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Vincent Bugliosi’s official version of the ‘Manson
Murders’
Los Angeles district attorney Vincent Bugliosi prosecuted
and convicted Charlie Manson and several members of his hippie commune—many
of them young women—for murdering Sharon Tate and seven others. The
following is a synopsis of the official version of events as presented by
Bugliosi during the trials and later in his best seller book, Helter
Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders, co-written by Curt
Gentry.
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Manson et al murdered Sharon Tate and the others in
order to start a racial war, called Helter Skelter, between whites
and blacks. The name Helter Skelter is the title of a Beatles song
on their White Album, released near the end of 1968. Manson interpreted
the lyrics of Helter Skelter to mean there would be a full-scale black
uprising against whites. In order to prevent blacks from slaughtering
whites, Manson ordered the murders of Sharon Tate and seven others; he
hoped whites would think the murders were done by blacks. Consequently,
whites would rise up and fight blacks. (Note: This is Bugliosi’s theory.
Although it sounds completely bizarre, Bugliosi managed to get juries to
believe Helter Skelter motivated Manson et al to commit mass murder.)
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Manson had enormous power over his followers. Using
sexual manipulation, LSD, and his personal charisma, Manson was able to
order his young followers—many of whom were young women without a
propensity to engage in violent criminal behavior—to commit mass murder
when he issued the command.
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Manson hated record producer Terry Melcher because
Melcher refused to give him a recording contract.
-
Manson was an average musician struggling to make it in
the music business.
-
Manson was obsessed with the Beatles, and spent a lot
of time interpreting the lyrics of Beatle songs from the White Album.
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Manson lived at Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson’s
house.
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Manson et al murdered Shorty Shea.
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Manson demonstrated he was a cold blooded murderer when
he shot drug dealer Bermard Crowe.
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Manson was a racist who hated blacks.
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Manson hated Jews and admired Adolf Hitler. He
demonstrated this hatred by carving a swastika on his forehead.
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Manson had complete authoritarian control over all
members of his commune.
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The only reason Manson ordered the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman
murders was to start a race war (aka, Helter Skelter) between whites and
blacks.
Manson versus Bugliosi
In 1986 Charlie Manson gave a detailed account of his
life and the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders to Nuel Emmons, an ex-con Manson
knew years earlier in prison. Emmons was released in 1964 and turned his
life around. He got into the auto repair and also became a free-lance
writer. Years later Emmons wrote to Manson and requested an interview.
Manson remembered him and agreed to see Emmons. The result was published by
Emmons, in 1986, in a book entitled Manson: In his own Words.1
Manson accepts blame for, at a minimum, allowing the
murders to occur and doing nothing to stop them. He believes his people
committed the crimes, but not for the reasons presented by Bugliosi.
Nevertheless, he believes the right people were convicted and he feels
particularly responsible for the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca
because he selected their home at random.
After reading Manson’s account, I’m afraid I must
disagree with him on one key point. I seriously doubt that he or anyone in
his commune killed anyone or consciously directed anyone to commit murder. I
believe a similar form of mind control was used on him and his followers
that was used on Mark David Chapman. A hypnotic suggestion was planted in
their minds to commit murder, but someone else actually committed the
crimes. Using mind control, Manson et al were commanded to commit various
incriminating acts which ultimately caused him and his friends to actually
believe they had committed the murders; just like Chapman. "It’s obvious the
right people are locked up," Manson lamented to Emmons, "but the motives
used to convict us, especially me, were absurd."2 My research indicates that
the "right people" are NOT locked up because they were never caught.
In my opinion, Manson’s version is completely believable,
whereas, Bugliosi’s is not. It is interesting how much Manson’s story
differs from Bugliosi’s version, yet the in result is the same. Bugliosi and
Manson both believe the right people were convicted. Manson does not claim
he was framed; he just tells a different story. Having stated that, allow me
to present Manson’s responses to Bugliosi’s theory, point by point, with my
observations as well.
First point—Manson et al murdered Sharon Tate and the
others in order to start a racial war, Helter Skelter, between whites and
blacks.
Manson believes this is nonsense; he claims he made
statements about racial problems that "got so twisted and exaggerated that
none of it sounded like what actually came out of [his] mouth."3 Manson
claims he first mentioned racial problems when he was trying to convince
members of his commune to move to a location further in the desert. Charlie
had made arrangements to live on a piece of property in the desert called
the "Barker ranch." He liked being away from the rat race and he
particularly liked the desert, but others in his commune did not share his
enthusiasm. Consequently, he made a sales pitch, explaining the benefits of
living in the desert, and he used racial problems as an example of things
they wouldn’t have to deal if they lived in the desert. He was not making a
define prophesy of a racial war, not in a literal sense, he was simply
trying to convince people that living in the desert was preferable to living
closer to Los Angeles. The discussion about moving to the desert occurred in
the early months of 1969, about a year after Martin Luther King, Jr was
assassinated. The previous summer blacks had rioted in several major cities
throughout America. Within that context, it was not uncommon or unreasonable
to believe there would be a race war. In fact, it would not be inaccurate to
say that one had already started.
The following is the sales pitch Manson gave to other
members of his commune—in the early months of 1969—about moving to the
desert, a sales pitch that mentioned blacks, whites and Helter Skelter.
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Some of the kids were as pumped up about getting out
of the city as I was, but several still frowned on being out in the
desert. Their argument was, "Geez, Charile, except for a few places like
Barker’s there’s hardly no water or shade. It’s too hot in the summer
and too cold in the winter. There ain’t no protection from nothin’."
"Are you kiddin’," I almost screamed, "that desert’s got everything.
Hell, the whole desert ain’t nothing but an upside down river. Water’s
running under every inch of it. How do you think those springs stay
full? You just have to know where it’s at. I’ve come across places out
there where the sun don’t beat down on you all day and it never gets
cold in the winter, and water’s everywhere. It’s underground. I haven’t
explored it yet, but I sat on the edge of the hole and watched the water
flowing underground. Man, the possibilities are of that place are
endless. And we’ll find that hole again and build our own city.
"…When our records hit the market, we’ll build our
own town. In the meantime, if we put our act together, we can make the
desert just as comfortable as we want it to be. Think about it: no rent
to pay, no laws to obey and no cops on our asses. Hey, we’ll be one step
ahead of anything that goes on in this world.
"Look around you, the worm’s turning on the white
man. He and his pigs have put the dollar in front of everything. Even
his own kids. Blackie’s tired of being the doormat for the rich man’s
pad. So while the white man’s locked into his dollars, blackie’s balling
the blond, blue-eyed daughters and making mixed babies. It’s all leading
to bad shit. Real madness is going to explode soon—everything is going
to be Helter Skelter. But that won’t affect us, ‘cause we’ll be in a
beautiful land that only we know how to survive in. To be ready, we need
equipment and supplies by the tons. If we have to do a little stealing
and hustling to get what we need, let’s do it.4 |
When Manson used of the term Helter Skelter, he was not
literally giving a name to a racial war as Bugliosi claims. Manson merely
used the term to describe how confused the world would become as blacks and
whites continued to intermarry and produce "mixed babies." Again, given the
rioting by blacks throughout America the previous summer, whites had reason
to fear a black uprising. Racial tension was probably higher at that time
than any other period of American history, with the possible exception of
the Civil War.
In addition, Manson’s harsh comments about racial
tensions were directed more at whites than blacks. Let’s analyze his words
again. "Look around you," Manson said, "the worm’s turning on the white
man." In that sentence I suspect he uses the word "worm" to mean "something,
as a threaded screw, that is like a worm in appearance or movement."
