At just 16 years old, Afton Burton came across the story of Charles Manson—and became deeply fascinated.
What started as curiosity quickly turned into obsession.
A Relationship From Behind Bars
Over the years, Burton began writing Manson letters while he served a life sentence at California State Prison Corcoran.
The communication didn’t stop there.
They spoke by phone.
The connection grew.
Eventually, Burton made a drastic decision—she moved from Illinois to Corcoran just to be closer to him.
Engagement That Shocked the World
By 2014, Burton was 26.
Manson was 80.
The two obtained an official marriage license, and news of their engagement spread globally.
Many people were stunned.
Why would a young woman want to marry one of America’s most notorious criminals?
Burton insisted her feelings were real.
The Twist That Changed Everything
The wedding, however, never happened.
A journalist working on a book about Manson uncovered a disturbing claim:
Burton and an associate allegedly planned to preserve Manson’s body after his death, display it in a glass case, and charge visitors to see it.
When Manson reportedly learned about this plan, everything changed.
The engagement ended.
The marriage license expired—unused.
The Final Chapter
Manson died in November 2017 at the age of 83, still in prison.
Burton, who had legally changed her name to “Star,” was not present at his death.
By that point, their relationship had already faded.
A Strange Footnote in History
This story remains one of the most bizarre chapters connected to Manson’s legacy.
A young woman who devoted years of her life to him—
and a relationship that ultimately collapsed under the weight of its own strange reality.