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.

Life

Manson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to an absentee father and attended Walnut Hills High School. When he was thirteen, his mother (an alcoholic and a prostitute) attempted to put him in a foster home. When she was unable to find one for him, he ended up at Gibault School for Boys, a reform school in Terre Haute, Indiana. Within a year he ran away and back to his mother, who still wanted nothing to do with him. He began living on the streets, supporting himself by theft. He quickly escalated from minor to federal offenses, which carried far stricter punishment. Prior to the killings, he spent more than half his life (around 17 years) in Federal prison —at one point in 1967 asking not to be released.

Related Topics:
Cincinnati, Ohio - Walnut Hills High School - Foster home - Reform school - Terre Haute, Indiana - Federal

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In 1951, after a string of arrests and escapes, Manson was sent to federal prison for driving a stolen car across state lines. By the end of 1952, he had eight assault charges against him. He was transferred to another facility where he became a model inmate, and was released in 1954.

Related Topics:
1951 - 1952 - 1954

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In January of 1955, Manson married 17-year-old Rosalie Jean Willis, and decided to move to California. Soon after the wedding, Manson stole a car and was arrested. Willis became pregnant in April. Manson's parole was revoked in 1956 when he missed a court date. Soon after his arrest, Willis gave birth to their son, Charles M. Manson, Jr. (d. 1993; suicide at age 38). She then left town with a truck driver and their son.

Related Topics:
January - 1955 - California - Parole - 1956 - 1993 - Suicide

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His prison and probation reports showed a consistent message:

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:(1950-52) "Tries to give the impression of trying hard although actually not putting forth any effort ...marked degree of rejection, instability and psychic trauma ... constantly striving for status ... a fairly slick institutionalized youth who has not given up in terms of securing some kind of love and affection from the world ... dangerous ... should not be trusted across the street ... homosexual and assaultative tendencies ... safe only under supervision ... unpredictable ... in spite of his age he is criminally sophisticated and grossly unsuited for retention in an open reformatory type institution"; (1958-59) "Almost without exception will let down anyone who went to bat for him ... an almost classic case of correctional institutional inmate ... a very difficult case and it is almost impossible to predict his future adjustment ... a very shaky probationer and it seems just a matter of time before he gets into further trouble".

Related Topics:
Trauma - Homosexual

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Manson was paroled in 1958 after serving two years of a 3-year sentence. In 1959 he was arrested again for passing stolen checks. Once again, he was given probation which was revoked nine months later. During his probation, he met a woman named Leona, whom he married.

Related Topics:
1958 - 1959 - Probation

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On June 1, 1960, Manson was arrested for solicitation of prostitution. He was ordered to serve his 10-year suspended sentence for passing stolen checks at the federal prison on McNeil Island in Washington state. Soon after his arrest, Leona gave birth to his second son, Charles Luther Manson. While at McNeil, Manson was a cellmate of notorious 1930s bank robber Alvin Karpis who taught Manson to read music and to play the guitar.

Related Topics:
June 1 - 1960 - Solicitation - Prostitution - Washington - Alvin Karpis

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Manson was finally released March 21, 1967 against his own expressed wish to remain in prison. Whilst in prison or on probation, he had raped another inmate at razor point, stolen cars, pimped inmates, and forged federal checks. His prison reports continued with the same message:

Related Topics:
1967 - Rape - Pimped - Forged

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:(1961-62) "He hides his resentment and hostility behind a mask of superficial ingratiation ... even his cries for help represent a desire for attention with only superficial meaning"; (1964) "Pattern of instability continues ... intense need to call attention to himself ... fanatical interests"; then finally, (1966) "Manson is about to complete his ten-year term. He has a pattern of criminal behavior and confinement that dates to his teen years ... little can be expected in the way of change."

Related Topics:
1961 - 62 - 1964

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After the release Manson requested permission to move to the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco, California, where he would start recruiting his "Family."

Related Topics:
Haight-Ashbury - San Francisco - California

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