The sister of Sharon Tate — Charles Manson’s most famous victim — showed mercy toward the ’60s cult leader after learning of his death Sunday.
“I said a prayer for his soul,” Debra Tate told PEOPLE.
Manson died Sunday of natural causes. He was 83.
Tate had previously said that she would pray for Manson and his followers, in the event of their deaths. She showed remorse to Manson Family member Susan Atkins after she died of cancer in 2009 — and promised to do the same for Charlie.
“My cross in my bedroom still has the flowers that I slipped into Jesus’s feet when Susan died,” she told PEOPLE at the time. “I cried a tear and I asked for forgiveness on her soul. I’ll do the same thing when Charlie dies.”
Speaking to the magazine following Manson’s death, Debra described how the convicted cult leader was part of her life for nearly five decades, along with his followers — Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten and Atkins.
“Each one of these people and myself now have are spirits or our wills are slightly entangled,” she said.
Debra told NBC4 that while she forgives the Manson Family, what they did will remain with her forever.
“I’ve forgiven them, but that does not mean I’ve forgotten what they did,” she said. “I will never forget.”