Serving life in prison in California, USA

Gathering a Family

In the late 1960s, Manson founded a quasi-religious commune in the United States.  He was a very charismatic man, presenting himself to his followers as a Christ-like figure, and telling his followers that they were the reincarnation of the original Christians.  His followers grew as he travelled around in a converted bus, and eventually he took them to the Spahn Ranch in Los Angeles.  They referred to themselves as the Manson Family.

Helter Skelter

After hearing the Beatles 'White Album', Manson's rhetoric increased in paranoia, and he began to teach his followers that racial tensions between the blacks and whites were going to reach a climax, leading to the apocalypse, which he referred to as 'Helter Skelter'.  He declared that the entire 'White Album' was in fact a code meant only for him and his family, and that it was instructing them 'to preserve the worthy from the impending disaster'

The Hinman Murder

Between 25th & 27th of July 1969 Manson Family members Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner and Susan Atkins held Gary Hinman hostage while trying to obtain a $21,000 inheritance Hinman had recently received.  Eventually Manson arrived and slashed his ear with a sword, and Beausoleil then stabbed Hinman to death on Manson's instruction.  Two days after the murder, Manson told Family members "Now is the time for Helter Skelter."

The Tate Murders

On the 9th of August, Tex Watson took Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to a house on Cielo Drive where they murdered Sharon Tate (who was eight months pregnant), Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski and Stephen Parent.  They shot and stabbed their victims to death, with Tate being stabbed 16 times, Folger being stabbed 28 times, Parent shot 4 times, and Sebring being both shot and then stabbed 7 times.

The LaBianca Murders

The following night, the 10th of August, Leslie Van Houten, Steve "Clem" Grogan,Tex Watson,  Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel went to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.  The couple were tied up with electrical cables and pillowcases were placed over their heads.  During the sustained attack Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten stabbed Rosemary 41 times, and Watson stabbed Leno a total of 12 times with a bayonet, carving the word 'WAR' into his abdomen.