In the early hours of August 9, 1969, followers of Charles Manson carried out a brutal attack at the Beverly Hills, California, residence of movie director Roman Polanski, killing five individuals, including Polanski’s pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. Less than 48 hours later, the group struck again, murdering Leno LaBianca, a supermarket executive, and his wife, Rosemary, in their home. These heinous acts horrified the nation and cemented Charles Manson’s status as a notorious criminal figure.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1934 to a 16-year-old single mother, Manson spent much of his youth in reformatories and his early adult years in prison. After his release in 1967, he relocated to California and used his peculiar charisma to attract a group of hippies. He established a commune on the outskirts of Los Angeles, where drug use and sexual activities were prevalent. Manson shared his unique and unconventional religious beliefs with his followers, who referred to themselves as his “Family.”
Roman Polanski, known for films such as *Rosemary’s Baby*, *Chinatown*, and *The Pianist*, was not Manson’s intended victim. Manson, who aspired to be a musician, targeted Polanski’s home because he had previously sought a recording contract from a producer who had lived there. At the time of the murders, Polanski was away, but his wife and her guests, including coffee heiress Abigail Folger, were brutally murdered. Although Manson did not participate directly in these killings, nor in the LaBianca murders, he was later charged with murder due to his role in orchestrating and influencing the crimes.
Manson initially avoided police suspicion, but his arrest came after one of his followers, already imprisoned on unrelated charges, began boasting about the events. The subsequent trial of Manson captured national attention as he displayed erratic and violent behavior. In 1971, he was convicted and sentenced to death, but this was later commuted to life imprisonment after the California Supreme Court invalidated the death penalty in 1972.
Manson has been the focus of numerous films and books, including the well-known *Helter Skelter*, named after a Beatles song that Manson believed contained hidden messages inciting a race war. Manson died in prison in 2017.
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