(reference American Heritage Dictionary: "worm") It’s another way of saying
that whites have been turning the screws on others for quite some time, now
the screws are being turned on whites; the chickens are coming home to
roost. Then he adds, "He and his pigs have put the dollar in front of
everything. Even his own kids." Manson is being quite critical of whites,
claiming money is their primary interest. Then he shows a degree of empathy
for blacks by saying, "Blackie’s tired of being the doormat for the rich
man’s pad." Then he warns of trouble ahead between the races. "So while the
white man’s locked into his dollars," he says, "blackie’s balling the blond,
blue-eyed daughters and making mixed babies. It’s all leading to bad shit.
Real madness is going to explode soon—everything is going to be Helter
Skelter."
Manson laid on the bull pretty heavy, but his opinion was
realistic. He was saying whites had been pushing blacks around for a long
time, and blacks were getting tired of it. That was a completely accurate
description racial tensions in America in 1969. He further stated that black
men and white women were no longer worried about antiquated rules of society
where racial mixing was forbidden. That also was a true statement, in 1969
and today. He warned that racial mixing would ultimately lead to a major
confrontation between the races. That was his opinion, but it was not a call
to arms. Lots of people felt the same way.
Second point—Manson had enormous power over his
followers. Using sexual manipulation, LSD, and his personal charisma, Manson
was able to order his young followers—many of whom were young women without
a propensity to engage in violent criminal behavior—to commit mass murder
when he issued the command.
This scenario is simply not credible, not of Manson or
any other human being. Bugliosi was essentially claiming that Manson’s
followers were a bunch of Manchurian Candidates—programmed assassins
triggered by a mind control signal to commit mass-murder—and Manson was the
person who issued the commands. Pardon me but this is hogwash. It has never
been demonstrated scientifically that any human being has such power. The
Manchurian Candidate scenario is only a theory, a topic of debate among
people in the intelligence community, but still, it is only a theory. It has
never been shown that anyone or any group has the power to turn normally
non-violent people into murderers capable of committing the most heinous,
brutal crimes imaginable. Yet Bugliosi presented the Manchurian Candidate
theory as fact, although he avoided calling it by that name.
Having stated that, here is what Manson had to say about
his infamous powers over others, as told to Nuel Emmons:
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I was portrayed as a regular Pied Piper who lured
kids into crime and violence. Knowing what I am, how I was raised, and
all that I’ve ever been, I see these stories as ridiculous. I am
dismayed at the readers who lap up the lies and believe them like the
Bible, but I have to hand it to the guys who created the image—the
skillful writers who can suck the most out of anything and build
mountains from mole hills. I really shouldn’t blame the readers ‘cause I
kind of get caught up in the stories myself. But when I start believing
I might really possess all the powers attributed to me and I try to work
a whammy on my prison guard—he or she shuts the prison door in my face.
Back to reality. I realize I am only what I’ve always been, "a
half-assed nothing."5 |
Third point—Manson hated record producer Terry Melcher
because Melcher refused to give him a recording contract.
Manson denies this completely, claiming Melcher helped
him out, gave him money. The following is Manson’s description of his
feelings about Terry Melcher, as told to Nuel Emmons:
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Terry Melcher is the son of Doris Day and head of a
recording studio. More than anyone else, he had it in his hand to pick
us up and put us in the music world. He did give us a little attention,
a lot more than was brought out during the trials and in other books
that have been written. He and [Gregg] Jacobson arranged a couple of
recording sessions and, in looking back, I guess the girls and I blew
it. Melcher and the people who were doing the session had their ideas of
how they wanted the recording done, the girls and I had our idea. We
clashed, and nothing was accomplished, but that relationship lasted
right up until August of 1969.
As long as I was still trying to get into a music
career, Melcher and Dennis [Wilson, drummer for the Beach Boys] and
Jacobson were people I liked being around. When things were really
desperate out at the ranch and some money was needed, Melcher was a
touch. For the prosecuting attorney to say I sent those kids after
Melcher is total bullshit. Why would I? He gave me money, lent us his
car and credit card. Melcher was all right and I had no bad feelings for
him.6 |
Fourth point—Manson was an average musician struggling
to make it in the music business.
The term "average" is relative. Determining someone’s
musical or creative ability is extremely subjective. Some might say Manson
was average, but I often hear people say John Lennon was overrated; however,
most Beatle fans think he was a genius. Consequently, trying to prove Manson
was average or brilliant is a never-ending argument because we’re dealing
with art, not a tangible skill like brick-laying, auto repair, or computer
programming. But in purely business terms, Manson was not average at all. He
associated with the biggest names in the music business at the time.
As previously stated, Manson recorded at Brian Wilson’s
home studio,7
which is tantamount to recording at John Lennon’s home studio or Paul
McCartney’s. Manson was dealing with Terry Melcher, a guy who produced the
Byrds’ first two albums,8 and even produced a record for Grapefruit, a group backed by
the Beatles. Melcher apparently made the Beatles connection through Beatles’
publicist Derek Taylor, who had been a publicist for the Byrds and the Beach
Boys.9 In addition, Manson actually wrote a song that was recorded by the
Beach Boys and appears on their 20/20 album. The song was originally named
Cease to Exist, retitled Never Learn Not to Love on the 20/20
album.10 To call Manson "average" is a deliberate misrepresentation of facts.
Manson was dealing with professionals in the music business. He never became
a star himself, (not for his musical abilities, anyway) but he dealt with
the biggest names in the music business in the Sixties.
Fifth point—Manson was obsessed with the Beatles, and
spent a lot of time interpreting lyrics of Beatle songs from the White Album.
Manson told Nuel Emmons he liked and admired the Beatles
but was more interested in writing his own music than analyzing anyone
else’s lyrics. The following is Manson’s explanation, as told to Nuel
Emmons:
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I don’t deny disappointment at not reaching my goals
as a musician. Nor do I deny being impressed by the White Album.
But I gotta say, those kids were expressing their own ideas more than
what was going through my mind. Hell, those kids of the Beatles’
generation—I had at least ten years on most of them. I envied any
successful musician and appreciated any best-selling album, but like
most people, the music I felt close to was music I had heard when I was
young. Sinatra, Crosby, Como and people of that era meant more to me
than the Beatles, Beach Boys or any of the prominent groups of the 60s.
The lyrics I wrote and the music I put to those lyrics identify me as
not being all that wrapped up in the Beatles. Shit, it was Sadie [Susan
Atkins] and Little Paul [Paul Watkins] who started deciphering messages
from the Beatles’ White Album. In the desert, the music I was
most interested in was my own, since I knew that would interest the
studio people most.11 |
Sixth point—Manson lived at Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis
Wilson’s house.
As previously stated, Manson claims he and Wilson were
friends with a common interest in music. They helped each other out. Wilson
even gave Manson money, but no one in Manson’s family actually lived at
Wilson’s house on a permanent basis. "Others have painted pictures of us
moving in on Dennis like a bunch of vultures," Manson told Nuel Emmons. "We
never did move in. Some of us stayed there for days at a time, but always
with an invitation. He also spent some time out at the ranch with us."
Manson claimed Wilson liked the free love lifestyle with Manson’s girls;
they didn’t expect marriage or commitment. "He was no fool," Manson added,
"and was his own person when accepting or giving. He gave what he wanted and
he took what he wanted."12
Seventh point—Manson et al murdered Shorty Shea.
