the ones who were there on the murder nights will ever be released. The crimes were too shocking (at the time) and with no mitigating circumstances. > People still remember.:mad: Up until now she has refused the parole hearing and preferred prison. Reading her interviews she comes across as a complete whack job so the ruling factor in this case is whether or not she is a danger to society. One of the news stories I read said that the parole board would not say whether or not she continued to correspond with Manson. I hope she didn’t as this would be disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/22 "2009-08-06T17:02:21Z")
> [@Yossarian](#): > > Only if we can guarantee Ford’s safety. He’ll probably need to go underground. You are so going to hell for that.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/23 "2009-08-06T17:36:49Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > I’m pretty much a hard-ass in these sort of things, but since she wasn’t executed, as she should have been, I have to say- yes, I’m afraid so. I didn’t realize that Sara Jane Moore, the other failed assassin, was also a Manson chick or that she had been released earlier this year. Sara Jane Moore wasn’t a Manson chick. She was a self-styled radical obsessed by the SLA and Patty Hearst (and apparently an FBI informant, according to Wikipedia). I think Lynette would make an excellent correspondent for _The Daily Show._ ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/24 "2009-08-06T18:05:40Z")
Never having watched The Daily Show, i don’t know what you mean by that. I do beleive she corresponded with manson regularly. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/25 "2009-08-06T18:15:47Z")
> [@Tamara+](#): > > Never having watched The Daily Show, i don’t know what you mean by that. I do beleive she corresponded with manson regularly. That is disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/26 "2009-08-06T18:26:00Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > That is disturbing. What’s disturbing, communicating with Manson, or never watching The Daily Show? ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/27 "2009-08-06T18:38:15Z")
Would she be a danger to society at large? Since it seems she corresponds with Manson (thanks **Tamara+** ), is he still preaching race wars? Would she be _more_ likely then any non Manson Family fruitcake to try to assassinate Obama? While I fear the answer to each of these questions maybe yes, our laws say if someone has done the time, they’ve paid for the crime. We are a nation of laws not whims. The critical word is"maybe". I do not know she will be a danger to society and more of a danger to President Obama, so I have to say let her out. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/28 "2009-08-06T19:35:15Z")
I’m confused. Is her time up, or is she getting out on parole? ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/29 "2009-08-06T19:46:22Z")
Parole. She was sentenced to life in prison, and has had some time lopped off for good behavior. I read somewhere that she would have had the opportunity to be paroled back in 1989, but in 1987 she escaped from prison after hearing that Manson was diagnosed with testicular cancer. For all that I’ve read about her, I haven’t seen anything that shows that she’s no longer of the same mindset that caused her to point a gun at Ford in the first place. Noting that she had declined parole hearings until this year, the same year that Obama was elected, combined with the “race war” beliefs of the Manson family, I hope the Secret Service keeps good tabs on her and those who she associates with. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/30 "2009-08-07T01:32:55Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I know that legally she has done her sentence, and so I say, release her. If our system is truly about justice, then she has served her time and should be freed. She hasn’t completed her sentence. She was sentenced to life in prison. She’s not dead yet, so no - she should not be released. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/31 "2009-08-07T01:50:09Z")
This will teach me to read the link, not just the quoted excerpt. I had thought “release” meant she had finished her full sentence. Since she is up for parole, no a hundred times no, keep her in prison - legally - until she dies. This woman is still a danger to society and especially to the current president. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/32 "2009-08-07T02:27:26Z")
No, she should be executed quite frankly. Trying to assassinate the President is definately Treason. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/33 "2009-08-07T02:30:43Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > No, she should be executed quite frankly. Trying to assassinate the President is definately Treason. Then why has not any assassin or attempted assassin of the President ever been tried for treason? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/34 "2009-08-07T02:46:46Z")
I’d be very wary about releasing any former Manson follower [Charles, that is; not (necessarily) Marilyn] and would keep a close watch on her. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/35 "2009-08-07T03:16:14Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Parole. She was sentenced to life in prison, and has had some time lopped off for good behavior. I read somewhere that she would have had the opportunity to be paroled back in 1989, but in 1987 she escaped from prison after hearing that Manson was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Oh hell no. That changes everything. Weld the door shut. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/36 "2009-08-07T10:13:22Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > No, she should be executed quite frankly. Trying to assassinate the President is definately Treason. This sort of reasoning is why some Presidents need shooting. The President should be a servant of the people, not a king. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/37 "2009-08-07T11:26:42Z")
Frankly, she should have been in a mental institution, as should the rest of the Manson family. They should have had therapists working on removing their brainwashing from Charlie Manson, and help resolving other issues, and medication. Locking them in a jail cell did none of those things, so they are not prepared for being worked back into society. I do not think all criminals are mentally deficient, and an institution is the answer, but if you read anything about the Manson Family, you can see that due to many things, the women in particular were essentially programmed into certain behaviors by Manson taking advantage of their psychological states at that time. I do believe that in most cases the punishment has greatly outstripped the crimes. Most people who murder seem to be out in a very _few_ years, or they are in for life. Sometimes it seems like a crapshoot. As to Squeeky, I think life for _attempted_ murder is absolutely silly. If it was anybody but a president, she would have gotten maybe 3 years and been out in 18 months. I think she needs psychological care, as she seems to be mentally ill, not incarceration. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/38 "2009-08-07T15:45:14Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Then why has not any assassin or attempted assassin of the President ever been tried for treason? Because most were charged with first degree murder and just needed a “quickee” trial or they were crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/39 "2009-08-07T19:27:41Z")
I’ve done a lot of reading about “Squeaky” and she comes across as a manipulated poor lost soul. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous. From what I’ve read it doesn’t seem like she’d do much on her own, but someone could easily influence her to do something wrong. I was surprised when the took the gun to Ford, because she seemed more of the “harmless crazy” type. I think she should be released as long as she’s subject to strict monitoring (especially at first) and is required to undergo therapy to insure she’s not to unstable. I think there are enough ways to monitor her while letting her out. But she does bear watching, because she seems to be so easily influenced. Kind of like the old "Give a chimp a gun, you can’t blame the chimp if it shoots someone) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheFatKid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@TheFatKid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheFatKid)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502/40 "2009-08-08T00:32:06Z")
Squeaky is a very bizarre case. I think she is being completely honest when she describes her thought processes leading up to the Ford incident. I don’t think she had any intention to kill the President. That said, she also seems to still consider Manson her friend and mentor. I don’t think she’s dangerous. God knows what in the world she’ll do with herself on the outside. Somebody needs to take care of her, quite frankly. But the reality is, California is kicking as many people out of prison as they can because the state is broke. That’s why she’s getting out, plain and simple. She never seemed to want to leave. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-lynette-squeaky-fromme-be-freed/505502.md?page=3)