Nov. 20, 2025

"THE X MARKS THE SPOT: MANSON'S TRIAL AND THE FOLLOWERS WHO CARVED THEIR FOREHEADS" (Part 2 of 3)

Show Notes
Transcript

Reid Carter covers the trial that shocked America. December 1969: Susan Atkins confessed to cellmate—described stabbing Sharon Tate, tasting her blood. August 1970: Trial began with Manson carving X into forehead—"I have X'd myself from your world." His three female followers carved matching X's. Girls giggled during testimony, sang Manson's songs, disrupted proceedings daily. President Nixon declared Manson guilty mid-trial—judge nearly declared mistrial. January 25, 1971: All four convicted of first-degree murder. March 29: Death sentences. California abolished death penalty 1972—sentences commuted to life. Manson died in prison 2017. Followers remain incarcerated, denied parole repeatedly.

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Kalaroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm reed Carter November twentieth,

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twenty twenty five. January twenty fifth, nineteen seventy one, Los

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Angeles County Superior Court. The jury foreman stood, read the verdict.

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We the jury find the defendant Charles Manson guilty of

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murder in the first degree of Abigail Anne Folger guilty

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of murder in the first degree of Voischiek Fraikowsky guilty

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of murder in the first degree of Stephen Earl Parent,

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guilty of murder in the first degree of j Sebring,

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guilty of murder in the first degree of Sharon Marie

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Polanski Tate guilty of murder in the first degree of

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Leno A. Labyanka guilty of murder in the first degree

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of Rosemary Labyanka. Seven counts, seven guilty verdicts. Charles Manson

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convicted of orchestrating the murders, even though he never physically

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killed anyone himself. His three female followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Crenwinkle,

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Leslie Van Houghton, also guilty on all counts. Tex Watson

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tried separately, also convicted. All four received death sentences. Would

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have been executed in California's gas Chamber, but in nineteen

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seventy two, California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty, sentences

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automatically commuted to life in prison. Charles Manson died in

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prison November nineteenth, twenty seventeen, eighty three years old, natural causes,

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fifty years after the murders. Never showed remorse, never apologized,

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spent his final decades giving interviews blaming society, claiming he

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was innocent. His followers remain in prison. Susan Atkins died

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in two thousand and nine. Rishach Crenwinkle still incarcerated at

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California Institution for Women. Leslie Van Houghton released on parole

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in twenty twenty three after fifty three years. Tex Watson

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denied parole eighteen times. The trial lasted seven months, longest

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murder trial in California history at the time. The most bizarre.

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Manson carved an ex into his forehead. His followers carved

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matching xes. They sang, giggled, disrupted court, made a mockery

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of justice, but the jury saw through the performance, convicted

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them all, gave them death, later commuted to life. I'm

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red Carter. This is Celebrity Trials, Day two, The trial

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that America couldn't stop watching. August ninth, nineteen sixty nine,

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five murders at ten thousan fifty Colo Drive. August tenth,

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two murders at three three zero one Waverley Drive. APD

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immediately knew the cases were connected. Blood messages, same brutality,

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same methods, but no suspects, no leads, nothing. The Tait

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case made international headlines. Sharon Tate, beautiful actress, pregnant, married

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to Roman Polanski, murdered in her own home. Hollywood panicked,

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Star's hired security, bought guns, installed alarm systems. Nobody felt safe.

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Theories circulated drug deal gone wrong, Sharon's ex boyfriend, Jay

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Sebring had celebrity clients, may be involved in drugs, mob hit.

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Roman Polanski made controversial films, maybe made enemies, satanic ritual.

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The blood messages, the brutality looked occult related. LAPD pursued

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every angle, investigated, Sharon's friends, Roman's enemies, Jay's business associates,

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Voischik's connections. Found nothing connecting to the murders. Dead ends everywhere. Meanwhile,

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the LaBianca case got less attention. No celebrities involved, just

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a couple in Los Felise, but detectives noticed helter Skelter

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written in blood, misspelling unusual phrase, same as song from

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the Beatles White album released the previous year. Two separate

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LAPD divisions investigated didn't share information well, didn't realize immediately

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how connected the cases were, classic law enforcement communication failure.