Donald "Shorty" Shea was an aspiring actor employed as a
ranch hand by George Spahn at the Spahn ranch.13 Manson thought Shea was a
"snitch," a police informant. After being arrested twice—both times booked
at the Malibu police station—and both times the charges were dropped, Manson
was convinced that Shea was leaking information to the police.14 The arrests
occurred around the end of August 1969.15 Even so, Manson denies killing Shea,
but DA Bugliosi ignored crucial evidence that might have revealed the true
killer(s) and exonerated him (Manson) and others convicted of Shea’s murder.
The following is Manson’s version of events, as told to Nuel Emmons:
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[Shea] liked us well enough when we first moved in at
Spahn’s, but in recent months he’d had a lot of differences with us.
Since old George [Spahn] was thinking of selling the ranch, Shorty was
kissing a lot of ass with people who were thinking of buying. He and I
had already had a confrontation about how much longer we would be there.
He told me, "It’s all over for you, Charlie, when the new owners take
over. They’ve already told me they don’t want you and that gang to be
here." I answered by saying, "Shorty, you know what? You got no call to
be playing policeman with us. And if you keep on trying to be the fuzz,
you’ll wish you had minded your own business instead of sticking your
head someplace where it doesn’t belong." Walking away from me, he said,
"We’ll see about that, Charlie. You might tell some of those kids what
to do, but not me. I know how to handle you."
Leaving the Malibu [police] station for the second
time, I had no doubt about Shorty being a snitch. I shared my conclusion
with several of the kids. They didn’t need convincing, for while I was
locked up, Shorty had been bad-mouthing me, telling the kids, "Charlie’s
bad news. If you stick with him, you’re going to end up in jail for long
terms. Get away from him."
Much later, Bruce Davis, Steve Grogan [aka, Clem] and
I were convicted for the slaying of Shea. [Note: Davis and Grogan were
members of Manson’s commune/Family.] At the time of our conviction, no
body had been discovered. Since that time Clem has confessed, and he
directed the police to the spot where the body was supposedly buried.
The report I got on the first effort to locate the body was that they
didn’t find anything. A later report came to me that a second attempt
did unearth Shea’s body. Not to deny that dead is dead any way you look
at it, I have to say we were convicted on circumstantial evidence at the
time of the trial. That evidence came from several people who said the
body was totally dismembered. Head, arms, legs and body were said to
have been chopped into bits and pieces. When Shea’s body was found, it
was intact. Testimony also indicated that numerous members of our gang
participated in the slaying, but somehow the prosecuting attorney saw
fit to ignore that part of the evidence. Inasmuch as he ignored it, I
can’t clear up anything on Shea without being a snitch. But I will say
that the DA, caught up in his theory of "Helter Skelter" and obsessed
with making the world believe I was a satanic pied piper, overlooked
many participants, accessories, and conspirators. Someplace out there in
that society he protects so well, he has left several killers to prowl
the streets.16 |
Let’s step back and re-examine Shea’s warnings to the
kids about Manson. "Charlie’s bad news," Shea told the kids. "If you stick
with him, you’re going to end up in jail for long terms. Get away from him."
His warnings turned out to be true. Manson may have been right about Shea
being an informant. Now if that’s true, and if my theory is true—that Manson
was being manipulated by the FBI working with satanic Jewish fanatics, then
the FBI et al had a strong motive for killing Shea. He was warning the kids
to stay away from Manson, otherwise they would go to jail for a long time.
His warnings could have blown the entire operation. He had to be eliminated,
not by Manson, but by the FBI. That would explain why Bugliosi ignored
crucial evidence about Shea’s murder.
Eighth point—Manson demonstrated he was a cold blooded
murderer when he shot drug dealer Bermard Crowe.
Manson shot a black drug dealer named Bernard Crowe
around July 1969, just weeks before the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders
occurred. Manson claims he shot Crowe in self defense, that Crowe had
threatened him and several young female friends in his commune. The day
after the shooting, Manson heard erroneous news reports suggesting Crowe was
a Black Panther. Naturally Manson became worried and warned his group that
blacks might seek revenge against them. Manson says LA district attorney
Vincent Bugliosi distorted his warnings about blacks and Black Panthers
retaliating against the commune. Bugliosi claimed Manson’s warnings about a
black/Black Panther uprising were part of a grandiose race war scenario,
Helter Skelter, inspired by lyrics from a Beatles song by the same name.
A year after the shooting incident, Manson learned that Crowe was still
alive.
Biker Danny DeCarlo told LAPD that Manson shot and killed
Crowe; however, DeCarlo referred to Crowe as a Black Panther/drug dealer.
DeCarlo was a member of a biker gang, the Straight Satans, and reportedly
lived with Manson’s commune at the Spahn ranch for several months.17 Here is DeCarlo’s version of the Crowe shooting, as described by Vincent Bugliosi
and Curt Gentry in their book, Helter Skelter:
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The [LAPD] detectives had DeCarlo run down what he
knew about the murder of the Black Panther. [Al] Springer had first
mentioned the killing to them when they interviewed him. In the interim
they had done some checking and had come up with a slight problem: no
such murder had ever been reported.
According to DeCarlo, after Tex burned the guy for
$2,500 on a grass deal, the Panther had called Charlie at Spahn Ranch,
threatening that if he didn’t make good he and his brothers were going
to wipe out the whole ranch. That same night Charlie and a guy named T.J.
[Walleman] went to the Panther’s place, in North Hollywood. Charlie had
a plan.
He put the .22 Buntline in his belt in back. On a
signal T.J. [Walleman] was to yank out the gun, step out from behind
Charlie, and plug the Panther. Nail him right there. Only T.J. [Walleman]
had chickened out, and Manson had to do the shooting himself. Friends of
the black, who were present when the shooting occurred, had later dumped
the body in Griffith Park, Danny said.
Danny had seen the $2,500 and had been present the
next morning when Manson criticized T.J. [Walleman] for backing down.
DeCarlo described T.J. [Walleman] as "a real nice guy; his front was
trying to be one of Charlie’s boys, but he didn’t have it inside." T.J.
[Walleman] had gone along with Manson on everything up to this, but he
told him, "I don’t want to have nothing to do with snuffing people." A
day or two later he "fled in the wind."18 |
Here are Vincent Bugliosi’s and Curt Gentry’s comments
about the Crowe shooting:
|
Though no miracle was involved, the Black Panther
whom Manson had shot and killed in July 1969 had resurrected. Only he
wasn’t a Panther, just a "former dope dealer," and contrary to what
Manson and the Family believed, after Manson shot him he hadn’t died,
though his friends had told Manson he had. His name was Bernard Crowe,
but he was known by the descriptive nickname Lotsapoppa. Our long search
for Crowe ended when an old acquaintance of mine, Ed Tolmas, who was
Crowe’s attorney, called me. He told me he had learned we were looking
for his client and arranged for me to interview Crowe.
Crowe’s story of the incident was essentially the
same that DeCarlo had told LAPD, although even Charlie didn’t know the
surprise ending.
After Manson and T.J. [Walleman] had left the
Hollywood apartment where the shooting took place, Crowe, who had been
playing dead, told his friends to call an ambulance. They did, then
split. When questioned by the police at the hospital, Crowe said he
didn’t know who had shot him or why. He nearly didn’t make it; he was on
the critical list for eighteen days. The bullet was still lodged next to
his spine.
I was interested in Crowe for two reasons: One, the
incident proved Charles Manson was quite capable of killing someone on
his own. Though I knew I couldn’t get this evidence during the guilt
phase of the trial, I was hopeful of introducing it during the penalty
phase, when other crimes can be considered. Two, from the description it
appeared that the gun Manson had shot Crowe with was the same .22
caliber Longhorn revolver which, just a little over a month later, Tex
Watson would use in the Tate homicides. If we could remove the bullet
from Crowe’s body and match it up with the bullets test-fired from the
.22 caliber revolver, we’d have placed the Tate murder weapon in
Manson’s own hand.
