The Manson Family was a commune, gang, and cult led by Charles Manson, active in California during the late 1960s and early 1970s. At its peak, the group had around 100 followers who lived an unconventional lifestyle, frequently using psychoactive drugs, including amphetamines and hallucinogens like LSD.
Many followers were young women from middle-class backgrounds, attracted to hippie culture and communal living, and later radicalized by Manson's teachings. The group is confirmed to have murdered nine people, though they potentially killed up to 24.
Manson, born in 1934, had spent more than half his life institutionalized or incarcerated by the time he was released from prison in 1967. He began attracting followers in the San Francisco area, eventually moving to the run-down Spahn Ranch in Los Angeles County, which burned down in a wildfire in September 1970.
According to group member Susan Atkins, the Family believed Manson was a manifestation of Jesus Christ and trusted his prophecies about an imminent, apocalyptic race war.
In 1969, Family members Susan Atkins, Tex Watson, and Patricia Krenwinkel entered the home of Hollywood actress Sharon Tate, murdering her and four others. Linda Kasabian was also present but did not participate. Members of the Manson Family were also involved in various assaults, petty crimes, thefts, and acts of vandalism, including an assassination attempt on U.S. President Gerald Ford in 1975 by Family member Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.
The overall list of individuals associated with the Manson Family cult:
Susan Atkins (died 2009)
Ella Jo Bailey (died 2015)
Bobby Beausoleil
Mary Brunner
Sherry Cooper
Bruce M. Davis
Danny DeCarlo
Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme
Catherine Gillies (died 2018)
Sandra Good
Clem Grogan
Barbara Hoyt (died 2017)
Gregg Jakobson
Linda Kasabian (died 2023)
Phil Kaufman
Patricia Krenwinkel
Dianne Lake
Kathryn Lutesinger
Charles Manson (died 2017)
Ruth Ann Moorehouse
Nancy Pitman
Brooks Poston
Dennis Rice
Stephanie Schram
Catherine Share
Deirdre Shaw, daughter of Angela Lansbury (died 2022)
George Spahn (died 1974)
Leslie Van Houten
Paul Watkins (died 1990)
Tex Watson
Dennis Wilson (died 1983)
Formation
San Francisco Followers
After being released from prison on March 22, 1967, Charles Manson moved to San Francisco. With the help of a prison acquaintance, he settled into an apartment in Berkeley. While in prison, Manson had learned to play the steel guitar from bank robber Alvin Karpis. Living mostly by begging, Manson soon met Mary Brunner, a 23-year-old University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate working as a library assistant at the University of California, Berkeley. Manson moved in with Brunner, and according to a second-hand account, convinced her to allow other women to live with them. Eventually, they were sharing Brunner's residence with eighteen other women.
Manson established himself as a guru in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, which was emerging as a hub of hippie culture during the 1967 "Summer of Love." He may have borrowed some of his philosophy from the Process Church of the Final Judgment, whose members believed in a reconciliation between Satan and Jesus at the end of the world. Manson soon gathered his first group of followers, mostly women, who were later dubbed the "Manson Family" by Los Angeles prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi and the media. Manson allegedly taught his followers that they were the reincarnation of the original Christians and that the establishment represented the Romans. Around this time, he began using the alias "Charles Willis Manson."
Before the end of summer, Manson and some of the women began traveling in an old school bus they had refurbished, removing seats and adding colored rugs and pillows. They eventually settled in the Los Angeles areas of Topanga Canyon, Malibu, and Venice along the coast.
In 1967, Brunner became pregnant by Manson and gave birth to their son, Valentine Michael, on April 15, 1968, in a condemned house in Topanga Canyon. She was assisted by several young women from the Family. Brunner, like most members of the group, acquired several aliases and nicknames, including "Marioche," "Och," "Mother Mary," "Mary Manson," "Linda Dee Manson," and "Christine Marie Euchts."
