“Just because you're convicted in a courtroom doesn't mean you're guilty of something.” - Charles Manson.
Unapologetic and a terror, Charles Manson still looms large in the American consciousness. The two-day rampage of Charles Manson and the Manson Family in Beverly Hills, California, was an outcome of the societal war they were fighting.
What were they trying to establish, by the way? A cult society, a hub or counterculture, or anything that makes the notorious killer believe that he should have killed at least three to four hundred people. It is difficult to fathom the psyche behind such a heinous crime, and moreover, what Manson said in his last interview was “disturbing,” to say the least.
So, do you want a sneak peek into the life and deeds of Charles Manson, one of the most notorious murderers in the history of the USA? Let’s unfurl the pages.
Who Was Charles Manson?
Charles Manson, the man behind the cult association “Manson Family,” moved to Berkeley after his release from prison in 1967. Then he reached San Francisco.
As a boy of 12, he had to visit the “Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Ohio” with the charge of stealing. He only knew the life of confinement as a teenager, as he was sent to reform schools on many occasions.
Apprehensive, when released from the prison, Manson said,
“Oh, no, I can’t go outside there…I knew that I couldn’t adjust to that world, not after all my life had been spent locked up and where my mind was free.”
However, when he reached San Francisco, he faced a new wave of people trying to find a new wave of life. To be more specific, he was in the midst of the roaring hippie movement. He faced no difficulty in cajoling young females to be his followers.
Manson moved to Los Angeles with his followers to make a name in music as he learned to play the guitar during his prison days.
The Rise And Fall Of The Cult Guru And A Criminal
Charles Manson’s rise from a petty criminal to a philosopher and cult guru was dramatic. It still gives us a chill down the spine, thinking how he created a family or gang only to declare war against society by killing people.
In his war against race or society, he took inspiration from the Beatles’ Helter Skelter song. However, he had his own interpretation of the music.
He was a fanatic for sure, and he was not consistent in admitting his association with the series of murders he was accused of. Sometimes, he agreed, and often, he denied the charges.
However, in a parole hearing taking place in 2012, Charles Manson said,
“I have put five people in the grave. I am a very dangerous man.” (Source)
On his conviction in 1971, Charles Manson first received the death penalty. However, in 1972, the death penalty was no longer there in Californian laws. Thus, he received a lifetime imprisonment.
This cult leader and one of the most notorious murderers, Charles Manson, died in 2017. He was 83 during his death, and he was still behind bars. He was suffering from colon cancer, and a respiratory failure induced a cardiac arrest, causing his death in prison.
The Tate–LaBianca Murders
In 1969, his war cry saw the daylight as he sent “Mansion Family” members, five girls from his group, to the house of famous director Roman Polanski and his wife, Sharon Tate. The Manson Family members killed the pregnant actress by stabbing her.
The girl group killed many other people present in the actress’s house. The other names to get killed that night were:
- Jay Sebring, a celebrity hairstylist
- Abigail Folger, coffee heiress
- Wojciech Frykowski, a new screenwriter
On their way back, the Mansion Family shot a teenager called Steven Parent. The murder rampage continued the next night, and the group killed Leno LaBianca, a rich grocer, and his wife. In a different murder incident, the Manson Family killed Gary Hinman, a musician, and Donald “Shorty” Shea.
Thus, Charles Manson and his Manson Family committed a series of Tate–LaBianca murders from 9th to 10th August in 1969. These violent acts took place in Los Angeles, California.
Charles Manson And The Manson Family
Charles Manson found his female followers amidst the wave of beautiful women and teenagers who were looking for belongingness. He exploited them and often bartered to others for sex. It’s time to get familiar with the Manson Family members who committed such heinous crimes.
Leslie Van Houten
Leslie Van Houten was just 14 years old when she became a part of the Manson Family. Her parent’s divorce made her lose control of her life. She started taking drugs, and her life became haywire with her getting pregnant. However, according to her, she had to abort the child and bury the fetus in the backyard of her house.
Leslie Van Houten and Charles Manson had their first interaction on the Los Angeles outskirts. The first meeting happened at the ranch of an old movie. She was not part of the murders committed by the Manson Family on the first night. She joined others on the next day.
While in prison, Leslie Van Houten completed her master’s degree in counseling. She also played a prominent role in conducting prison programs to rehabilitate fellow members.
After various attempts to get released on parole, Leslie Van Houten finally came out of prison in 2023.
Patricia Krenwinkel
Patricia Krenwinkel left her life behind with a belief and motive of building a romantic relationship with Manso. However, she got abused, and Manson even bartered her for sex.
Her attempts to leave the “Family” went in vain. It’s she who wrote the phrases like “Helter Skelter” and “Death to Pigs” on the wall with blood after the murders.