Sergeant Bill Lee of SID wasn’t optimistic about the
bullet. He told me that since it had been embedded in the body for over
nine months, it was likely that the acids had obliterated the stria to
an extent where a positive identification would be difficult. Still, it
might be possible. I then talked to several surgeons: they could take
out the bullet, they told me, but the operation was risky.
I laid it out for Crowe. We’d like to have the
bullet, and I would arrange to have it removed at the Los Angeles County
Hospital. But there were serious risks involved, and I didn’t minimize
them.
Crowe declined the operation. He was sort of proud of
the bullet, he said. It made quite a conversation piece.19 |
The following is Manson’s version of the Crowe shooting,
as told to Nuel Emmons:
|
[early June 1969] Though [Charles "Tex" Watson] now
spent almost all his time at the ranch, he still came and went as he
pleased. He was engaged to a girl who had an apartment in Hollywood; it
was there that a dope burn involving a black guy, Bernard Crowe, took
place. And the repercussions of that dope burn began the violence which
would eventually surround the Family.
Tex had taken his girlfriend’s Volkswagen into a shop
to have it converted into a dunebuggy. The tab was to be around
five-hundred dollars. To get money, he was going to turn over some
grass. He went to the black guy’s pad with the girl and got
twenty-four-hundred dollars front money, promising to return with the
grass before the day was over, but after getting the money, Tex decided
to screw the nigger. He never did score the grass and he never returned
the money.
Late that same night, the phone range at the ranch.
T.J. [Walleman] answered the call on a phone that was by the corral and
shouted, "Hey, Charlie, it’s for you." I was in George’s house at the
time and picked up the extension there. A girl’s voice, crying, said,
"Charles, you’ve got to come back with the money or the grass. Crowe’s
here at my place and says he’s going to kill me if he don’t get his
money." About that time another voice came on the line, "Okay, you smart
motherfucker, I got your old lady here and if I don’t have my bread back
inside two hours, I’m going to cut her up and dump the pieces in your
front yard." I didn’t know what either one of them was talking about,
and I shouted into the phone, "Hey, wait a minute, what old lady, what
money? Who is this and what the hell are you talking about?" The voice
answered, "Don’t give me that shit, you know who this is, it’s Crowe and
I want my bread or the stuff—two hours, Watson, or the broad’s dead!"
"Hey wait a minute pal," I said, "this ain’t Charles Watson, I’m Charles
Manson. Hold on man, Watson’s not here right now but don’t be talking
about cutting some girl up, we can straighten this thing out. Where you
at?" The voice told me he was at the girl’s apartment. "Okay," I
answered, "Tex isn’t here and I haven’t got much bread but I’ll be right
over."
T.J. [Walleman] had listened to the whole
conversation on the other line, so when I went down to the corral, he
was already telling Danny DeCarlo and two other bikers about it. I
filled them in and added, "I’m going over there and would appreciate
some help, you guys game?" Danny and the other two suddenly found other
things they should be doing, like shoveling shit and checking on the
horses. It was one o’clock in the morning, these bastards had never done
a lick of work around the ranch, and all of a sudden their concern for
the horses was more important than helping me out. "Okay, T.J., it’s up
to you and me. Are you going with me?" I could see his heart wasn’t in
it, but he said, "Sure, Charlie, I’m with you. But wait a minute, we
might need some persuasion." With that he disappeared and returned with
an old Buntline .22 revolver. Seeing the gun and realizing I might have
to use it should have opened my eyes about how drastically things had
changed in our group. But since we had gone into all-out thievery, guns
were as common with the bikers and ex-cons who hung out with us as the
knife I always carried.
We took Johnny Swartz’s old Ford and headed toward
Hollywood, the gun lying on the seat between us. When we got to the
apartment, T.J. [Walleman] picked up the gun and stuck it in his belt.
On the way up the stairs, I stopped, turned around and asked T.J. what
he was going to do if he had to use the gun. He gave me a blank stare.
"Hell, man," I said, "if it takes you that long to decide, you aren’t
going to be very useful, give me that gun." I stuck it in my belt behind
my back. While on the way over, I had been trying to imagine what we
might be getting into and how I was going to handle it. I felt Crowe and
I could come to some agreement without a fight if I’d promise to be
responsible for the money. And I hoped he’d give us a few days to come
up with it. So when I knocked on the door, I was into bargaining and not
fighting.
After the first knock, the door opened a few inches
and a big white guy peeked out at me saying, "You Charlie?" I nodded and
he opened the door. Besides the guy who opened the door, there was
another white guy in the room, but no black. I was told Crowe had left
for a few minutes but would be right back. The girl, bound and gagged,
was lying on the bed. The guys didn’t seem too hostile and there wasn’t
any tension. I made light of the situation and started clearing off a
very cluttered table. The two guys remained as they were after letting
me in. T.J. [Walleman] had found himself a spot against the wall by the
front door and remained standing. Seeing the guys weren’t uptight, I
went over and started untying the girl. One of the guys spoke up, "Crowe
said to keep the girl tied." "Come on, man," I replied, "where’s your
manhood? This girl can’t out-muscle both of you. Besides, we need some
coffee and she can make it for us." I finished untying her and told her
to go to the bathroom and wash her tearstained face and then make us
some coffee while we waited until Crowe arrived, as he soon did.
Crowe, known as "Lotsapoppa," weighed close to three
hundred pounds. He sized me up, gave T.J. [Walleman] a look and shouted,
"What’s that broad doing up walking around? I told you guys to keep her
tied! What’s the matter with you fuckers? And you, the smart little
bastard, where’s my money and that other bastard?" "Look, man," I told
him, "things aren’t any different than when I talked to you an hour ago.
Tex ain’t nowhere around. If he’s still got your money, I can’t find
him. And until tomorrow or the next day, I can’t come up with that much
bread. But let the girl go. I’ll stand good for the money." Crowe didn’t
say anything until after he had walked over to a padded chair and sat
down like some king on a throne. Then, in a louder than natural voice,
"I gots’ta answer to some more people"—he was tied up with some more
black dope dealers—"so I’m gonna give you four hours to raise the bread.
The broad stays, and if I don’t fuck her to death in the meantime, you
can have her when I gets my money."
I begged and promised I’d deliver the money but
needed more time, and asked him to let the girl loose. The more I
begged, the more vicious and threatening he became. We weren’t getting
closer to any terms and the girl started crying and pleading with me to
do something and get her out of there. Crowe seemed to delight in our
dilemma and became even more arrogant, finally saying, "Get out of here,
punk! Now you got two hours. Go get my money!" I dropped to my knees in
front of his chair. "Look, man, I’m on my knees to you, please don’t
hurt the girl. I promise to get your money. Just let the girl go." He
laughed at me and said maybe he’d just rather kill the girl and watch
her die instead of waiting for the money. Still kneeling, I took the gun
from behind my back and held it butt first out to Crowe and told him,
"Here, man, if you have to take a life, take mine." He looked at the gun
for an instant before reaching for it. When he reached, I twirled it
around so the handle rested in the palm of my hands and sprang to my
feet. I stepped back and said, "All right, you motherfucker, I’ve
begged, kissed your ass and promised—now I’m taking the girl out of
here, and you can say goodbye to her, me and your dollars."