Manson's Self-Presentation
Actor Al Lewis had Manson babysit his children on a few occasions and described him as "a nice guy when I knew him." Music producer Phil Kaufman introduced Manson to Universal Studios producer Gary Stromberg, who was working on a film adaptation of the life of Jesus set in modern America. Stromberg thought Manson had interesting ideas about what Jesus might do in modern situations. To demonstrate the place of women, Manson had one of his followers kiss his feet and then kissed hers in return. One day at the beach, Stromberg observed Manson preaching against materialism. When questioned about the well-furnished bus, Manson handed the bus keys to the doubter, who drove it away while Manson watched, seemingly unconcerned. According to Stromberg, Manson had a dynamic personality and could read and manipulate people's emotional weaknesses. For example, he tried to manipulate Danny DeCarlo, treasurer of the Straight Satans motorcycle club, by granting him access to Family women and convincing him that his large penis helped keep the women in the group.
Involvement with Wilson, Melcher, and Others
In late spring 1968, Beach Boys member Dennis Wilson picked up Patricia Krenwinkel and Ella Jo Bailey while they were hitchhiking under the influence of alcohol and LSD. He took them to his Pacific Palisades house. The next morning, Wilson returned home to find Manson in his driveway. Manson assured Wilson he had no intention of hurting him and began kissing Wilson's feet. Inside, Wilson discovered 12 strangers, mostly women.
According to Manson, he first met Wilson at a friend's house in San Francisco, where Wilson gave him his Sunset Boulevard address and invited him to stop by in Los Angeles. Wilson mentioned in a 1968 Record Mirror article that a group of strange women told him they had a guru named Charlie when he spoke about the Beach Boys' involvement with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
Over the next few months, the number of women in Wilson's house doubled. Wilson covered their costs, totaling about $100,000, which included a large medical bill for treating their gonorrhea and $21,000 for the destruction of his uninsured car, which they borrowed. Wilson would sing and talk with Manson, and they treated the women as servants. Wilson paid for studio time to record Manson's songs and introduced him to entertainment industry acquaintances, including Gregg Jakobson, Terry Melcher, and Rudi Altobelli. Jakobson was impressed by "the whole Charlie Manson package" of artist, life-stylist, and philosopher and paid to record his material. Wilson moved out when the lease on his rented home expired, and his landlord evicted the Family.
Spahn Ranch
After being evicted from Wilson's house, Manson established a base for the Family at the Spahn Ranch in August 1968. The ranch had been a set for Western films and TV shows but had deteriorated by the late 1960s. It primarily derived revenue from selling horseback rides. Female Family members did chores around the ranch and occasionally had sex with the nearly blind 80-year-old owner George Spahn on Manson's orders. They also acted as guides for him. In exchange, Spahn allowed Manson and his group to live at the ranch for free. Lynette Fromme acquired the nickname "Squeaky" because she often squeaked when Spahn pinched her thigh.
Charles Watson, a small-town Texan who had quit college and moved to California, soon joined the group at the ranch.
Encounter with Tate
On March 23, 1969, Charles Manson entered the grounds of 10050 Cielo Drive, which he knew as Terry Melcher's former residence, without an invitation.
As Manson approached the main house, he encountered Shahrokh Hatami, an Iranian photographer who was there to photograph Sharon Tate before her departure for Rome the next day. Hatami, seeing Manson approach, stepped onto the front porch to ask him what he wanted. Manson mentioned he was looking for someone whose name Hatami did not recognize. Hatami informed Manson that it was the Polanski residence and suggested he try the back alley, meaning the path to the guest house beyond the main house. Concerned about the stranger, Hatami walked down the front path to confront Manson. Tate appeared behind Hatami at the front door and asked who was there. Hatami explained that a man was looking for someone. Manson went to the guest house without a word, returned to the front a minute or two later, and then left.
Later that evening, Manson returned to the property and again approached the guest house. He entered the enclosed porch and spoke with Rudy Altobelli, the owner, who had just come out of the shower. Manson asked for Melcher, but Altobelli sensed that Manson was actually looking for him. It was later discovered that Manson had visited the property on earlier occasions after Melcher moved out.
Altobelli told Manson through the screen door that Melcher had moved to Malibu and claimed he did not know the new address, though he actually did. Altobelli, who worked in the entertainment business, had met Manson the previous year at Dennis Wilson's home and was certain Manson already knew this. At that earlier meeting, Altobelli had given limited compliments on some of Manson's musical recordings, which Wilson had been playing. Altobelli informed Manson that he was leaving the country the next day and would be gone for over a year. Manson replied that he had been directed to the guest house by the people in the main house, and Altobelli asked him not to disturb his tenants.
