FRONTERA, Jan. 1 — A tearful Susan Denise Atkins, the former Charles Manson disciple convicted in the 1969 cult slayings of actress Sharon Tate and seven others, pleaded for freedom, but was denied parole Tuesday for the sixth time.

Ms. Atkins told a three-member Board of Prison Terms, “I know today I’m a decent human being.”

“I have changed from what I was 16 years ago,” she said at the hearing. “I’m not the same drug-crazed young girl that entered this institution.”

Board member Joseph Aceto told Ms. Atkins she posed an unreasonable risk to society if released.

The panel cited the “cruel, heinous manner” in which Ms. Atkins killed and ruled that she would not be eligible for another hearing for three years.

A psychiatric report that concluded Ms. Atkins continued to show strong anti-social traits was cited by the panel in rejecting her bid for freedom.

Ms. Atkins disputed the findings in the report prepared by Dr. J. Hamner and offered an evaluation prepared by Dr. David Smith, which found that she would not be a threat to society or herself if she continued to remain drug and alcohol-free and continued to participate in her church.

Ms. Atkins told the board she is qualified as a computer programmer, and also cited her conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1980 as a major event in her life.

Miss Tate’s mother, Doris, was present and lauded the panel’s decision.

“I think she’s probably one of the best actresses I’ve ever seen,” she said of Ms. Atkins. “I think she feels no remorse.”

Ms. Atkins, 37, was convicted along with Manson, Patricia Krenwinkle, Leslie Van Houten and Charles “Tex” Watson — all of whom are still in prison — of a series of grisly slayings that shocked the nation.

Miss Tate, 26 years old and 8 1/2 months pregnant, was stabbed to death in the Benedict Canyon home she rented with her husband, movie director Roman Polanski.

Slain with her were hairdresser Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger. Folger’s boyfriend Voityck Frykowski and Steven Parent, a friend of the caretaker at the home.