Charles Manson

Charles Milles Manson (born November 12, 1934) was the leader of a group of young followers of both sexes, known collectively as "The Family" in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Manson convinced the youths of his apocalyptic vision and still has a considerable amount of control over some of the former family members who are still alive. He planned and ordered the family to commit several brutal murders, most notably the movie actress Sharon Tate who was pregnant at the time. He was convicted of murder in what came to be known as the "Tate-La Bianca case", named after the victims, although he was not accused of committing the murders in person. He is currently serving a life sentence in a California prison and is up for parole in 2007; however, due to his erratic and arguably dangerous and insane behavior, it is highly unlikely he will ever be released.

"The Family"

By 1967, when he was finally released, Manson had spent most of his adult life in prison, mostly for offenses such as car theft, forgery and credit card fraud. He also worked some time as a pimp. He gathered a motley crew of younger followers, which Vincent Bugliosi referred to as the Family, a commune bound together by fanatical loyalty to Manson, and a negation of all conventional moral precepts.

Related Topics:
Car theft - Forgery - Credit card fraud - Pimp - Vincent Bugliosi - Commune - Moral

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He soon afterwards moved to Los Angeles, at first basing himself and the Family in the seaside community of Pacific Palisades and then taking over an unused ranch in the western San Fernando Valley formerly used to make western movies, the Spahn Ranch. Inspired by the Beatles' song "Helter Skelter" and other songs from the White Album, he became convinced of an impending race and nuclear war, based on Biblical prophecy in the Book of Revelation.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Pacific Palisades - San Fernando Valley - Western movie - Helter Skelter - White Album - Nuclear war - Biblical - Prophecy - Book of Revelation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He implied to his followers that he was Jesus Christ, saying he had died before, some 2,000 years ago. However, when asked directly in court he said, "I may be Jesus Christ. I haven't yet decided who I am." Around the time the family was formed, he is said to have begun calling himself by a slightly different name, Charles Willis Manson (his real name was "Charles Milles Manson"), allegedly because it could be read symbolically as "Charles' Will Is Man's Son". He had also been strongly influenced by Scientology and, it is hypothesized, a more obscure cult known as the Process Church (also known as the Church of the Final Judgement).

Related Topics:
Jesus Christ - Scientology - Cult - Process Church

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although only a few members of the Family came to national attention, the Family itself seems to have been quite a significant size; estimates of up to 100 people (of varying degrees of involvement) associated with the Family have been quoted beyond the "hard core" of around 30.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~