Charles MansonCharles Manson. He and his cult, “The Family,” together killedseven people, bloodied and butchered. The people who he and others killed,the Tate and LaBianca families, were wealthy and well-off. What could havemade them do such a thing without pity or remorse? Read on. . .
. . . . . MANSON: The Man HimselfIn 1954, Manson set up a commune-based cult, drawing in hippies,drifters.
and the unemployed at the Spahn Ranch, near Los Angeles. Mansonhad lovely ideas and his followers or “Family” regarded him as aChrist-like figure. They indulged in free love practices, pseudo religiousceremonies, and used drugs such as marijuana and LSD. The Black Panthers were a major black movement in the 1960’s. Afterkilling a leader of this movement in self defence, Manson grew scared onthe promise of revenge from the Black Panthers. Scared, Manson ordered hisfollowers to practice guerrilla tactics and they did so, without question.
Manson sad he taught love because in love there is no hatred, but JohnFlynn, a man who testified at his trial, testified to some veryincriminating admissions by Manson. Barbara Holt, a “Family” member, fledthe group before a raid. She later showed up as a prosecution witness, apotential danger to Manson, so faithful members of the “Family” tried tokill her with a hamburger laced with LSD. Before her testimony, another”Family” member, Gary Hinman, who had also fled he group, was killedbecause he had betrayed the “Family. ” As you can see, the punishment forcrossing the “Family” was severe.
Manson makes claims to thirty-five murders. Although he was convictedfor others, there was not enough evidence to bring him to trial for thethirty five. THE MOTIVE BEHIND THE MANThe driving force behind Manson’s killing was hard to prove and hardto believe. Manson had a plan in his head. When the Beatles firstreleased “The White Album,” it was a hit. Manson listened to it often.
Hehad a great devotion to the Beatles, who he believed spoke to him acrossthe oceans in their lyrics and songs. Manson saw the 4 Beatles as the 4Angels that announced the ending of the world in the bible. (Armageddon)On “The White Album” there are two song titles containing theword revolution. These are “Revolution 1” and “Revolution 9. ” Mansonthought the Beatles were talking about a black/white revolution. The wordrise can be found in “Revolution 9” and could be depicted as a predictionof a Black uprising.
One song in particular, “Helter Skelter” seemedunexceptional to the normal ear, but was given a weird interpretation byManson. Man saw the Blacks as stupid and felt he had to show “Blackie” theway. His plan to kill seven wealthy white people and to blame it on theblacks would start his plan of a black/white revolution which he called”Helter Skelter. ” He attempted to frame the black people by writing “Deathto Pigs” in the victim’s own blood and carving the word “war” in thestomach of his victims. Manson denied allegations that this was the motivebehind the murders but many of Manson’s followers said that Manson oftenspoke of this revolution, “Helter Skelter. “Another controversial song on the album was “Sexy Sadie.
” It wasbelieved by Manson that the song foretold his murder trial when SusanAtkins made a crucial mistake on the witness stand. She made the “Family”appear to be murderers of the seven butchered victims while Manson felt hewas convincing the jury of their innocence. Manson believed he foresaw thiseven before the trial. THE FOLLOWERS OF MANSON:THE FAMILYThe killers of the Tate and LaBianca families now serve life inprison. Four people, all part of the “Family” were convicted of thesemurders: Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and PatriciaKrenwinkle.
It is interesting to see that most of the killers are women. Another woman, Linda Kasabian, who drove the killers to the murder scene,turned state’s evidence, and literally, got away with murder. CharlesWatson was another member of Manson’s group and was a Texan citizen, so hewas tried under Texan Law. The others were tried in Los Angeles.
He wasalso given life imprisonment. The trial, which lasted nine and one halfmonths, cost Los Angeles one million dollars. Many people have wondered how these so called “normal” people couldcommit such morbid crimes and show no signs of regret or remorse. Its issuggested that Manson used threats, guilt, and partial fear to seduce thesepeople into doing what he wanted.
