Charles Manson was a notorious American criminal who led a cult known as the Manson Family in the late 1960s. His followers committed nine gruesome murders, which shocked the nation and solidified Manson's reputation as a mastermind of violence and manipulation.
Manson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1934 and had a tumultuous childhood marked by abuse and abandonment. He was in and out of reform schools and prisons for various offenses, including car theft and credit card fraud. Despite his criminal record, Manson had a charismatic personality and was able to attract a devoted following of young, predominantly female followers.
In the late 1960s, Manson and his followers established a commune in California's San Fernando Valley. They embraced the counterculture movement and practiced a combination of Christianity and Eastern philosophy, which Manson referred to as "Helter Skelter." Manson believed that an impending race war, or "Helter Skelter," was imminent and that he and his followers would emerge as the ultimate survivors.
Manson's twisted ideology led to the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969. Manson ordered his followers to break into the homes of actress Sharon Tate and wealthy supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and murder the occupants. Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time, was brutally stabbed to death along with four of her friends. The following night, Manson and three of his followers killed Leno and his wife Rosemary in their home.
The Manson Family's gruesome crimes sent shockwaves through the nation and sparked a media frenzy. Manson and several of his followers were arrested and charged with murder. Manson was eventually found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Despite being behind bars, Manson continued to garner attention and influence. He received hundreds of letters from fans and even inspired a few copycat crimes. In the decades following his conviction, Manson remained a controversial and polarizing figure, with some viewing him as a symbol of evil and others seeing him as a victim of the counterculture movement.
Manson's legacy as a cult leader and mastermind of violence will likely continue to be debated for years to come. However, his crimes and the terror they inspired will never be forgotten.
