Afton Elaine Burton, a 26-year-old slender brunette from Illinois, is set to marry an 80-year-old convicted murderer, Charles Manson.
According to AP, the couple, who have been in contact for over a decade, were granted a marriage license by Kings' County on Nov. 7th.
"I love him," Afton Elaine Burton, who already describes herself as Charles Manson's wife, said. "I'm with him. There's all kinds of things."
Charles Manson is charged with leading a gang of killers known as the 'Manson Family.' He planned to start a racial war he described as 'Helter Skelter.' Between June and August of 1969, the Manson Family, under the command of Charles Manson, is reported to have committed several heinous crimes, including the murder of Gary Hinman and actress Sharon Tate, which they attempted to pin on the Black Panther.
In the 70s, members of the Manson Family were convicted for their crimes. Charles Manson received a death penalty, which was later reduced to life imprisonment after the state abolished the contentious punishment.
Afton Elaine Burton, who also goes by the name Star, was reportedly only a teenager when she was introduced to the writings of Charles Manson by a friend. At 19, she moved to Corcoran, CA, to be close to the convict, who is in the Corcoran State Prison. The closeness of the young woman and the inmate is reported to have affected her relationship with her family.
"It's the life on the planet, you know," Afton Elaine Burton explains of her to-be-husband's air, trees, water and animals (ATWA) philosophy. "The earth is a rock and everything else on it is ATWA," she adds.
According to Afton Elaine Burton, who is behind a campaign to secure the release of Charles Manson, their marriage would give her more access to further her case. "There's certain things next of kin can do," she says.
Reports indicate that they have 90 days to execute the marriage license before it expires. There are no conjugal visits for death row inmates. Therefore, Afton Elaine Burton and her husband would only be allowed to hug each other when they meet.
Debra Tate, the sister of one of the victims of the Manson family, has described Afton Elaine Burton's plan to marry the convict as "insane." "What would any young woman in her right mind want with an 80-year-old-man?" she asks.
But Afton Elaine Burton says she is convinced her fiancé is innocent. "I don't care what those kind of people think. It doesn't make any difference," she said. "That man that I know is not what they have in the movies or in documentaries and the books. He's nothing like that. He doesn't tell people what to do. He's not manipulative at all."