The next day, Altobelli and Tate flew to Rome together. Tate asked if "that creepy-looking guy" had gone to see him at the guest house the day before.
Crimes
Crowe Shooting
Tex Watson became involved in drug dealing and robbed Bernard "Lotsapoppa" Crowe, a drug dealer. Crowe allegedly responded with a threat to kill everyone at Spahn Ranch. In response, Manson shot Crowe on July 1, 1969, at Manson's Hollywood apartment. Manson believed he had killed Crowe, a belief seemingly confirmed by a news report about the discovery of the body of a Black Panther in Los Angeles. Although Crowe was not a Black Panther, Manson concluded he was and anticipated retaliation from the Panthers, turning Spahn Ranch into a defensive camp with armed night patrols. Manson enlisted members of the Straight Satans Motorcycle Club for security. During this time, Bobby Beausoleil became more involved with the Family.
Hinman Murder
Gary Allen Hinman, a music teacher and PhD student at UCLA, befriended members of the Manson Family, occasionally allowing them to stay at his home. Manson believed Hinman was wealthy and sent Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner, and Susan Atkins to Hinman's home on July 25, 1969, to convince him to join the Family and turn over his assets. Hinman was held hostage for two days, denying he had any money. Manson arrived with a sword, slashing Hinman's face and ear. Beausoleil then stabbed Hinman to death, allegedly on Manson's instruction. Before leaving, Beausoleil or one of the women wrote "Political piggy" on the wall in Hinman's blood and drew a panther paw, a Black Panther symbol.
Beausoleil was arrested on August 6, 1969, driving Hinman's car, with the murder weapon found in the tire well.
Murders of Tate, Sebring, Folger, Frykowski, and Parent
On August 8, 1969, Manson directed Tex Watson to take Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to Melcher's former home at 10050 Cielo Drive. Manson told them to kill everyone there. The home was rented by actress Sharon Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski, who was in Europe. The Family members killed Tate (eight and a half months pregnant), Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent. Atkins wrote "pig" in Tate's blood on the front door. The murders created a nationwide sensation.
Murder of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca
On August 9, 1969, Manson and six Family members (Leslie Van Houten, Steve "Clem" Grogan, and the four from the previous night) drove to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson entered the house with Tex Watson, binding the couple and covering their heads with pillowcases. Manson left, sending Krenwinkel and Van Houten inside. Watson began stabbing Leno, then moved to the bedroom where Rosemary was bound. Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten collectively stabbed Rosemary to death. Krenwinkel wrote "Rise," "Death to pigs," and "Healter Skelter" in the LaBiancas' blood.
Shea Murder
In 1971, Manson was found guilty of the murders of Gary Hinman and Donald "Shorty" Shea, a Spahn Ranch stuntman and horse wrangler killed ten days after a sheriff's raid on the ranch on August 16, 1969. Manson suspected Shea had helped set up the raid and believed Shea was trying to get Spahn to evict the Family. Additionally, Manson may have been motivated by racial prejudice and a belief that Shea knew about the Tate–LaBianca killings. Family members Bruce Davis and Steve "Clem" Grogan were also found guilty of Shea's murder. In 1977, authorities recovered Shea's intact body based on a map drawn by Grogan, who became the first Family member convicted of Manson-ordered murders to be paroled in 1985.
Additional Suspected Murders
Charles Manson and his followers were convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder, including the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders and those of Gary Hinman and Donald "Shorty" Shea. However, several other bizarre and brutal deaths have been linked to Manson and his Family. The LAPD believes the Family could have been responsible for at least twelve more murders. Former LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division detective Cliff Shepard stated that Manson "repeatedly" claimed to have killed many more people. Prosecutor Stephen Kay mentioned that Manson once told a cellmate he was responsible for 35 murders. Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate, believes investigators have only begun to uncover the true extent of Manson's crimes and reported that Manson sent her a taunting map with crosses indicating potential graves. Despite several excavations at Manson's Barker Ranch, no bodies were found.
