Charles Manson

1. Charles Manson PVHS Forensic Science

2. Charles Milles Manson • Born November 12, 1934 • American criminal who led a cultic commune in California in the mid to late 1960s in California • The Manson Family • Found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder

3. Helter Skelter • This term he took from the Beatles’ song with that same name and used as a term to describe his “apocalyptic race war” • His connection with rock music linked him with pop culture as he became the epitome of insanity • Before the conviction he mooched around with celebrities such as Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and wrote songs for Artists such as Guns N’ Roses and Marilyn Manson

4. Early Life • Born to unwed 16 year old Kathleen Maddox in Cincinnati, OH as “no name Maddox” • For a period during his childhood, his mother was married to William Manson and was named then • His mother sold him to a childless bar maid for a pitcher of beer • After an attempt to place him in foster home, the court placed him into Gibault School for Boys in Indiana…he fled there back to his mother who rejected him

5. By burgling a grocery store, Manson stole cash and enabled him to rent a room • He was eventually caught in the act of stealing a bicycle and was returned to a juvenile center in Indiana • He escaped there four days later with another inmate • The pair committed two armed robberies on their way to the other boy’s uncle

6. Caught during the second of two more grocery store robberies, Manson was sent at the age of 13, to Indiana School for Boys • Here he claimed to have been brutally sexually assaulted and physically abused • After near daily escape attempts, he finally escaped in 1951 with two other boys

7. Escaping to Utah, having robbed gas stations along the way, The three were caught on the way to California in stolen cars • For this federal crime of taking a stolen car across state borders, the three were sent to The National Training School for Boys in Washington D.C.

8. There, despite four years of schooling, Manson tested an average IQ of 109 (He was later tested at 121), but was still illiterate • His caseworker concluded that he was aggressively antisocial

9. Less than one month before a parole hearing, Manson “took a razor blade and held it against another boy’s throat while he sodomized him” • He was transferred to Federal Reformatory in Petersburg, VA • In September of 1952, after being classified as “dangerous”, he was transferred again to Federal Reformatory in Chillicothe, OH where he became a “model citizen” and was granted parole in May of 1954

10. After temporarily honoring parole conditions to live with his aunt and uncle in West Virginia, he moved in with his mother in the same state • In January 1955, he married Rosalie Jean Willis, a hospital nutritionist who he found “a genuine, marital happiness” with • He supported her with smalltime jobs and auto theft

11. In October, three months after his pregnant wife arrived in LA in a stolen car, Manson was charged again with interstate transfer of a stolen vehicle • After psychiatric evaluation, he was given 5 years probation • His failure to appear in the LA hearing on an identical charge filed in Florida resulted in his March 1956 arrest in Indianapolis • His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to 3 years in Terminal Island in San Pedro CA

12. Manson’s son, Charles Manson, Jr, was born while Manson was in prison • In 1957, Manson’s mother informed him that Rosalie was living with another man • Caught trying to escape in another stolen car, less than two weeks before a parole hearing, his parole was denied and he was given 5 more years of probation

13. Manson received five years probation after his parole hearing in September of 1958 the same year he filed for divorce from Rosalie • By November, he was pimping a 16-year old girl and was receiving financial support from a girl with wealthy parents

14. Manson plead guilty in 1959 of a charge of forging a US Treasury check, he received a 10 month suspended sentence and probation after a young woman tearfully told the court that she would marry Manson if he were freed • After Manson took that woman and another from CA to NM for prostitution purposes, he was held and questioned for violation of the Mann Act

15. Mann Act • The United StatesWhite-Slave Traffic Act of 1910 (ch. 395, 36 Stat. 825; codified as amended at 18 U.S.C.§ 2421–2424) prohibited white slavery. It also banned the interstate transport of females for “immoral purposes.” Its primary stated intent was to address prostitution, immorality, and human trafficking. The act is better known as the Mann Act, after James Robert Mann, an American lawmaker. • Source: wikipedia.com

16. He disappeared, which violated his parole and a bench warrant was issued, an April 1960 indictment on violation of the Mann Act was placed on Manson • He was arrested in Laredo, TX when one of his “girls” was picked up on prostitution charges • He was ordered to serve the remainder of his 10 year sentence for his check fraud charges