Crowe stood up and showed a lot of heart, saying,
"You little white trash bastard, you ain’t got the balls to shoot
anyone. I’m going to take that gun and shove it up your ass. Then I’m
going out to that commune of yours with all my partners and screw all
those white trash bitches. And if I have to, I’m going to pin your eyes
open with toothpicks and make you watch while your white whores [perform
repulsive sexual acts with me]." He was taking steps forward as I
backtracked. After a couple of steps, I pulled the trigger. CLICK,
nothing happened. Crowe smiled and I thought, "Oh fuck, what now?" Crowe
laughed and put his meaty hands around my throat. By now my back was up
against the wall. He started squeezing and lifting me from the floor. I
pulled the trigger again and got another click—"Oh shit"—then once more
I yanked on the trigger. Buried as it was in his stomach, the gun didn’t
make a loud report, but it was enough to change the whole atmosphere of
the room.
Crowe raised up on his toes, his fingers tightened on
my neck for the slightest instant, then relaxed as he slid down my body
to the floor. The guy closest to me lunged toward me, but T.J. [Walleman]
finally came to life and grabbed the guy around the neck and threw him
back against the wall. He made no more efforts at being a hero and
neither did the other guy. The girl let out a weak scream and started
crying again. I hadn’t moved. Crowe’s body, lying at my feet, had pinned
me to the wall.
I looked down at the body and though here wasn’t any
blood showing, I knew he was dead. I pointed the gun around the room and
told the other guys I hadn’t come there to hurt anyone but had been
forced into it. "Now, if either of you have an argument with me, let’s
hear it." Their faces were drained of color and their lips seemed too
dry to speak. They just stood there staring at the body on the floor.…
When I got back to the ranch, I didn’t look for Tex,
but went straight to bed. The next morning T.J. [Walleman] woke me up to
tell me he and Brenda had just heard the news. The feature story was
that a high-ranking member of the Black Panthers had been shot. The body
had been dumped on the lawn of a hospital in Beverly Hills. "Wow," I
exclaimed, "do you think it was our guy?" "It had to be!" said T.J.
Paranoia immediately set in. The police I had answers for, but the Black
Panthers weren’t about to let some score go unsettled. It meant war.
Guns and learning how to use them instantly became a part of getting
things together for the desert….
[Manson made the following statements to members of
his commune at the Spahn ranch:]
"We are going to have to change the way we have been
living around here. We have to be more observant. More than just the
police, the blacks are raising up. With the police, we don’t have to
fear sniper shots, but the blacks will be coming with guns. There might
be some shots from the main road, so from now on, keep the buildings
between yourselves and that road."
Severe changes had to be made. On my instructions, we
started setting up look-outs and became more of a military encampment
than a bunch of kids playing at fun and games. Life was no longer sex,
drugs and doing whatever each of us had a desire to do. Our joys were
already on the decline, and now there was a need for constant vigilance
and deep concern.20 |
During the trial, Bugliosi used Manson’s public warnings
about being attacked by blacks as evidence of Manson’s demented belief that
a race war, Helter Skelter, was going to occur.
Ninth point—Manson was a racist who hated blacks.
Other than occasionally using the word "nigger" in a
street-wise, non-hateful context, I found no evidence of racial prejudice in
Manson’s interview with Nuel Emmons. (Reference Manson: In His Own Words)
As previously stated, his harshest words regarding race were directed mostly
against whites, not blacks. "Look around you," he said, "the worm’s turning
on the white man. He and his pigs have put the dollar in front of
everything. Even his own kids."21 Not exactly a glowing endorsement of the
white race.
During one part of Manson’s interview with Nuel Emmons,
he exhibited quite a bit of tolerance for several beliefs and races.
Surprisingly, he admired the Black Muslims. The following are Manson’s
comments—as told to Nuel Emmons—about religion, race, and various belief
systems he observed while in prison, from 1960 through 1967:
|
In prison there is every kind of belief imaginable.
Some are good, others are bogus. What is good and right for one person
isn’t necessarily so for the other guy. So I took a look at everything.
I began paying attention to individuals as well as beliefs. If I saw a
con who seemed to be on of everything and in control of himself, I’d
pursue his beliefs in an effort to see if I could strengthen myself
through him. I began to notice various groups around the prison, not
entirely sanctioned by the administration. If I saw sincerity in the
guys who were participating in group sessions, I’d find out which way
they were headed. Though I wasn’t black, I picked up on what the Black
Muslims were practicing. I did the same with the Indians. I found them
solid in their beliefs so I watched them and began to appreciate their
rituals and traditions.22 |
Tenth point—Manson hated Jews and admired Adolf
Hitler. He demonstrated this hatred by carving a swastika on his forehead.
During the interviews with Nuel Emmons, Manson did not
discuss Hitler, Jews or the swastika he carved on his forehead years earlier
during the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman trials. At least, if he mentioned anything
on those topics, Emmons did not include such remarks in the final
publication. For the record, I believe Manson does admire Hitler and he did
in fact carve a swastika on his forehead; it was not trick photography.
Admittedly the swastika gimmick was not a wise move from a public relations
perspective. But a lot of respectable people admire Adolf Hitler. The first
names that come to mind are the late President John F. Kennedy and his
father Joe. Unlike Manson, however, the Kennedys were fully aware that the
American public was not ready to hear any pro-Hitler rhetoric. Nevertheless,
in 1945 a young Jack Kennedy wrote the following words in his diary in
praise of Adolf Hitler:
| After visiting these two
places (Berchtesgaden and the Eagle’s lair on Obersalzberg), you can
easily understand how that within a few years Hitler will emerge from
the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures
who ever lived. He had boundless ambitions for his country which
rendered him a menace to the peace of the world, but he had a mystery
about him in the way that he lived and in the manner of his death that
will live and grow after him. He had in him the stuff of which legends
are made.23 |
Another admirer of Hitler was Malcolm X. Manson
apparently respected Malcolm X, although he did not say it specifically in
the interviews with Nuel Emmons. Understanding the Black Muslims, and their
views about Jews, appears to connect several dots regarding Manson’s views
on race, Jews and Hitler. Surprisingly, George Lincoln Rockwell—founder of
the American Nazi Party—admired Malcolm X and the Black Muslims just like
Manson. In the summer of 1961, Rockwell attempted to form an alliance
between the American Nazi Party and the Black Muslims. William H. Schmalz’s
described the alliance effort in his book, Hate: George Lincoln Rockwell
and the American Nazi Party. The following is an excerpt:
|
One of the most important missions the [American Nazi
Party] undertook in the summer of 1961 was an attempt to form an
alliance with the Black Muslims and their leader, Elijah Muhammad. From
its inception the ANP had referred to African Americans as "niggers" and
had affirmed the premise that they were mentally inferior to whites, but
Rockwell became enchanted with the idea of a coalition; Nazis and Black
Muslims could be allies, since they both sought the same goal—separation
of the races. Rockwell told his followers that Muhammad "had gathered
millions of the dirty, immoral, drunken, filthy-mouthed, lazy and
repulsive people sneeringly called ‘niggers’ and inspired them to the
point where they are clean, sober, honest, hard working, dignified and
admirable human beings in spite of their color….Muhammad knows that
mixing is a Jewish fraud and leads only to aggravation of the problems
that it is supposed to solve….I have talked to Muslim leaders and am
certain that a workable plan for separation of the races could be
effected to the satisfaction of all concerned—except the communist-Jew
agitators."