The following are some additional crimes and murders that the media has speculated may have been committed by the Manson Family:
1. Nancy Warren and Clyda Dulaney: On October 13, 1968, Nancy Warren (64) and her granddaughter, Clyda Dulaney (24), who was eight months pregnant, were found beaten and strangled to death with leather thongs in Ukiah, California. The similarities between this double murder and the confirmed Manson Family crime scenes, combined with the presence of Family members in the area at the time, led authorities to suspect the Family. However, no charges were ever filed.
2. Marina Elizabeth Habe: On December 30, 1968, Marina Habe (17) was murdered in Los Angeles while home on vacation from the University of Hawaii. She was found with her throat slashed, multiple stab wounds, and signs of garrotting. A former Manson Family associate claimed that Family members knew Habe, leading to speculation that she was one of their victims.
3. Darwin Morell Scott: Manson's uncle, Darwin Scott (64), was found brutally stabbed to death in his Kentucky apartment on May 27, 1969. Local residents reported seeing a man resembling Manson in the area around the time of the murder, but Manson's parole status in California at the time made direct involvement uncertain.
4. Mark Walts: On July 17, 1969, Mark Walts (16), an acquaintance of the Manson Family, was found bludgeoned and shot to death near Mulholland Drive after going fishing at the Santa Monica Pier. Despite his family's suspicions and the Family's presence in the area, no connections to the Family were confirmed, and the case remains unsolved.
5. John Philip "Zero" Haught: Haught (22), who joined the Manson Family in 1969, was found dead on November 5, 1969. Family members present claimed he accidentally shot himself while playing Russian roulette, but inconsistencies in the evidence led to speculation of foul play.
6. James Sharp and Doreen Gaul: Sharp (15) and Gaul (19) were found brutally stabbed to death on November 7, 1969, in Los Angeles. The overkill nature of the murders and their connections to Scientology and the Process Church, which influenced Manson's ideologies, led to speculation about the Family's involvement, but no definitive links were established.
7. Reet Jurvetson: Reet Jurvetson (19), initially known as "Jane Doe 59," was found with over 150 stab wounds on November 16, 1969. Her brutal murder bore similarities to other Family-related killings, though no direct connection was proven.
8. Joel Pugh: Pugh (29), a Family member married to Sandra Good, was found dead in London on December 1, 1969, with his wrists and throat slit. Despite British authorities ruling it a suicide, suspicions of Manson's involvement persisted due to the timing and Manson's known disdain for Pugh.
9. Ronald Hughes: Attorney Ronald Hughes, who represented Manson Family member Leslie Van Houten, disappeared during a camping trip in November 1970. His decomposed body was found in March 1971, leading to speculation that the Family murdered him for defying Manson during the trial.
10. James L.T. Willett and Lauren "Reni" Willett: James Willett (26) was found murdered near Guerneville, California, on November 8, 1972. His wife, Lauren Willett (19), was later found shot to death in Stockton. Several Manson followers were implicated in the murders, although the full circumstances remain unclear.
11. Laurence Merrick: Film director Laurence Merrick was shot to death on January 26, 1977. Dennis Mignano later confessed to the murder, claiming black magic spells cast at Merrick's school had driven him to it. Mignano's possible connections to the Manson Family added to the mystery.
12. Michele Mignano: Six months after Merrick's murder, Mignano’s sister Michele, a topless dancer, was also found murdered. The investigation into her death is ongoing.
Possible Motives for Murder
Helter Skelter
In November 1968, the Manson Family established their headquarters in the Death Valley area at the Myers and Barker ranches, with the former being owned by the grandmother of Family member Catherine Gillies.
According to Family members Charles Watson and Paul Watkins, Manson and Watson visited an acquaintance who played The Beatles' double album, The Beatles, which sparked an obsession with the band. Watkins claimed that Manson predicted imminent racial tensions between Blacks and Whites, foreseeing an uprising by Black Americans. Manson believed The Beatles' songs foretold this in code.
By February, according to Watkins, the Family planned to create an album whose songs would incite the predicted chaos. Murders of Whites by Blacks would provoke retaliation, leading to a split between racist and non-racist Whites and ultimately to the self-annihilation of the Whites.