17. In July 1961, he was transferred from the Los Angeles County Jail to the United States Penitentiary at McNeil Island • In his annual parole hearing in September 1961, he was noted as having “a tremendous drive to call attention to himself” • In 1963, Leona, one of his girls, was granted a divorce in the pursuit of which she alleged her and Manson had a child, Charles Luther

18. In June 1966, in preparation for early release, he was sent back to Terminal Island • By March 21, 1967, his release date, he had spent more than half of his 32 years of life in prison • Telling police that prison was “my home” he was not granted permission to stay

19. On his release day, and with the help of a prison acquaintance, he moved into an apartment in Berkeley, CA • After moving in with Mary Brunner, a 23 year old University of Wisconsin-Madison grad student, who was an assistant librarian at UC Berkeley he began to bring home several women per day • Brunner eventually adapted after 18 women became their roommates

20. Manson began to establish himself in the “hippie” movement of 1967 • He began to follow the Church of Scientology • He persuaded a large group of females and a few males that he was a called leader in Scientology

21. Before the end of that summer. Manson had convinced 8 or 9 enthusiasts to join him on a cross country road trip • An alternative account does not mention the 18 roommates, but does account for the road trip

22. Manson’s strange behavior began in spring of 1968 • Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys picked up a couple of the “Manson Girls” • Following a night recording session, Wilson returned home to see Manson standing in his driveway • Manson insisted that he meant Wilson no harm, but fell to the ground and kissed Wilson’s feet

23. Inside the house, Wilson discovered 12 strange women • Over the next few months, the number of women doubled • The new “Family Members” cost Wilson $100,000 • This included a medical bill for their treatment of Gonorrhea • $21,000 for accidental destruction of an uninsured car

24. Wilson returned to the studio to record some of Manson’s music and introduced him to some very important people for this case: • Gregg Jakobson – a music producer • Terry Melcher – a musician • Sharon Tate – an actress • Roman Polanski – a director

25. By August 1968, Wilson had his management clear all of the “family” from his house • Manson has established a base for the “family” at Spahn’s Move Ranch • Manson paid the rent for the place by using his girls to sexually appease the blind owner of the ranch • The family was soon joined by Charles Watson, a man who met Manson at Wilson’s house

26. Manson’s family moved on to a new location at Meyer’s ranch • For some time, Manson had been predicting the rise in racial tensions of the late 1960s • He had emphasized that Martin Luther King Jr would be assassinated • On a bitterly cold New Year’s Eve, Manson convinced that not only he had predicted the racism, but the Beatles White Album also predicted the racism in code • He maintained that the album was written for the family and that they were an elect group instructed to preserve themselves from impending disaster

27. In January 1969, the group moved into a canary yellow house in Canoga Park, CA…not far from Spahn Ranch • Manson called the house the yellow submarine, yet another Beatles reference • There, family members prepared for “Helter Skelter”, Manson’s predicted apocalypse

28. By February, Manson’s vision was complete • Racial Tensions escalated and his predictions came true • Rumors flied that Terry Melcher was to come to the Yellow Submarine to hear the music Manson had written about his visions • He Never Arrived

29. March 23, 1969 • Manson broke and entered 10050 Cielo Drive, the home of Terry Melcher • Melcher had moved into a new residence, so the home was occupied by Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski • Manson questioned a Tate photographer and insisted that he enter the guest house • This informed prosecutors that Manson had visited the house since the exit of Melcher

30. The Polanksi guest recognized Manson from Wilson’s home • He complimented Manson’s music

31. Crowe and Hinman Murders • May 18, 1969 • Melcher visited Spahn Ranch to hear Manson and the family perform • By June, Manson had began to tell the family to show blacks Helter Skelter • When Manson asked Watson to raise $ for the assault, he defrauded a black drug dealer, Bernard “Lotsapoppa” Crowe • Crowe responded with a threat to wipe out all of the Spahn Ranch • Manson Responded with the shooting of Crowe on July 1, 1969 in his Hollywood apartment

32. July 25, 1969 • Manson sent three family members to the home of Gary Hinman • Hinman was suspected of inheriting some money • Manson wanted all of the money, but Hinman refused to turn it over to the family members • Manson slashed his ear and family member, Bobby Beausoleil stabbed Hinman to death

33. Beausoleil was arrested on August 6, 1969 after being caught driving Hinman’s car • August 8 • Manson instructed Watson to take three family members to the old Melcher home and… • “totally destroy everyone in [it], as gruesome as you can” • He told the girls that they were to do just as Watson instructed

