Charles Manson

Charles Manson
Black-and-white headshot photo of a crazy-eyed man with a dark mop of hair and beard
Manson's 1968 mugshot
Born
Charles Milles Maddox

(1934-11-12)November 12, 1934
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedNovember 19, 2017(2017-11-19) (aged 83)
Known forManson Family murders
Spouses
Rosalie Willis
(m. 1955; div. 1958)
Leona Stevens
(m. 1959; div. 1963)
Children3
Convictions
Criminal penaltyDeath; commuted to life imprisonment
AccomplicesMembers of the Manson Family, including Susan Atkins, Mary Brunner, and Tex Watson
Details
Victims9+ murdered by proxy
Signature

Charles Milles Manson ( Maddox; November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[1] Some cult members committed a series of at least nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, including the film actress Sharon Tate. The prosecution contended that, while Manson never directly ordered the murders, his ideology constituted an overt act of conspiracy.[2]

Before the murders, Manson had spent more than half of his life in correctional institutions.[3] While gathering his cult following, he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry, chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, who introduced Manson to record producer Terry Melcher.[4] In 1968, the Beach Boys recorded Manson's song "Cease to Exist", renamed "Never Learn Not to Love" as a single B-side, but Manson was uncredited.[5] Afterward, he attempted to secure a record contract through Melcher, but was unsuccessful.[6]

Manson would often talk about the Beatles, including their eponymous 1968 album. According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, Manson felt guided by his interpretation of the Beatles' lyrics and adopted the term "Helter Skelter" to describe an impending apocalyptic race war.[1] During his trial, Bugliosi argued that Manson had intended to start a race war, although Manson and others disputed this.[7][8] Contemporary interviews and trial witness testimony insisted that the Tate–LaBianca murders were copycat crimes intended to exonerate Manson's friend Bobby Beausoleil.[9][10] Manson himself denied having ordered any murders. Nevertheless, he served his time in prison and died from complications from colon cancer in 2017.[11][12]

  1. ^ a b Juschka, Darlene M. (2023). "Chapter 4: Space Aliens and Deities Compared". In Freudenberg, Maren; Elwert, Frederik; Karis, Tim; Radermacher, Martin; Schlamelcher, Jens (eds.). Stepping Back and Looking Ahead: Twelve Years of Studying Religious Contact at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg Bochum. Dynamics in the History of Religions. Vol. 13. Leiden and Boston: Brill Publishers. pp. 124–145. doi:10.1163/9789004549319_006. ISBN 978-90-04-54931-9. ISSN 1878-8106.
  2. ^ "People v. Manson". Justia Law. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  3. ^ ""Chaos: The Manson Murders" Explores Conspiracy Linking Charles Manson's Cult with the CIA". Biography. March 7, 2025. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  4. ^ "How a Music Producer Was Tied to Charles Manson — and Possibly Evaded His Own Murder". Oxygen. November 15, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  5. ^ "The horrific true story behind the 1969 Manson Family murders that changed America forever". Yahoo News. February 26, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  6. ^ "Charles Manson's random ties to musicians, actors in Hollywood". FOX TV Digital Team. October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  7. ^ Waxman, Olivia B. (July 26, 2019). "Why Did the Manson Family Kill Sharon Tate? Here's the Story Charles Manson Told the Last Man Who Interviewed Him". TIME. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  8. ^ "Charles Manson Denies "Helter Skelter" Theory: "That Was a F-cking Game"". Oxygen. November 19, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  9. ^ "Manson Murders Motive | Copycat Motive". www.cielodrive.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  10. ^ James Buddy Day (Director) (2017). Charles Manson: The Final Words. Pyramid Productions.
  11. ^ Vulliamy, Ed; Vulliamy, By Ed (March 7, 1999). "Manson set to defend himself, 30 years on". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
  12. ^ Griggs, Steve Almasy,Brandon (November 20, 2017). "Charles Manson, leader of murderous cult, dead at 83". CNN. Retrieved April 25, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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