Case overview
In August 1969, members of a commune led by Charles Manson carried out two nights of coordinated killings in Los Angeles that left seven people dead. The murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others exposed a group organized around apocalyptic ideology and absolute loyalty to Manson, ultimately resulting in convictions for conspiracy and first-degree murder.
The group and its leader
Charles Manson arrived in California in 1967 after serving federal time for check fraud and auto theft. He gathered followers at Spahn Ranch in the Santa Susana Mountains northwest of Los Angeles, primarily young women who called themselves “the Family.” They adopted communal living practices centered on Manson’s interpretations of Beatles lyrics, the Book of Revelation, and a racial conflict he called “Helter Skelter.”
Manson exercised control through isolation, drug use, and repetition of his prophecies. He told followers a race war was imminent and that the Family would emerge to lead after society collapsed. Members were conditioned to obey without question. Manson directed their daily activity, including sleeping arrangements, meals, and interactions with outsiders.
By mid-1969, more than two dozen people lived at Spahn Ranch. Manson had attempted to build a music career with help from Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and record producer Terry Melcher, but those efforts stalled. Investigators later concluded that resentment over these failed connections influenced his selection of targets.
The Tate killings
On the night of August 8, 1969, Manson ordered Charles “Tex” Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian to a home at 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon. The residence had previously been occupied by Terry Melcher. At the time of the attack, it was rented by film director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant.
Watson cut the phone lines and shot Steven Parent, an 18-year-old visiting the property’s caretaker, in his car in the driveway. The four then entered the main house, where they found Tate, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, and her partner Wojciech Frykowski. Watson, Atkins, and Krenwinkel stabbed and shot all four. Tate was stabbed 16 times. Atkins used Tate’s blood to write “PIG” on the front door.
Kasabian stayed outside and later testified she did not participate in the killings. Her account became central to the prosecution’s case.
The LaBianca killings
The following night, Manson accompanied Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel, Kasabian, Leslie Van Houten, and Steve Grogan to the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson entered first, tied up the couple, and told them they would not be harmed. He then left and sent Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten inside.
Watson stabbed Leno LaBianca multiple times and carved “WAR” into his abdomen. Krenwinkel and Van Houten stabbed Rosemary LaBianca in the bedroom. Krenwinkel used the victims’ blood to write “RISE” and “DEATH TO PIGS” on the walls and “HEALTER SKELTER” on the refrigerator door, misspelling the phrase Manson used to describe his predicted race war.
The investigation and arrests
Los Angeles Police Department detectives initially pursued separate investigations into the Tate and LaBianca murders. There was no immediate indication the crimes were connected. Investigators examined drug connections, financial motives, and personal disputes involving the victims.
The break came from an unrelated arrest. In October 1969, Inyo County authorities raided Barker Ranch in Death Valley and arrested Manson and several Family members on charges of auto theft and arson. While in custody, Susan Atkins told cellmates about the Tate killings. One cellmate informed authorities.
Los Angeles investigators interviewed Atkins, who provided detailed descriptions of both crime scenes and identified Manson as the person who ordered the killings. Based on her statements, detectives arrested Manson, Watson, Krenwinkel, and Kasabian in early December 1969. Van Houten was arrested shortly after.
Linda Kasabian agreed to testify in exchange for immunity. Her testimony, corroborated by physical evidence and Atkins’ statements, formed the foundation of the prosecution’s case. Forensic evidence included fingerprints recovered from the Tate residence and clothing fibers linked to the crime scenes.
The trial and convictions
The trial began in June 1970 in Los Angeles Superior Court. Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten were charged with seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy. Watson was tried separately after fighting extradition from Texas.
Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi argued that Manson controlled the group through psychological manipulation and ordered the killings to incite the race war he had prophesied. The prosecution presented Kasabian as the key witness, along with testimony from other former Family members and physical evidence linking the defendants to the crime scenes.
Manson and the female defendants disrupted proceedings repeatedly. They carved X’s into their foreheads, chanted in court, and attempted to testify on Manson’s behalf in violation of legal procedure. Manson tried to present himself as a counterculture figure persecuted by the establishment, but the evidence against him was extensive and methodical.
In January 1971, all four defendants were convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy. Watson was convicted in a separate trial that concluded in October 1971. All five were sentenced to death. In 1972, California temporarily abolished the death penalty, and their sentences were commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Aftermath and incarceration
Charles Manson remained in custody for the rest of his life. He was denied parole 12 times and died on November 19, 2017, at age 83, while serving his sentence at California State Prison in Corcoran.
Charles Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, and Susan Atkins were all incarcerated in California. Atkins died in prison in 2009. Van Houten was granted parole in 2023 after multiple previous denials and more than five decades in custody. Watson and Krenwinkel remain incarcerated and have been repeatedly denied parole.
Several other Family members were convicted of related crimes. Bobby Beausoleil was convicted of murdering musician Gary Hinman in July 1969, a killing that preceded the Tate and LaBianca murders. Steve Grogan was convicted of participating in the murder of ranch hand Donald “Shorty” Shea and was paroled in 1985 after leading authorities to Shea’s remains.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Manson” (HBO)
- Book: “Helter Skelter” by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
- Book: “The Family” by Ed Sanders
- Podcast: “You Must Remember This: Charles Manson’s Hollywood” (Karina Longworth)