34. Tate Slaughter • Victims • 18 year old innocent driver – Steven Parent • Wojciech Frykowski • Sharon Tate – 8 months pregnant • Jay Sebring – father to Tate’s baby • Abigail Folger – heiress to the Folger’s Coffee franchise • Polanski was in London shooting a film

35. One night later • Manson and 6 family members ended up at 3301 Waverly Dr, the home of Leno LaBianca, a grocery store executive, and his wife Rosemary • With a bayonet, Manson killed Leno on his couch • Watson carved “WAR” on Leno’s exposed abdomen • Rosemary was stabbed by all three girls involved

36. Sharon Tate Pictures

37. LaBianca Pictures

38. Investigation • LAPD found bloody writing on the wall of the Hinman Home • They even mentioned that Beausoleil was a member of a group of hippies led by a guy named “Charlie” • The investigation team for the Tate murders thought that the murder was simply a drug case and ignored LAPD’s warning

39. William Garretson, the resident of the Tate guest house, was held briefly as a suspect • He was released on August 11, 1969 after passing a polygraph test • On August 12, 1969 LAPD informed the press that there was NO connection between the LaBianca and Tate murders • August 16th, Manson and 25 family members were arrested on auto theft charges, but due to a misdated warrant they were released a few days later • Weapons were seized during the arrest

40. By the end of August, the Tate team made a connection between bloody writing at the LaBianca house and the Beatles • In mid-October, the LaBianca team learned of the Hinman case • This led them to Meyers Ranch and another arrest of Manson and several family members on yet another suto theft charge

41. One of Manson’s 18 roommates from UC Berkeley informed police of the connection between the murders • On December 1, 1969 – Watson, and two other family members were arrested for the Tate case • Another family member located in Mobile, AL surrendered to police in Concord, NH on December 2 • The arrest was sparked by the reception of the .22 caliber gun used by Watson on Parent, Sebring, and Frykowski

42. A local ABC television crew discovered the bloody clothes from the Tate case, but the knives are still missing

43. The Trial • June 15, 1970 • Kasabian, a family member, was granted immunity to release information related to the crimes • Manson’s request to act as his own attorney was denied by the court just days before the trial began • On Friday, July 24th, testimony began • Manson appeared in court with an X carved into his forehead • He claimed that he was “considered inadequate and incompetent to speak or defend self – and had ‘X’d self from world”

44. Over the weekend, family members carved the same X symbols into their foreheads • Manson admitted to one mistake in his effort to cause “Helter Skelter” • He failed to deposit Rosemary LaBianca’s wallet into the streets of a black neighborhood to frame an LA gang • The wallet was instead left in the bathroom of a gas station in a black neighborhood…to “show blackie how to do it”

45. Family members haunted the halls of the courthouse throughout the murder • To prevent this from continuing, prosecution subpoenaed them as prospective witnesses • They then moved outside carrying visible hunting knives and X’s on their foreheads • On October 5th, the judge refused allow suspension of cross-examination of a witness to which Manson responded with a physical assault of the Judge • The Judge returned to court for the remainder of the trial with a revolver under his robe

46. On November 19, the prosecution rested…and to the shock of the court, the defense rested as well without ever calling a witness • Manson was allowed to speak to the judge but without the presence of the jury to prevent violation of CA Supreme Court decision on People v. Aranda • Manson told the judge • “the music is telling the youth to rise up against the establishment…Why blame it on me? I don’t write the music…”

47. January 25, 1971 • Guilty verdict was presented to Manson, Krenwinkel and Atkins • Van Houten was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy • Midways through the penalty phase, Manson shaved his head and trimmed his beard to a fork saying “I am the devil, the devil always has a bald head” • Once the jury began to consider the death penalty, the female family members all shaved their head as well

49. On March 29, 1971 – Jury returned with the death sentence on all 4 defendants on all counts • April 19 – Judge sentenced all defendants to death by injection

50. In February 1972, Supreme Court of California revoked the death penalty and all parties charges were dropped to life in prison • Manson was also found to be guilty of the murders of Gary Hinman and Donald Shea and received life sentences for both murders • Manson’s mother made a statement following these sentences • “my son had known no neglect, he had even been pampered by all the women who surrounded him…”