Copycat Murders
Family members Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Bobby Beausoleil, and others suggested that Beausoleil's arrest for the torture and murder of Gary Hinman catalyzed the subsequent murder spree. They aimed to convince the police that Hinman's killer(s) were still at large. This account was confirmed by Truman Capote's interviews with Beausoleil and by an interview conducted by Ann Louise Bardach in November 1981.
Charlie Guenther, a police detective who investigated the murders, stated that Beausoleil had called the Spahn Ranch after his arrest, indicating that the sole motive for the murders was to get Beausoleil out of jail. Bugliosi's co-prosecutor, Aaron Stovitz, believed the Tate–LaBianca murders were copycat killings meant to mimic Hinman's murder.
Drug-Related Motive
Some suggest the motive was linked to drug dealings involving Jay Sebring and Voytek Frykowski, and their connections with Charles Watson and Manson. For example, Sebring's protégé, Jim Markham, believes the murders were a result of a bad drug deal the day before, in which Manson went to Tate's house to sell marijuana and cocaine to Sebring and Frykowski, only to be attacked and beaten by them.
Witold Kaczanowski, a friend of Frykowski, told police that Frykowski had been involved with many criminals and the drug trade. In a later interview with Truman Capote, Bobby Beausoleil said, "They burned people on dope deals. Sharon Tate and that gang."
Ed Sanders and Paul Krassner uncovered information that Joel Rostau, the boyfriend of Sebring's receptionist, had delivered mescaline and cocaine to Sebring and Frykowski at Tate's house a few hours before the murders. During the Manson trial, Rostau and other associates of Sebring were murdered.
Investigation and Trial
Investigation
The Tate murders became national news on August 9, 1969, when Winifred Chapman, the Polanskis' housekeeper, discovered the crime scene upon arriving for work that morning. On August 10, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which had jurisdiction over the Gary Hinman case, informed LAPD detectives assigned to the Tate case about the bloody writing at the Hinman house. Initially, the Tate team, believing the murders were drug-related, disregarded this and other similarities between the crimes.
During the autopsies of the Tate victims, detectives working on the Hinman case noticed similarities in the weapons used, the stab wounds, and the writing in blood on the walls. They shared this information with the detectives working on the Tate murders, but Detective Charlie Guenther noted that Bugliosi did not want to prosecute the Hinman case, considering it insignificant.
Steven Parent, who was shot in the driveway of the Tate/Polanski residence, was found to have been an acquaintance of William Garretson, the caretaker living in the guest house. Garretson, who had been hired by Rudi Altobelli to take care of the property, was briefly held as a suspect but was released after a polygraph test indicated he was not involved.
The LaBianca crime scene was discovered around 10:30 p.m. on August 10, approximately 19 hours after the murders. Rosemary's son, Frank Struthers, noticed unusual signs at home and, along with his sister's boyfriend, Joe Dorgan, found Leno's body inside. The police later found Rosemary's body.
On August 12, the LAPD announced that there was no connection between the Tate and LaBianca homicides. However, on August 16, the sheriff's office raided Spahn Ranch, arresting Manson and 25 others for suspected auto theft. Due to a misdated search warrant, they were released shortly after.
By the end of August, the LaBianca detectives noted a possible connection between the bloody writings at the LaBianca house and the Beatles' latest album.
Breakthrough
Working separately from the Tate team, the LaBianca detectives learned of the Hinman case in mid-October. They also discovered that Hinman detectives had spoken with Beausoleil's girlfriend, Kitty Lutesinger, who had been arrested with other Manson Family members. The arrests had occurred at desert ranches where the Family had moved, following evidence linked to the burning of a Death Valley National Monument earthmover.
In November, the LaBianca detectives contacted members of a motorcycle gang that Manson had tried to recruit as bodyguards. While they were gathering information, Susan Atkins, detained for the Hinman murder, began talking to her bunkmates, Ronnie Howard and Virginia Graham, about the crimes.
Apprehension
On December 1, 1969, based on the information from these sources, LAPD issued warrants for Watson, Krenwinkel, and Kasabian in the Tate case. Manson and Atkins, already in custody, were not mentioned at the time. Kasabian voluntarily surrendered on December 2.
Physical evidence began to accumulate. A .22-caliber Hi Standard "Buntline Special" revolver used in the Tate murders was found and handed over to police by a local boy. In December, a newspaper account prompted the discovery of the bloody clothing discarded by the Tate killers.