Charles “Tex” Watson
Charles Watson was a male member of the Manson Family. He migrated to California in 1967 from Texas. Also, he was a college dropout and met Manson at the house of Dennis Wilson, the drummer of the Beach Boys.
He was associated with the California murders, and he formed and started leading a prison ministry. He is still in prison after multiple failed applications for parole.
Susan Atkins
Susan Atkins and Charles Manson met in 1967. She was then working as a topless dancer at a bar in San Francisco. She claimed that she was stoned while committing the murders. In 2009, she lost her life to cancer in prison.
Why Did The Manson Family Kill Sharon Tate?
The murder of Sharon Tate took place in 1969, and it has been more than 50 years since then. However, the mysteries and intrigue surrounding the murder cease to become less anytime soon. But why did the Manson Family have to murder this actress? How did she become a target in their war against race and society? Let’s delve deeper!
Terry Melcher, a music producer, rejected Manson for recording a song with him. Thus, Terry Melcher became a hindrance to Manson’s dream of becoming a renowned rock star.
Terry Melcher was the previous owner of the house where Sharon Tate and her husband, Roman Polanski, lived. During prosecution, the rejection of Mason emerged as the prime motive behind the murder of the Rosemary’s Baby actress.
Though the house did not belong to Terry Melcher anymore, Manson and the Manson Family committed the murders out of revenge.
Sharon Tate was eight and a half months pregnant when the Mason Family members killed her. She requested the murderers to spare the life of her unborn son. However, the murderers turned a deaf ear to her plea.
Charles Manson And Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Quentin Tarantino presents a fictionalized form of the 1969 rampage of Charles Manson and the Manson Family in his film, “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” The 2019 film had Margot Robbie playing the role of Sharon Tate, the most prominent victim of the 1969 murder case.
However, the director takes significant creative liberty in the depiction of the event. There are also alterations in the historical records. However, if you want to know about the Mason Family murders in detail, this film will be an important point of reference for you.
Charles Manson And Helter Skelter
Vincent Bugliosi was the prosecutor in the conviction of Charles Manson and the Manson Family. The prosecutor published a book called “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” in 1974. It is a crime bestseller of all time, and it was the first comprehensive work on the Mason Family murders.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, the Beatles’ Helter Skelter song worked as the prime source of inspiration for Charles Manson. He absorbed the meaning of the song according to the narrative he wanted to state and the crimes he was about to commit. The Beatles song was innocent, and Manson made it “diabolical.”
Ironically, prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi used a theory by the same name to make the conviction of the cult leader and his “Family” possible.
Manson did not take up the murder weapon while killing any of the victims of the Manson Family killing rampage. However, he was convicted for “accomplic liability.”
A Quick Rundown Of Charles Manson And The Manson Family Murders
The crime accounts of the Manson Family started a month earlier than the Tate–LaBianca Murders. Here is a quick rundown of the murders committed by Manson and his followers.
- The Mason Family members Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner joined Bobby Beausoleil, a follower of Mason, to kill Hinman in July 1969.
- On August 8-9, 1969, Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was killed by Mason Family members. Five other people present at the home got killed, and the “Family” even killed a teenager they came across while leaving Polanski’s house.
- On August 9-10. Mason joins the Family and starts looking for victims. They kill a wealthy grocer and his wife.
Manson and his followers were arrested in October 1969, and there was a charge of auto theft against them. However, Manson Family’s member Susan Atkins was already in prison for killing Hinman. On 6th November 1969, she made a confession to her fellow prisoner, Virginia Castro.
Atkins confessed that they killed Sharon Tate, and they did the crime “because we wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice.”
Is The Charles Manson Legacy Still Alive?
Yes, the Charles Manson legacy is still alive. He died in 2017, but many people still find his idea to fight against racism “interesting.” Many people still debate how societal depravity can give rise to evil and wrong deeds.
Also, despite his death, the danger of being completely blind under the influence of this charismatic leader is not abolished. The twisted meanings of iconic songs and music that were made to bring changes in society are still held as ideal by many.
Summing Up
Charles Manson formed a cult association called the Manson Family, mostly consisting of young females. He was a fanatic, and in his self-proclaimed war against society, he killed actress Sharon Tate and many others during a killing rampage in 1969.
Most of the members of the Mason Family were young and impressionable, and Manson built his evil deeds on that. These “Family” members also had a disturbing life that propelled them to set out for something new.
The murder incidents are shocking indeed. However, the more disturbing part is how the human mind can harbor the greatest evil and label unnecessarily killing people as a way to fight depravity.
I hope this article will be a lesson about why we should not follow the so-called charismatic leaders blindly and how we must use our faculty before adopting anyone’s ideologies in our lives.
What is your take on one of the most notorious criminals in America? Do you have other insights and information about his life and crimes? Don’t forget to share.
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