Manson, born on 12 November, 1934, was the illegitimate son of a 16-year-old girl named Kathleen Maddox who lived with a succession of men before marrying William Manson. As a child Charles alternated his time between a very strict aunt and his promiscuous mother who let him do as he wished.
At 12, he was sent to Gibault School for Boys. There he had "a tendency toward moodiness and a persecution complex." He would often run away back home, but his mother would send him back. He began to burgularize and was sent to several juvenile centers, from which he still ran away. At the age of 17, when an aunt offered to supply him with a home and employment, his chances of leading a normal life looked good. But instead, While waiting for his parole hearing, he held a razor blade to another boy's throat and sodamized him.
In and out of jails for escalating offenses from robbery to procuring (prostitutes) to forgery, Manson had spent half his life in prison when he was finally released from jail in the 1960's into a world of upheavel. Those were the days of LSD and Heroin, of Flower Power, long haired kids and nonstop sex. It was heaven for Manson.
By the age 34, Manson had gathered together a group of hippies and drifters. Which at it's peak contained between 25 to 30, hardcore members. Manson made them feel special and important. They worshiped him, viewing him as a mix of Jesus Christ and the Devil. Manson, who has a high IQ, believed a race war was imminent in which the African-Americans would conquer the whites. He called this war "Helter Skelter," and preached it often to his followers, Manson's plan was to accelerate this war by murdering whites in such a way that the "pigs" (the establishment) would blame the African-Americans. Before the war's culmination, Manson and his family would escape to the hills. Other people say that the killings were simply an act of revenge on the music industry for rejecting him.
At 8.30 a.m. on 9 August 1969, a middle aged black woman Screaming "Murder!" pounded on the front door of 10090 Cielo Drive in the hill above LA's exclusive Bel Air district. The woman was Winifred Chapman, housekeeper of film director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. What the police saw when they arrived was a scene of appalling carnage. In a car parked in the driveway was the bloody body of a young man slumped over the wheel. He had been shot four times. On the lawn was the body of a man in his 30s, and a young dark haired woman in a nightgown. The man had been shot twice, sruck over the head 13 times and stabbed 51 times. The woman had 28 stab wounds. Both were soaked in their own blood. In the living room they found two more bodies. A young blond woman, lying in a foetal position in front of the fire. She was heavily pregnant. She was also soaked in blood. A white nylon rope had been looped around her neck, over a rafter and around the neck of a man who lay four feet away. He had a bloody towel over his face. He had been stabbed seven times and shot once. The pregnant woman was Sharon Tate, she had been stabbed 16 times. Five of which would have fatal on their own. The word "PIG" had been writen in her blood on the front door.
The murders caused panic in Hollywood. Within 24-hours there was another scene of carnage. This time at the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. A fork was left stuck in Leno's flesh and "War" had been carved into his abdomin; "Helter Skelter", "Death to Pigs", and "Rise" were writen in blood on the refrigerator and walls. Rosemary had been stabbed 41 times.After the killings the murderers then took showers, ate, and fed the victim's dogs.
Although Manson and 20 family members were arrested a few days later when the police raided their run-down Ranch, it was for suspicion of car theft. No proof was found, and they were released.
In October, a female who was connected to the Manson family was taken to jail for the murder of a music teacher Gary Hinman. She denied involvement but named the two women who were there, Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner. Although Atkins also denied the Hinman charge, she boasted to a cellmate, Virginia Graham, that she'd taken part in the Tate LaBianca murders. At first, the woman thought she was crazy, hearing Atkins rave on about Charlie being "love, pure love" and saying how "it feels good when the knife goes in". But Graham told her friend Ronnie Howard, who occupied the same cell, about it. Hearing more, Graham realized the girl was telling the truth, but when she tried to tell Prison Officers, she was ignored. It was Howard, a former call girl, who finally reached someone who would listen, and the murder story reached the Los Angeles Police Chief.
As a result Manson and his disciples were charged with the Tate LaBianca slayings. Charles and some of the group were sentenced to death. However, because the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972, their sentences were altered to life imprisonment.
Manson still corresponds with followers and so called "Family" members, and is alledged to have had one of them try to assassinate one of the presidents of the United States. Manson, is said to recieve more mail than any other prisoner in the United States of America. And now has his own web-site.
Charles Manson first boasted to having committed 35 murders, although the exact number has never been established. He was sentenced to nine life terms in prison.
In 1997, at his parol hearing, he pointed out that he was hard at work on the web-site, and had no time for parol. Charles Manson is now said to be assisting a criminology professor with a course on the American leagal system.
Quelle:
http://website.lineone.net/~tymaloney/manson.htm