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The break came from inside prison. Susan Atkins had been

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arrested on unrelated charges in October nineteen sixty nine auto theft.

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Sitting in sybil Brand Institute for Women awaiting trial, shared

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a cell with Virginia Graham. Susan liked to talk. Bragged,

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told Virginia about the family, about spawn Ranch, about Charles

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Manson being Jesus Christ reincarnated, about murders she'd committed. Virginia

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didn't believe her. At first, thought Susan was delusional, making

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things up for attention, but Susan kept talking, gave specific

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details details only someone present would know. Susan described the

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Tate murders, said she'd held Sharon Tate down, stabbed her

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sixteen times, described Sharon begging for her baby's life. Susan

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told Virginia she said, please let me have my baby.

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I don't want to die. And I looked at her

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and I said, look, bitch, I don't care. If you're

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going to have a baby, you had better be ready.

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You're going to die, and I don't feel anything about it.

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Susan also said she tasted Sharon Tate's blood, that it

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was warm and sticky and nice, that she wrote pig

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on the door using Sharon's blood. Virginia Graham was horrified.

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This wasn't fantasy, this was confession, she told the authorities. Simultaneously,

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Another inmate, Ronnie Howard, also heard Susan's confessions told police

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the same stories, consistent details multiple witnesses. LAPD finally had

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a lead. December nineteen sixty nine, grand jury convened. Susan

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Atkins testified, described everything the planning, the murders, Charles Manson's orders,

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who participated, how they did it, where they dumped evidence,

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arrest warrants issued, LAPD rated spawn Ranch, arrested, Charles Manson,

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Tex Watson, Patricia Crenwinkle, Leslie van Houghten, Linda Kasabian, and

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several other family members. Tex Watson fled to Texas fought

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extradition for nine months. Eventually returned to California for trial.

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Tried separately from the others. Linda Kasabian, the getaway driver

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who didn't actually kill anyone, made a deal immunity in

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exchange for testimony. She'd testify against Manson and the others

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tell the jury exactly what happened. Susan Atkins initially planned

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a teen testify for the prosecution two, but changed her

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mind decided to stay loyal to Charlie. Her grand jury

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testimony would be used instead, but the defense fought to

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exclude it. Eventually, Susan didn't testify at trial at all.

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The trial was set for June nineteen seventy venue Los

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Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charles Older, presiding prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi,

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ambitious deputy district attorney who'd spent months building an airtight case.

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Defense attorneys for each defendant, media from around the world.

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Jury selection took months. Nobody in Los Angeles hadn't heard

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about the case. Finding impartial jurors was nearly impossible. Eventually,

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twelve were seated, seven men, five women, ages ranging from

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twenty five to seventy three. June fifteenth, nineteen seventy, trial began,

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opening statements scheduled. Charles Manson had other plans. He stood

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up in court started reading a statement. Judge Older told

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him to sit down. Manson kept reading louder, accusing the

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court of railroading him, of denying his rights of staging

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a show trial. Judge Older ordered bailiffs to remove him.

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Manson resisted, screamed. His three female followers, Susan Patricia Leslie,

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stood up started chanting, singing Manson's songs. Bailiffs removed them too.

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This set the tone for the next seven months, chaos, disruptions, outbursts.

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The trial became a circus, and Charles Manson was the ringleader.

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But first he had a message for America, something that

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would become iconic, something that defined how the world saw him.

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June sixteenth, nineteen seventy, second day of trial, Manson walked

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into court. The courtroom gasped. He'd carved an ex into

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his forehead between his eyebrows, fresh wound, still bleeding, made

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it himself with a razor. Outside court, Manson told reporters

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what it meant. I have exed myself from your world.