Trial
The trial began on June 15, 1970. The prosecution's main witness was Linda Kasabian, who was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony. She, along with Manson, Atkins, and Krenwinkel, was charged with seven counts of murder and one of conspiracy. Susan Atkins had initially agreed to testify in exchange for the prosecution not seeking the death penalty but later repudiated her testimony, leading to the deal being withdrawn. Leslie Van Houten was charged with two counts of murder and one of conspiracy.
Manson was initially allowed to act as his own attorney but lost this right due to his conduct. He and the female defendants marked themselves with an "X" on their foreheads, symbolizing their exclusion from society.
The prosecution argued that Manson's primary motive was to trigger "Helter Skelter," a race war he believed was foretold by the Beatles. Manson directed Kasabian to hide a wallet taken from the scene in a service station restroom near a Black neighborhood. However, as noted by co-prosecutor Stephen Kay, the wallet was actually left in a predominantly White neighborhood.
Ongoing Disruptions
During the trial, family members loitered near the courthouse entrances and corridors. To prevent them from entering the courtroom, the prosecution subpoenaed them as prospective witnesses, barring them from attending while others testified. When the group gathered on the sidewalk, some members visibly carried sheathed hunting knives, which were legal to carry. They were easily identifiable by the X on their foreheads.
Some Family members tried to dissuade witnesses from testifying. Prosecution witnesses Paul Watkins and Juan Flynn were both threatened. Watkins was severely burned in a suspicious fire in his van. Former Family member Barbara Hoyt, who had overheard Susan Atkins describing the Tate murders to Family member Ruth Ann Moorehouse, agreed to accompany Moorehouse to Hawaii. There, Moorehouse allegedly gave her a hamburger spiked with LSD. Found sprawled on a Honolulu curb in a drugged state, Hoyt was taken to the hospital, where she identified herself as a witness in the Tate–LaBianca murder trial. Initially reluctant, the attempt to silence her made Hoyt more determined to testify.
On August 4, despite court precautions, Manson displayed a Los Angeles Times front page with the headline "Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares" to the jury, referring to a statement by President Richard Nixon criticizing the media's glamorization of Manson. After questioning by Judge Charles Older, the jurors claimed they were not influenced by the headline. The next day, the female defendants declared there was no point in continuing the trial in light of Nixon's remark.
On October 5, Manson was denied permission to question a prosecution witness whom defense attorneys had not cross-examined. He attempted to attack the judge by leaping over the defense table but was subdued by bailiffs and removed from the courtroom along with the female defendants, who began chanting in Latin. Judge Older allegedly started wearing a revolver under his robes thereafter.
Defense Rests
On November 16, the prosecution rested its case. Three days later, after standard dismissal motions, the defense rested without calling a single witness. Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten protested, demanding their right to testify.
In chambers, the women's lawyers informed the judge that their clients wanted to testify that they had planned and committed the crimes without Manson's involvement. By resting their case, the defense lawyers had tried to prevent this, with Van Houten's attorney, Ronald Hughes, adamantly refusing to "push a client out the window." The prosecutor believed Manson advised the women to testify this way to save himself. In a 1987 documentary, Krenwinkel said, "The entire proceedings were scripted—by Charlie".
The next day, Manson testified without the jury present, to avoid violating the California Supreme Court's decision in People v. Aranda, which prohibits implicating co-defendants. Bugliosi argued Manson could unfairly influence the jury with his hypnotic powers. Manson spoke for over an hour, claiming, "the music is telling the youth to rise up against the establishment" and denying any direct orders to commit murder.
As closing arguments approached, defense attorney Hughes disappeared during a weekend trip. Maxwell Keith was appointed to represent Van Houten, requiring a delay for Keith to familiarize himself with the trial transcripts. After the trial resumed, disruptions by the defendants during the prosecution's closing argument led Judge Older to ban them from the courtroom for the remainder of the guilt phase.
Conviction and Penalty Phase
On January 25, 1971, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all 27 counts against the four defendants. During the penalty phase, the defense presented the narrative that the murders were "copycat" killings intended to exonerate Bobby Beausoleil, not orchestrated by Manson but by someone in love with Beausoleil—Linda Kasabian. This defense was weak, particularly when Atkins failed to explain why she had written "political piggy" at the Hinman house.
