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 killings

On the night of August 9, 1969, Manson directed some members of the Family to commit homicide. The members tasked with the killings were Charles "Tex" Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Susan Atkins. At or around midnight, they entered the grounds of the Beverly Hills home of the film director Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate. Polanski, who was in London working on a film, had asked friends to stay with Tate, who was eight and a half months pregnant. Before entering the house, they shot dead Steven Parent, an 18-year-old friend of Tate's gardener, who was leaving the property and had unwittingly seen the intruders. Linda Kasabian expressed horror at the murder of Parent and was told to remain outside and keep watch while the others entered the house. They assembled the four occupants of the house into the living room where they were tied together. Jay Sebring, a noted hairstylist and friend of the Polanski's was visiting, and when he attempted to defend Tate, he was shot by Watson who then kicked him several times in the face. Wojciech Frykowski and Abigail Folger, who were staying in the house until Polanski's return from London, were able to escape from the living room and were each pursued as they ran onto the front lawn. Quickly overtaken by the attackers, Frykowski was bludgeoned about his head and stabbed to death; Folger was stabbed numerous times until she too was dead. Tate remained in the living room and begged for the life of her unborn baby. Susan Atkins later testified that she had replied "Look bitch, I have no mercy for you. You're going to die and you'd better get used to it", before stabbing her to death. Before leaving the house Atkins used a towel to soak up some of Sharon Tate's blood and then used it to write "PIG" on the front door.

Related Topics:
1969 - Charles "Tex" Watson - Patricia Krenwinkel - Susan Atkins - Beverly Hills - Film director - Roman Polanski - Sharon Tate - Steven Parent - Jay Sebring - Wojciech Frykowski - Abigail Folger

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Linda Kasabian, who had acted as the getaway driver later received immunity for submitting evidence against the group. She told Manson, "I'm not like you, I can't kill," and evinced shock and horror at finally seeing the pictures of the killings in court.

Related Topics:
Linda Kasabian - Immunity

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The following night in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, California, wealthy supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary were also killed in their home, once again by members of the Family (Watson, Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten). On this occasion, Manson apparently went along to "show them how to do it" with less tumult, and pacified the victims, tying them up before returning to the car to tell his followers to commit the killings. There was no apparent connection between the victims, but the crimes were prosecuted by Los Angeles assistant district attorney Vincent Bugliosi in a single trial.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - California - Leno LaBianca - Leslie Van Houten - Vincent Bugliosi - Trial

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Members of the Manson Family had previously been responsible for the death of Gary Hinman, a high school music teacher in nearby Topanga Canyon, and were suspected of other homicides. They claimed a total of some 35 killings, not counting those after the trial, of which several were considered likely or plausible, but most were not tried either for lack of evidence or because the perpetrators were already sentenced to life for the Tate/La Bianca killings.

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Barker Ranch, inside California's Mojave Desert, is known as the last hideout of Manson and his "family" during and after the gruesome Los Angeles murder spree. The local county sheriff department and National Park Service officers had captured Manson and his group in 1969 on suspicion of trespassing and vandalism. At the time of the Manson arrests, the officers were unaware of who they had in custody. They wanted to prosecute the persons responsible for vandalizing a portion of the Death Valley National Park further north, not even knowing that they had a serial murder suspect and his followers.

Related Topics:
Barker Ranch - Mojave Desert - 1969

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:(For further details of the killings see individual articles related to those involved)

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