Manson’s followers were devoted to him,doing whatever he wanted. They so much believed in him that they did notquestion what they were doing. THE MANSON HATE LISTCharles Manson is said to have kept a secret list of future targets,with graphic details of how he is going to “deal” with these people. Prisoners who have shared jail cells with members of the “Family” testifythat this was a frequent topic of conversation among them. All individualson the hate list were white (suggesting that Manson would blame the blacks)and the list seemed to deal with the rich and famous for whom Mansoninvented cruel tortures.
Some examples: Frank Sinatra, skinned alive,Steve McQueen, boiled in oil, Doris Day, raped and impaled, Tom Jones,tongue cut off, Elizabeth Taylor, breasts cut off, Richard Burton,castrated, etc. THE MANSON LIFE AND TRIALA movie, entitled “Manson” was taped prior to the trial in LosAngeles. It was questioned if the movie gave an accurate portrayal of thelife of Manson, or if it made a mockery out of him. The informationpresented in the movie is considered to be a documentation of the life ofthe Manson Family. The film was taped prior to the trial and was orderedto be removed from public viewing because it was thought to be a possibleinfluence on the jurors.
The Manson trial lasted nine and one half months and cost Los Angelestax payers one million dollars. Four people stood trial: Manson, PatriciaKrenwinkle, Leslie Van Houten, and Susan Atkins. They were all convicted offive murders altogether. There were two other people with them on thenight of the murders. Charles Watson was a texan citizen, and was deportedto Texas to be tried under Texan law.
Linda Kasabian turned state’sevidence and got away with murder. All particpants in the murders, withthe exception of Kasabian, were found guilty and were sentenced to death. This sentence was revoked and turned into life imprisionment. There wasgreat concern for the possibility of the popular image of martyrdom beingassigned to Manson and his “Family.
“Manson used suggestion and passive hypnotism to make his followersanswer any command of his. People did unquestioning acts of any sort, evenmurder at his whim. He found the fear in people and enjoyed playing on it. Manson’s followers frequently said, “He reflects back to you what you wantto see. ” Manson himself said: “You are using us fpr a scapegoat, trying tolook past Nixon, and past Vietnam. I am only what your world made me.
“Another quote of Manson’s is: “I hate the world I live in. ” By the age ofthirty, he had fifty convictions against him. Manson believed in free love and experimentation with drugs. Followersof Manson came from all over the globe. They believed they had to go tothe desert and bring along all the children they could convince to jointhe,. Children were not excluded from anything and this “freedom” appealedto may yound people.
They could participate in free secual activities,experiment with drugs, or use guns and cars. Manson’s ranch became a homefor runaways, people in trouble with they law, and hippires. Manson didnot like hippies, and he said they were just trying to be different andwere looking for trouble, hence the name he gave to them: “slippies. ” Girlsin Manson’s “family” made a ceremonial vest that tells the life of Mansonin thread.
Bruce Davis, Manson’s second in command, overdosed on LSD andwas mentally and physcially disabled. On August 11, 1972, police raidedthe ranch and arrested the killers for auto theft with the intention tolater convict them of the murders once they had firm evidence. The motive was the strangest and most unbelievable thing that thepolice had to deal with. Manson saw the Beatles as prophets that describeda race war between the whites and blacks. Manson planned to start this warup by blaming the murders of members of black society. Only it didn’t workout that way.
Manson planned to hide in the desert until the war ended. Manson believed he would later have to take over because the blacks wereinexperience leaders. He called this plan Helter Skelter. The seven deaths the “Family” were convicted of were oriented aroundthe rich and famous. Sharon Tate, who was eight and a half moths pregnant,was hanged and her baby was cut out of her.
She was the wife of moviedirector Roman Polanski. Abigail Folger was the heiress to the vast Folgerestate and was killed along with her lover Voityck Fryowski, a famouswriter. Jay Sebring was present at this gathering because he was a formerboyfriend of Tate’s.Biographies