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The next day, Susan Atkins appeared with an ex carved

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in her forehead, then Patricia Crenwinkle, then Leslie Van Houghten.

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All three had matching exes carved to show solidarity with Charlie,

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to show they'd rejected society, to show they were one.

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The jury was shielded from seeing the exes. Initially, Judge

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Older worried it would prejudice them, but eventually they saw

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saw Manson and his followers marked branded united in their

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contempt for the legal system. The trial proceeded. Prosecutor Vincent

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Bugliosi presented evidence, crime scene photos, blood samples, fingerprints, forensic

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evidence linking the defendants to the murders, physical proof they'd

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been at Ciello Drive and Waverley Drive. Linda Kessebian testified

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for eighteen days, described everything the planning, the drive to

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Cielo Drive, watching from outside as her friends murdered five

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people the next night at the Labyankas Manson's orders, his

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control over the family, his helter skelter theory. The defense

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tried to destroy Linda's credibility, called her a drug addict,

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a liar, a woman who'd abandoned her children, but Linda

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held firm answered every question, described the murders in detail,

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never wavered. Other witnesses testified, forensic experts, medical examiners, lap

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D detectives, members of the family who'd left, all building

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the case that Charles Manson ordered these murders, that Tex, Susan, Patricia,

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and Leslie carried them out, that seven people died because

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of them. The defense argued Manson didn't kill anyone personally,

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wasn't even at Coello Drive, only entered the Labyanka house briefly,

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didn't kill the Labyankas himself. How could he be guilty

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of murder if he didn't physically commit the acts. Bugliosi

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argued conspiracy. Under California law, anyone who conspires to commit

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murder is equally guilty. Doesn't matter if they pull the trigger,

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if they order the killing, they're murderers. Charles Manson ordered

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these killings. Therefore, Charles Manson was a murderer. The jury

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would decide, We'll be right back with the courtroom chaos.

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President Nixon declaring Manson guilty mid trial, the verdict and

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the death sentences that became life sentences. The Manson trial

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wasn't just about evidence. It was about control. Charles Manson

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spent seven months trying to control the courtroom, control the narrative,

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control his followers, control the outcome. He failed, but the

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attempt was spectacular. Daily disruptions, Manson would stand without permission,

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shout at the judge, call him a puppet, a tool

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of the establishment, say the trial was a sham. Judge

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Older would order him removed. Bailiffs would drag him out. Susan, Patricia,

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and Leslie would stand start singing, chanting, making noise until

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they too were removed. Outside the courthouse, more family members gathered.

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Squeaky from Manson's most devoted follower, who wasn't charged, led them.

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They sat on the sidewalk, carved exes into their foreheads,

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sang Manson's songs, held vigils, tried to intimidate witnesses and jurors.

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At one point, they brought a sword to court, threatened

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violence If Manson was convicted. Security was increased, metal detectors installed,

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but the family kept coming every single day, a permanent

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presence inside court. The female defendants acted like it was

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performance art. They giggled during testimony about murders, laughed when

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prosecutors described how Sharon Tate begged for her baby's life,

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made jokes, treated it like entertainment. Judge Older threatened them

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with contempt, warned they'd be removed permanently if they didn't stop.

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They didn't care, kept disrupting. Eventually all three were banned

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from attending portions of their own trial watched via closed

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circuit TV from holding cells. Manson tried to fire his attorney,

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wanted to represent himself. Judge Older denied the request, initially

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said Manson wasn't qualified. Manson argued he had a right

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to defend himself. Eventually, Judge Older relented allowed Manson to

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act as his own attorney, but with court appointed counsel

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as backup. Big mistake. Manson used it as a platform

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cross examined witnesses with bizarre questions. Asked Linda Kasabian about spirituality,

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about love, about whether society was more evil than and individuals.

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Nothing about the actual murders, Just philosophy, rambling, manipulation attempts.

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July nineteen seventy, Manson decided he wanted to testify. His

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attorneys advised against it, said he'd incriminate himself. Manson insisted.

