Charles Manson wedding off after it emerges that fiancee Afton Elaine Burton 'just wanted his corpse for display'

She apparently hoped tourist attraction would make a lot of money

Murderer Charles Manson in 1970 (Getty )

Serial killer Charles Manson's supposed budding romance with a woman 53 years his junior has been allegedly exposed as a money-making scheme.

According to journalist Daniel Simone, 27-year old Afton Elaine Burton, now known as Star, was hoping that she would gain possession of Manson's corpse through marriage so she and a couple of friends could put it on display in a glass case in LA.

"He's finally realized that he's been played for a fool," Simone told The NY Post.

The tourist attraction was also something of a non-starter because Manson believes he is immortal.

"He feels he will never die," Simone added. "Therefore, he feels it’s a stupid idea to begin with."

Manson and Burton's marriage license expired on Thursday, though Burton apparently remains hopeful that it will be renewed.

Perhaps Manson had the last laugh though - Simone claims he was always cagey about marriage and might have been stringing Burton and her friends along with the prospect of a wedding as they continued to bring him toiletries and other items.