Midway through the penalty phase, Manson shaved his head and declared to the press, "I am the Devil, and the Devil always has a bald head". The female defendants refrained from shaving their heads until the jurors retired to deliberate on the death penalty.
The attempt to exonerate Manson through the "copycat" scenario failed. On March 29, 1971, the jury returned death verdicts for all four defendants on all counts. On April 19, 1971, Judge Older sentenced them to death.
Aftermath
1970s–1980s
After the Tate–LaBianca murders, Charles "Tex" Watson returned to McKinney, Texas. He was arrested on November 30, 1969, after California investigators identified his fingerprints on the front door of the Tate home. Watson resisted extradition to California, delaying his trial until after the initial three defendants, including Manson, were tried. His trial began in August 1971, and by October, Watson was found guilty on seven counts of murder and one of conspiracy. Unlike the other defendants, Watson attempted a psychiatric defense, which prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi quickly dismantled. Watson, like his co-conspirators, was sentenced to death.
In February 1972, the California Supreme Court's decision in People v. Anderson resulted in the commutation of all death sentences to life imprisonment. After returning to prison, Manson's influence diminished, although he briefly found acceptance with the Aryan Brotherhood in San Quentin.
Before the conclusion of Manson's trial, a Los Angeles Times reporter located Manson's mother, Kathleen Maddox, who denied that her son had suffered neglect, claiming he had been "pampered by all the women who surrounded him".
Remaining in View
The Manson Family regained national attention on September 5, 1975, when Squeaky Fromme attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in Sacramento, where she and Sandra Good had moved to be near Manson at Folsom State Prison. A search of their apartment led to Good's conviction for conspiring to send death threats through the mail, targeting corporate executives and government officials over alleged environmental misconduct. Fromme was sentenced to 15 years to life, becoming the first person sentenced under a 1965 federal law against presidential assassination attempts. In December 1987, Fromme briefly escaped from prison to reach Manson, who she believed had testicular cancer, but she was quickly recaptured. She was paroled on August 14, 2009.
1980–Present
In a 1994 conversation with Vincent Bugliosi, former Manson follower Catherine Share admitted that her testimony during Manson's trial had been fabricated under Manson's direction to save him from the gas chamber. Share's testimony introduced the "copycat motive" narrative, which was echoed by the female defendants and suggested that Linda Kasabian had instigated the murders.
In January 1996, George Stimson, a latter-day Manson follower, established a Manson website with help from Sandra Good, who had been released from prison in 1985 after serving 10 years of a 15-year sentence for making death threats.
In a 1998–1999 interview, Bobby Beausoleil rejected claims that Manson ordered him to kill Gary Hinman, although he acknowledged that Manson had slashed Hinman with a sword. Beausoleil had previously denied this in a 1981 interview.
William Garretson, the caretaker at 10050 Cielo Drive, revealed in a 1999 program that he had heard part of the Tate murders from his guest house, corroborating polygraph results that had cleared him as a suspect but indicated he had heard something.
In 2008, it was announced that Susan Atkins was suffering from brain cancer. Her application for compassionate release was denied, and she died on September 24, 2009, in prison.
In a 2008 interview for the Discovery Channel's "Most Evil," Barbara Hoyt clarified that she had cooperated with the Family out of fear for her family's safety, not merely to avoid testifying against Manson.
In March 2008, forensic investigators searched Barker Ranch for human remains, following rumors of Family murders. Although potential grave sites were identified, no human remains were found after excavation.
In September 2009, The History Channel aired a docudrama on the Family's activities, including an interview with Linda Kasabian, who spoke publicly for the first time since 1989. The program also featured interviews with Vincent Bugliosi, Catherine Share, and Debra Tate.
In July 2009, Los Angeles magazine published an oral history of the Tate–LaBianca murders, featuring recollections from former Family members and others involved in the case. Juan Flynn, a Spahn Ranch worker, claimed that Manson was "exactly where he wants to be" in prison.
Charles Manson died of a heart attack and complications from colon cancer on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83.
Leslie Van Houten was released on parole on July 11, 2023.
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