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Judge Older allowed it, but not in front of the

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jury first, Manson would testify outside their presence. Judge would

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determine if it was relevant, then decide if jury could

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hear it. Manson testified for hours, rambled, talked about his childhood, prison,

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society's failures, how the system created him, how he was

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a product of everything wrong with America. Said he didn't

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order anyone to kill, said his followers acted on their own,

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misunderstood his words, misunderstood helter skelter. These children did what

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they believed was right. Manson said, I didn't tell them

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to kill anyone. I told them to do what was necessary.

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They decided what that meant. Classic psychopath deflection, taking credit

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for the family's devotion while denying responsibility for their actions.

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Having it both ways. Judge Older ruled most of Manson's

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testimony was irrelevant, self serving, not admissible. The jury wouldn't

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hear most of it. Manson was furious, screamed at the judge,

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said the trial was rigged, that he was being silenced,

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removed from court again. August third, nineteen seventy, President Richard

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Nixon made a statement to reporters, said Charles Manson was guilty.

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Here was a man who was guilty directly or indirectly

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of eight murders. Eight murders Nixon counted Charonate's unborn baby.

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But more importantly, the president had just declared the defendant

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guilty before the jury reached a verdict. Before deliberations mid trial.

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The next day, Manson walked into court holding a newspaper

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front page headline Manson guilty. Nixon declares, held it up

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for the jury to see, made sure everyone saw it,

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trying to force a mistrial. Judge Older was furious, questioned

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each juror individually, asked if they'd seen the headline, if

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it influenced them. All twelve said no, they'd avoided media

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coverage as instructed, hadn't seen Nixon's statement, could still be impartial.

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Judge Older continued the trial, but he was livid President

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Nixon had nearly destroyed the case, nearly forced a mistrial.

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After seven months of proceedings, unprecedented presidential interference. Closing arguments

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began November nineteen seventy. Vincent Bugliosi spoke for eight hours

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over multiple days, methodically laid out the evidence, the timeline,

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the witness testimony, the physical proof, the conspiracy, the motive,

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helter skelter Bugliosi explained Manson's theory, how he believed the

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Beadles were sending him messages through their songs, how he

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thought a race war was coming, how he decided to

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trigger it himself, how he sent his followers to commit

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murders designed to look like black militants did it, how

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it all failed, How seven people died for nothing. Charles

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Manson is the most dangerous man who ever walked the

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face of the earth, Bogliosi told the jury. He ordered

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these murders. He's as guilty as if he plunged the

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knife himself, more guilty because he corrupted these young people,

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turned them into killers, destroyed their humanity. Seven people are

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dead because of Charles Manson. The defense argued Manson was

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being scapegoated, that Tex Watson was the real killer, that Susan,

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Patricia and Leslie made their own choices, that Manson was

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just a hippie cult leader whose followers took things too far,

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that he didn't order specific murders, that his words were misinterpreted,

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but the evidence was over whelming. Linda Kasabian's testimony, forensic proof,

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the conspiracy, the planning, the aftermath all pointed to Manson.

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Orchestrating everything. January fifteenth, nineteen seventy one, the case went

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to the jury, twelve people deciding the fate of four defendants,

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seven murder charges each. For nine days, the jury deliberated,

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reviewed evidence, debated, discussed. The verdict had to be unanimous,

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all twelve agreeing on every count for every defendant. January

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twenty fifth, nineteen seventy one, the jury returned guilty on

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all counts all four defendants, twenty eight guilty verdicts total.

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Charles Manson showed no emotion, just stared straight ahead. His

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three female followers smiled, giggled like it was a joke,

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like they just won something. The penalty phase began immediately.

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Under California law, the same jury that convicted would decide

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punishment life in prison or death in the gas chamber.