Black Muslim cooperation with Rockwell and the Ku
Klux Klan went beyond ideology and rhetoric. There were practical
implications. Like his white racist counterparts, Elijah Muhammad
believed that interracial sexual relations were morally depraved and
genetically destructive, for interracial sex "ruins and destroys a
people." Rhetoric aside, he wanted to establish a truce between racists
and his Southern mosques. To this end he sent Malcolm X to Atlanta to
accompany Jeremiah X, the Muslim minister in Atlanta, to a secret
meeting with members of the Klan. Both sides discussed race relations.
Malcolm described the integration movement as a Jewish conspiracy
carried out by black stooges. The parties eventually hammered out the
main issue: a nonaggression pact. If the Muslims did not aid the civil
rights movement in the South, the mosques would be undisturbed.24 |
On February 19, 1964, Rockwell spoke to thousands of
students at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. During the
question-and-answer session afterwards, Rockwell criticized Elijah Muhammad,
still used the word "nigger," but had nothing but praise for Malcolm X:
|
I used to have the highest opinion of [the Black
Muslims]. I still have the highest opinion of Malcolm X….Muhammad, I
think is becoming senile and his sons…have taken over, and I think they
are communistic. They are following the communist line right down the
alley….
I think what’s happening is Malcolm X is going to
split off with the nationalistic right-wing nigger movement and I will
back him 100 percent, I admire him. I tell you, I admire him more than I
admire most Americans, white Americans. He’s a great man, I think he’s
better than most white men….25 |
I expect Manson’s views about Jews and Hitler were an
amalgam of those held by President Kennedy, Malcom X, Black Muslims in
general, and George Lincoln Rockwell.
Eleventh point—Manson had complete authoritarian
control over all members of his commune.
Manson denies this charge. The following is Manson’s
rather articulate explanation of his leadership role in the commune, as told
to Nuel Emmons:
|
Previous writings have portrayed me as the dominant
force behind all of the wrongs that went on while we were living at
Spahn Ranch. Although I don’t deny responsibility for the majority of
the things that did result from our life and beliefs at Spahn, I’d like
to make it clear that when twenty people are living together in a
sharing situation, one individual’s thoughts and games wear out and
others contribute. Not all the thoughts and games at Spahn and in our
travels were mine.26 |
Twelfth point—The only reason Manson ordered the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman
murders was to start a race war (aka, Helter Skelter) between whites and
blacks.
Manson denies all allegations about Helter Skelter and
wanting to start a race war, but as previously stated, he apparently
believes the convicted members of his commune are actually guilty of
committing the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders, and he was an accomplice,
although not a direct participant. In a nutshell, Manson claims his people
lost control and killed Gary Hinman because of a drug-deal gone bad which
had nothing whatsoever to do with race wars. Afterwards, everyone panicked
and killed the others to throw the police off their trail for killing Hinman.
Manson’s record deal comes to a screeching halt
Manson panicked somewhat after the Crowe shooting. He
decided to collect as much cash as he had in order to move his commune
farther in the desert, away from possible Black Panther attacks in
retaliation for shooting Crowe. Manson decided to collect money from the
Beach Boys’ for lyrics he had helped them with. When he was given evasive
answers by the Beach Boys’ business people, he lost his temper and
threatened one of them. The guy responded by threatening to have a hit-man
kill Manson. "You know what, Manson, you’re a flaky little nothing. You
haven’t a contract or any kind of an agreement, we owe you nothing. And
because of your attitude, nothing is what you get. Now get out of my office,
and if you want to keep playing tough guy, I’m going to make a phone call,
and it’s adios Manson. Get my message?"27
Next, Charlie approach Terry Melcher who was polite, but
told Charlie he’d heard about the Crowe shooting and tried to distance
himself. "Charlie, there’s mixed emotions about promoting you," Melcher
explained. "You’re unpredictable. You amaze me at times, and at other times,
disappoint the hell out of me. Jacobson told me just this morning, you were
involved with shooting some Negro, so frankly, for the time being, we are
skeptical about investing any time and money in you."28
How did Melcher know about the shooting of Bernard Crowe?
As previously stated, the LAPD and Vincent Bugliosi reportedly had trouble
getting that information. Yet Melcher and Jacobson knew about it right away.
It’s becoming more evident Terry Melcher was interested in Charlie Manson
for reasons other than music.
Manson’s version of the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders
The following is Manson’s version of the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman
murders, as told to Nuel Emmons:
|
Bobby [Beausoleil] was bringing in a few dollars with
his dope dealing but it was small-time stuff. One of the best
connections and suppliers was Bobby’s old friend, Gary Hinman. Gary was
an intellect, a professional student and a pretty fair musician. We had
known him for some time and he was a good friend. If any of the group
was in his area and needed a place to crash, a ride, or a small favor,
he always came through. More importantly, Gary manufactured mescaline.
He had a small lab in his house, and, given enough time, he would
provide us with almost any amount needed.
For several weeks, Bobby was moving Gary’s stuff off
on a group of bikers, without any problems. But one morning three of the
bikers came riding into the ranch and wanted to see Bobby. The bikers
said the latest batch of stuff he had sold them was bad, laced with
poison. Some of their own group had gotten deathly ill and some of the
people they sold to were also sick. They wanted their money back. Bobby
told them to give him the unused mescaline and he would return it to his
connection and then give their money back. "It was bad shit and we
dumped it. Just give us $2,000 back," said the leader. "Man, I can’t buy
that, my connection won’t go for it," replied Bobby. The leader said,
"Tell us where your connection is, we’ll get our bread." I spoke up,
"You guys know better than that. We’ll see our man, if he thinks the
shit could have been bad, he’ll make it good for you. Give us time to
talk to him." The three guys fired up their bikes and pulled out of the
yard, saying they wanted to hear from us the next day. Bobby and I
discussed the validity of their complaint. None of our group had gotten
sick, but we weren’t sure if we had used the same batch. The only thing
to do was to go talk to Gary about it.29 |
Manson called Hinman who essentially said the bikers
weren’t his problem; he was going overseas for a few days and Charlie still
owed him for the previous batch of mescaline. That evening, Bobby Beausoleil,
Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner drove out to see Hinman to discuss the matter.
Bobby called Charlie and said Hinman refused to cooperate.30
Here’s more of Manson’s version of events, as told to
Nuel Emmons:
|
"Christ, Charlie [Bobby said to Charlie over the
phone] this asshole won’t get up off of nothin’. I had to punch him out
and all kinds of shit has happened." "Okay, man, just sit on it for a
while, I’ll get there as soon as I can," I said. I didn’t know what I
was going to do once I got there. But the thought hit me, "Gary’s a
freak behind some kind of Japanese Buddhism, so I’ll take my sword along
to intimidate his ass with a display of oriental swordsmanship." The
sword had been given to me by a biker from the gang before all this
hassle had started. I grabbed the sword and asked Bruce [Davis] to drive
to Gary’s. When we got there, I had Bruce wait in the car. I went up the
stairs and opened the door. The place was a mess and it was plain to see
there had been some struggling going on. Gary had refused to come up
with any money, he and Bobby had argued, Bobby hit him and threatened
him with a gun. On Bobby’s orders, Mary and Susan searched the house for
money and valuables, anything that might cover the $2,000 that we now
totally believed was Gary’s responsibility. It was a waste of time. If
there was any money around, it was hidden too well for the girls to find
it.
Under the circumstances, Gary seemed relieved to see
me, but the relief turned to despair when he saw I was there in support
of Bobby. "Come on, Gary," I said, "money ain’t worth all this hassle.
