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.

Aftermath

The Family survived the incarceration of Manson. After his arrest, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, one of Manson's shrewdest, toughest and most obedient followers, effectively took command of the management of the Family in his absence. With a handful of other followers, mostly women, she perched on the steps of the Los Angeles courthouse during the trial, shaved her head to protest his conviction and, copying Manson, gouged an X into her forehead as a sign of loyalty. She later explained: "We have X'ed ourselves out of this world."

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On November 13, 1972, Michael Monfort, James Craig, Priscilla Cooper, Nancy Laura Pitman and Lynnette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme were held for the murder of James T. Willett and his wife.

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On September 5, 1975, Fromme unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate U.S. President Gerald R. Ford in Sacramento. "Time" article Sept. 15 It appears that, although she managed to get close to Ford, by mistake the chamber of her Colt .45 pistol was empty. She was heard to say, "It didn't go off. Can you believe it? It didn't go off!" She stated she had committed the crime so that Manson would appear as a witness at her trial, and thus have a worldwide platform from which to talk about his apocalyptic vision. She escaped prison in December 1987, apparently to try to reach California and Manson, but was recaptured two days later.

Related Topics:
1975 - U.S. - President - Gerald R. Ford - Sacramento - 1987

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Manson remains imprisoned to this day, as of 2005), and all of his applications for parole have been denied, most notably in 1986 when he appeared before the parole board with a swastika embossed on his forehead. During his stay in prison, Manson has received more mail than any other prisoner in the United States prison system. It is said that he gets over 60,000 pieces of mail a year, much of it fan mail from young people hoping to join the Family. He currently resides in California's Corcoran State Prison.

Related Topics:
As of 2005 - Parole - 1986 - Swastika - Corcoran State Prison

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:News cuttings and other material related to the Manson family and the activities of its members from 1969 - 2005 here.

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