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Prosecution presented aggravating factors, the brutality, the multiple victims, the

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lack of remorse, the danger the defendants posed to society

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asked for death. Defense presented mitigating factors, difficult childhoods, drug addiction,

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Manson's manipulation youth. Susan was twenty three, Patricia was twenty three,

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Lesley was twenty one when the murders occurred. Asked for life.

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March twenty ninth, nineteen seventy one, the jury recommended death.

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All four defendants, Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Crenwinkle, Leslie

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van Houghten death in the gas chamber. Judge Older formally

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sentenced them April nineteenth, nineteen seventy one. It is the

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judgment and sentence of this court that you shall suffer

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the death penalty. This penalty is to be inflicted within

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the walls of the State Prison at San Quentin in

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the manner prescribed by law at such time as the

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warden shall direct. Manson smiled, said, you people have no

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authority over me. You can take my life, but you

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can't touch my soul. You can kill me, but I'll

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always be here. His followers sang chanted, celebrated like they'd won,

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like death was victory. They were transferred to San Quentin

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State Prison death row, awaiting execution. Charles Manson in the

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men's section, Susan, Patricia, and Leslie in the women's section,

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separated for the first time in years, but they'd never

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be executed. February eighteenth, nineteen seventy two, California, Supreme Court

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ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. People versus Anderson, all death

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sentences in California automatically commuted to life in prison. Charles Manson,

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Susan Atkins, Patricia Crenwinkle, Leslie Van Houghton, Tex Watson, convicted

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separately in October nineteen seventy one, also sentenced to death,

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all now serving life. Manson was furious. He wanted to die,

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wanted to be executed, become a martyr, die famous. Instead,

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he'd rotten, prison, forgotten, ignored that was worse than death

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for someone who craved attention. Over time, Manson changed his

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forehead X into a swastika, made himself look more evil,

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more shocking, trying to stay relevant, stay famous. It worked.

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He remained one of America's most recognizable criminals until his death.

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His followers also changed. Susan Atkins found religion, became a

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born again Christian, married, wrote books, asked for forgiveness, denied

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parole thirteen times. Died in prison September two thousand and

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nine brain cancer, aged sixty one. Spent forty years incarcerated.

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Patricia cr v Winkle also found religion, expressed remorse, apologized

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to victim's families accepted responsibility. Denied parole fifteen times. Still

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incarcerated at age seventy seven California Institution for Women, oldest

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woman in California prison system, will likely die there. Leslie

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Van Houghton, youngest member convicted of LaBianca murders only, was

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granted parole in twenty twenty three after fifty three years,

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released at age seventy three. Multiple governors had blocked previous

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parole grants. Finally released by Governor Gavin Newsom after courts

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ruled she deserved freedom. Tex Watson denied parole eighteen times,

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most recent hearing in October twenty twenty one. Next eligible

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in twenty twenty six. Also found religion, became ordained minister, married,

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had four children through conjugal visits before California ended the program.

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Still claims he's reformed, Still denied parole, will likely die

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in prison. Make it make sense? Four people murdered seven

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strangers to start a race war based on Beatles lyrics,

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got death sentences commuted to life. Two dead, one released

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after fifty three years. Two still imprisoned, all because they

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followed Charles Manson. That's day two of our Manson family series.

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The trial that lasted seven months, the exes carved into foreheads,

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the courtroom chaos, the guilty verdicts, the death sentences commuted

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to life. Charles Manson died November nineteenth, twenty seventeen, eighty

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three years old, natural causes. Never showed remorse, never apologized,

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spent fifty years in prison, giving interviews, writing letters claiming innocence.

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Susan Atkins dead in two thousand and nine, Patricia Crenwinkle

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still imprisoned. Leslie Van Houghten released in twenty twenty three.

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Tex Watson did the nighted parole eighteen times. Tomorrow the

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final day, the aftermath. How the Manson murders changed America,

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the end of the nineteen sixties, the victims' families fifty

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six years later, and Charles Manson's legacy. The cult leader

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who became more famous than the Beatles he worshiped. I'm reed, Carter,

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this is celebrity trials.