Tell us where your stash is and we’ll get out and leave you alone." Gary
was livid. He wasn’t showing any fear, only contempt, which at the
moment was entirely directed at me. "It’s all your doing, you phony
little bastard. Get out of my house and take these maniacs with you." He
took a step toward me, quivering with rage, and shouted, "Get out!" I
jumped back and made a sweep with my sword, cutting his jaw and ear. His
hands automatically went up to cover the wound and blood dripped through
his fingers. "Oh my God," he whispered, "please get out, can’t you
understand, I don’t have any money. Just go, leave me alone." I turned
to Bobby and said, "Talk to him, maybe he’ll remember where his money
is. Then bring him out to the ranch until he gets well." Then, to Susan
and Mary, "Take care of his face. See you back at the ranch," I said,
and I went out the door.31 |
Charlie and Bruce drove back to the Spahn ranch. Bobby,
Susan, and Mary returned two days later driving Hinman’s VW bus.32 Here’s more
of Manson’s version of events, as told to Nuel Emmons:
|
…I halfway expected to see Gary with them. When he
wasn’t, I knew, without asking, without being told, that he would not be
visiting anyone—ever.
…[Bobby said to Charlie] "Gary’s dead." According to
[Bobby’s] account, Gary had started to scream to attract some help, and
to quiet the screams, Bobby stabbed him. Bobby handed me the titles to
Gary’s vehicles, saying, "This is the only thing of value we could come
up with." I wasn’t shocked at Gary’s death, but I sensed a slight
increase in my heartbeat as my mind flashed on, "That’s two now." [Hinman
and Crowe] I’m sure people would expect me to affected differently, but
emotions aren’t controlled by what other people think. My only words to
Bobby were, "Where’s the other car?" He replied, "It’s still at the
house." So we went to Gary’s house and brought the other car to the
ranch.33 |
The bikers phoned while the girls and Bobby were at
Hinman’s; Charlie talked to them and managed to buy himself more time. He
told them someone in his group might have to go to northern California to
get the $2,000 for the bikers. It was a lie, but Charlie decided to go north
just to get away from the tension.34
|
I left the ranch alone, so it was over a week before
I discovered Bobby’s fate. When Gary’s body was discovered, the police
automatically put out an "all-points bulletin" on his vehicles. But two
days after I left, Bobby took Gary’s Fiat and also headed north. On the
first day, Bobby drove as far as San Luis Obispo, where his Fiat quit on
him. Too tired, or maybe too stoned, he went to sleep in the car. A
highway patrolman arrested him and he ended up back in L.A. as the prime
suspect for the murder of Gary Hinman.35 |
Charlie returned to the Spahn ranch on August 8, 1969
with a girl, Stephanie Schram, he picked up along the way.36
|
As I pulled to a stop, the usual "happy to see me
faces" were not there. The individuals were present, but the faces
showed strain and tension, not smiles and welcome. Sensing the need for
some serious conversation I introduced Stephanie to those she hadn’t
previously met and suggested some of them take her on a tour of the
ranch.
As a group, Leslie [Van Houton], Mary [Brunner],
Squeaky [real name, Lynette Fromme], Sadie [real name, Susan Atkins] and
Linda [Kasabian] informed me of Bobby’s arrest. Linda repeated the phone
conversation with Bobby, the charges and what he had told police. At
present, he was being held as a suspect and had not been charged with
murder. After the phone call, the girls had held their own meeting and
discussed the best method of assisting Bobby. They decided that if
murders similar to the Hinman slaying continued to occur, the police
would continue to believe Bobby was not their man. They hadn’t got as
far as figuring out who was going to do these copy-cat killings or who
would be the victims.
I told them the plan was crazy and that the police
wouldn’t go for it. Sadie blurted out, "It will work, Charlie. At Gary’s
house, we wrote things on the wall like ‘Political Piggy’ and drew a
panther’s paw and that kind of stuff. We can do it again and they will
think the niggers did it. It will be Helter Skelter." Her words were
reflections of what I had been saying to the kids in recent months, but
the difference was that I did feel the blacks were tiring of their
suppression. They would rise up against the whites, and there would be
chaos. Maybe since the shooting of [Bernard] Crowe, I had purposely
initiated fear and resentment of blacks in the kids, but I had never
wanted to started a war. My concern was for defense and awareness. Leave
it to Sadie to throw my words back at me. I almost shouted, "Look, it
ain’t going to work! You fucking people have got me headed right back to
prison. I’m not going for it! As a matter of fact, I’m getting my shit
together right now, loading it in my truck and getting the fuck out of
here. I am not going back to prison because a bunch of kids can’t handle
their own problems."
Squeaky was the first to speak up, "No, you can’t go,
love is one! We are one!" Again, my words came right back in my face.
"If one goes," she said, "we go together!" Sadie begged, "Don’t go,
Charlie, we won’t let you go back to jail. We’ll take care of Bobby. We
will do what we have to do to take care of our problems. Stay, Charlie."
All the girls said the same thing. "Don’t leave us, Charlie, stay here,
we need you! We can do whatever is necessary and we won’t send you back
to jail."
Deep inside, I knew that if I stuck around, anything
those kids did would come right back in my lap. No way could they keep
me out of prison if the shit came down on us. But as I looked at them, I
remembered something special about each one. The first meeting, the
first romance, the first fight, the times I loved them most, as well as
the times disciplined them. They had given me the first real love and
sense of belonging I had ever known. I also realized—though I would not
admit it to them—that I needed them. And as far as the heavy situation
surrounding us went, I was as responsible as they were. And I knew it.
"All right," I said, "I’ll stay, but what you do is
on your heads, not mine—understand?" Together they said, "We understand,
Charlie." There were smiles and hugs and kisses.37 |
Manson essentially claims he knew the "kids" were going
to commit murder in order to get Bobby Beausoleil released from police
custody; and Manson admits being guilty of not trying to prevent the
murders. The end result was the murders of Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger,
Voytek Frykowki, Jay Sebring, and Steven Parent at 10050 Cielo Drive, Bel
Air, Los Angeles, California, the former residence of record producer Terry
Melcher. Charles "Tex" Watson and Susan Atkins gave Manson a detailed
account of the murders.38 Manson further admits he helped cover up the crime
by going back to the crime scene—assisted by an unnamed accomplice—and wiped
everyone’s fingerprints. Here is Manson’s description, as told to Nuel
Emmons:
|
Concern for clues [at the crime scene] compelled me
to get in the Ford and head for Bel Air. I took another [unnamed] member
of our circle with me. Returning to the scene of any crime is risky
business, so instead of turning up Cielo Drive, we drove past and looked
up the hill to see if there was any activity that might indicate the
police had arrived. Everything was quiet. Still not wanting to be too
obvious, we parked the car a short distance away and walked to the
premises. We entered the grounds by climbing over the fence, as the kids
had done. As Sadie and Tex had said, the first victim’s car was off the
driveway a short distance from the gate. Going by Tex’s description of
how he had approached the car and how he had pushed it, I carefully
wiped the car clean of possible finger prints without disturbing the
body of the boy [Steven Parent] who lay dead inside.
Approaching a house where you know there are dead
bodies has a spine-chilling effect, and I think if I had been alone, I
might have forgotten about continuing any farther. My partner probably
felt the same way, but neither of us spoke and we did go on to see the
whole gory mess. Tex and Sadie’s description had been accurate. What I
was seeing was not a scene from a movie or some horrible acid fantasy,
but real people who would never see the morning’s sun. I’d had thoughts
of creating a scene more in keeping with a black-against-white
retaliation, but in looking around, I lost the heart to carry out my
plans. The two of us took towels and wiped every place a fingerprint
could have been left. I then placed the towel I was using over the head
of the man inside the room. My partner had an old pair of eyeglasses
which we often used as a magnifying glass or as a device to start a fire
when matches weren’t available. We carefully wiped the glasses free of
prints and dropped them on the floor, so that, when discovered, they
would be a misleading clue for the police. Within an hour and twenty
minutes after leaving Spahn, [the Spahn ranch, where Charlie and the
others were staying] we were back. The sun was already bringing the
light of day as I crawled in bed with Stephanie [Schram].39 |
The next day Manson and the others learned the identities
of their victims through radio and TV coverage of the murders. "As for
myself," Manson told Nuel Emmons, "I was surprised at how prestigious three
of the victims were. Tate had been extremely popular in the celebrity world.
Folger, heiress to the Folger coffee fortune, had been rich beyond the
average person’s dreams. Sebring had been a hair stylist of international
fame."40
As previously stated, Manson takes full responsibility
for the deaths of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca by leading the "kids" to their
residence at 3301 Waverly Drive, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Manson
claims the house was picked at random. The following is Manson’s description
of how he selected the LaBiancas’ house, as told to Nuel Emmons:
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While rumors [about the Tate murders] were still
flying around and the police still scratching their heads, I had visions
of another night that would add to the confusion and make the affairs of
that night look like more than copy-cat murders. We’d make it look like
a full-scale war was being waged against the whites.
Leslie Van Houten was a girl Bobby [Beausoleil] had
been traveling with for several months. She was very concerned about
Bobby’s being in jail and was willing to do anything to help get him
out. After dinner that evening, she and six others—Tex [Charles Watson],
Sadie [Susan Atkins], Linda [Kasabian], Katie [real name, Patricia
Krenwinkel], Clem [real name, Steve Grogan] and myself—stuffed ourselves
into [ranch hand John] Swartz’s old Ford and went searching for victims,
random victims, so many that the deaths would shock not only the area
but the whole world.
All of us had taken mild hits of acid; not enough to
space us so far out that we would leap off buildings or jump in front of
speeding cars, but enough to make us feel invincible, enough to make us
feel the world was totally ours and that there was no right, no wrong.
We felt free of guilt. During our search for the right place to continue
spreading fear and panic, we were not a bunch of uptight kids, but a
singing, laughing group who might have been on their way to a party.
…After over two hours of driving with nothing coming
down, I thought of an area out near Griffith Park. In the past we had
partied at a guy’s pad in that neighborhood. It was a pretty ritzy area
with some pretty big homes. A couple of the kids recognized the house,
and said, "We aren’t, are we?" "No," I said, "I’m thinking about the
house across the street. Wait here, I’ll be right back." [The house
across the street was the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca at 3301
Waverly Drive. —Nuel Emmons]41 |
Manson even admits going inside the LaBiancas’ house,
giving the orders to kill them, but left before they were murdered.
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I walked to the car and told Katie and Leslie to go
give Tex a hand. "Do it good! Make sure it’s done so the pigs will put
it together with Hinman and the pad last night. We’re going to find
another house. When you finish up, hitch back to the ranch and we’ll see
you there."
I got in the car with Sadie [Susan Atkins], Clem
[Steve Grogan], and Linda [Kasabian], saying, "Okay, it’s our turn.
Who’s got someone on their shit list?" Linda spoke up. There’s this dude
in Venice, thinks he’s the world’s greatest stud. We made it together
once and the asshole couldn’t even bring me." We headed for Venice.
…When we got to Venice and the apartment house Linda
directed us to, I had come off the acid and wasn’t feeling all that
confident we were invincible.42 |
Manson dropped the other three off, left, and began to
worry about the consequences of their actions. He drove back to the Spahn
ranch. The next afternoon, Manson learned from Steve "Clem" Grogan and Linda
Kasabian that no one was killed at the apartment in Venice.
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The three of them had gone to the apartment Linda
identified and knocked on the door. When no one answered, they gave up
the night’s effort and hitchhiked back to the ranch. Several months
later, Linda spread the story she had decided she didn’t want to see the
guy dead, and had purposely taken Clem and Sadie to a different
apartment.43 |
At Manson’s trial Linda Kasabian became district attorney
Vincent Bugliosi’s primary witness against Manson and other members of his
commune.
Manson’s Interest in Scientology and Dianetics
During Manson’s trial there was quite a bit of banter
about his interest in Dianetics and Scientology. During his years in prison
from 1960 until 1967, Manson suffered from mild depression. He claims he
cured himself by studying Dianetics and Scientology. The following is
Manson’s description of his interesting in that topic, as told to Nuel
Emmons:
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I studied hypnotism and psychiatry. I read whatever
books I could find (and understand) that dealt with mind development. A
cell partner turned me on to Scientology. With him and another guy I got
pretty heavy into Dianetics and Scientology. Through this and my other
studies, I came out of my state of depression. I was understanding
myself better, had a positive outlook on life, and knew how to direct my
energies to each day and each task. I had more confidence in myself and
went the way I chose to go, whereas previously, I had always been
content to listen and follow.44 |
Dianetics, in particular, deals with the mind, and to a
degree, teaches people how to avert mind control from sinister forces. Since
the prosecution’s case against Manson centered around his use of mind
control, one would think Manson’s interest in Dianetics and Scientology
would have helped the prosecution’s argument that he understood how to
manipulate an individual’s psyche. Amazingly, Vincent Bugliosi discussed
Manson’s interest in Dianetics and Scientology in the most casual terms.
This is what Bugliosi and Curt Gentry wrote about Dianetics and Scientology
in their book Helter Skelter:
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[While in prison] Manson gave as his claimed religion
"Scientology," stating that he "has never settled upon a religious
formula for his beliefs and is presently seeking an answer to his
question in the new mental health cult known as Scientology."
Scientology, an outgrowth of science-fiction writer
L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics, was just coming into vogue at this time.
Manson’s teacher, i.e., "auditor," was another convict, Lanier Rayner.
Manson would later claim that while in prison he achieved Scientology’s
highest level, "theta clear."
Although Manson remained interested in Scientology
much longer than he did in any other subject except music, it appears
that, like the Dale Carnegie course, he stuck with it only as long as
his enthusiasm lasted, then dropped it, extracting and retaining a
number of terms and phrases ("auditing," "cease to exist," "coming to
Now") and concepts (karma, reincarnation, etc.) which, perhaps
fittingly, Scientology had borrowed in the first place.45 |
Not only does Bugliosi not use the Scientology
information to his advantage, he trivializes it by comparing it to the Dale
Carnegie course. Instead of capitalizing on Manson’s apparent knowledge of
the human mind and using it against him in court—as he did with the Bernard
Crowe shooting—Bugliosi chose to downplay it. The big question is Why? I
suspect the FBI—not Manson—used mind control to plant subliminal suggestions
in the minds of various members of the Manson Family. Consequently, Bugliosi
needed to avoid discussing that topic in court, or risk having the truth
surface.
An interesting footnote: Bugliosi used the term "cease to
exist" as an example of Scientology phrases which Manson extracted and
retained apparently without fully grasping the full concept of Scientology.
Kristofer Engelhardt, author of The Beatles Undercover, pointed out
that Cease to Exist was the original title of a song written by
Manson for the Beach Boys, but was retitled Never Learn Not to Love,
and included on the Beach Boys’ 20/20 album.46 I wonder why the Beach Boys
changed the title? Cease to Exist seems harmless enough. Personally I
think it has a better ring to it than Never Learn Not to Love. Do you
suppose Vincent Bugliosi phoned Brian Wilson and asked him to drop the
Scientology-related title?
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