Charles Manson Essay, Research Paper

?I have led myself from your world … You have created the monster. I am not of you, from you, nor do I kill animals, and condone your unjust attitude toward things, try to understand … I stand for people that you do not posed to what you do and have done in the past … You make fun of God and have murdered the world in the name of Jesus Christ … My faith in me is stronger than … , gas chambers, or any or all of your armies, govern …. Your courtroom is man?s game. Love is my judge. – Charles Manson-(Foster 1)

Charles Manson has been identified by the public as a ?cult leader, guru, evil Pied Piper, and con man who failed at everything he tried.?(Press 160) Essentially, the man was a mixture of disparity, seeing himself as Satan and Jesus Christ. Although Manson was a ?half-assed nothing who hardly knew how to read or write? (Press160), his criminal mastery proved otherwise. With his beguiling charisma and mysterious charm and wit, he had no trouble weaving a web of chaos. With much ease Manson was highly successful in attaining a number of followers and supporters, and ultimately constituting his own ?Manson family?.

Charles Manson was born Charles Maddox, in Cincinnati Ohio on November 11, 1934. He was the illegitimate son of Kathleen Maddox, and later took the name ?Manson? from one of his mother?s husbands. (Threlkeld 1) He was deserted by his mother, unable to support herself through prostitution and was raised by his grandmother in McMechen, West Virginia. He was later sent to Boys Town in Nebraska, but his habits of thieving soon caused him to leave. (World Crime 2108) Soonafter, Manson began to live the life of a wanderingvagabond, and was first arrested in Peoria, Illinois for stealing food. He was then sent to Indiana Boys School Reformatory at Plainfield, from which he escaped eighteen times, and finally fled west. He was arrested again in Beaver City, Utah, in 1951 for theft. Over the next three years, Manson spent most of his time in federal reformatories, including the national training school for boys in Washington DC. He was finally paroled from the Chillicothe Federal Reformatory in November 1954. The next year, he married Rosaline Jean Willis (which did not last long) and was arrested for transporting stolen automobiles across state lines. For this offense, Manson was sent to San Pedro?s Terminal Island Prison outside of Los Angeles for three years. (Bloodletters 422)

He became a pimp after his release in 1958, and received many short jail sentences for transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes. Manson then resorted to forging governmental checks, and was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment on McNeil Island, Washington. He was released in March 1967, and ?bummed? his way to Los Angeles. (Bloodletters 422) By this time he had spent seventeen years in jail?more than half his life. It is highly likely that this time in prison helped to characterize Manson?s persona. Although he was almost illiterate and completely unschooled, prison life had transformed him into a ?shifty, cagy, and cunning creature who had learned to manipulate people in prison to compensate for his diminutive size? of five feet, two inches. (Encyclopedia 2110)

While in jail, he was also able to develop his own sense of a ?piecemeal philosophy?, which he would later share with his followers. It combined mysticism, hypnosis, Eastern religions, the Bible, the Beatles, and ?The Process,? an offshoot of liberal Scientology whose followers worship both Christ and Satan. Manson brainwashed his followers using ?sex, suggestion, repetition, isolation, drugs and a love that most who study cults recognize as distorted.? (Press 160)

He would easily seduce women, as well as men with his charming personality. He would usually befriend them and infer that he was their only savior. He set about collecting ?lost children? for purposes he probably did not understand himself. ?Everybody should have a father like Charlie.? This was the consensus among most of Manson?s women, of whom Manson would convince that he was. ?Forget your daddy. I?m your daddy. Doesn?t this feel too good to be wrong?,? he expressed. (Press 161)

In 1968, Manson and his followers moved to Spahn Movie Ranch in Los Angeles, California. There, he quickly gathered new followers who were ?mesmerized by his hypnotic stare and monosyllabic pronouncements.? Among these new followers were mostly young, middle class women. (Encyclopedia 2110) Patricia Krenwinkel had grown up in an untroubled middle-class family with a good education. She held a good job with a Los Angeles insurance company, but gave up everything when she met Manson. This was typical of the followers Manson led to Spahn Movie Ranch.

Also among his ?motley clan? was Charles ?Tex? Watson. He was twenty, three, tall powerfully built, and a high school football a track star from Farmersville, Texas. Though he had once been a top student, once Watson moved to Spahn Ranch, he too became one of Manson?s ?mindless robot? slaves. (Encyclopedia 2110)

As time wore on, Manson began to tell his family that he was ?Man-son,? or ?Son-of-Man,? which he compared to Jesus Christ. He frequently ?marched about Christ-like? with a straggly beard and long hair. ?Charlie was there, alone.. He was dressed in a long white robe. I immediately knew that he might be God himself: if not, he was close to him,? expressed Susan Atkins, one of Manson?s followers. It was at this time that the Manson family recognized him as the ?messiah come again.? (Press 161) At the same time however, Manson exclaimed that he was not only the Son of Man, but Satan himself as well. (Encyclopedia 2110)

Soonafter he began to rant against blacks, and preached his philosophy of Helter Skelter, a violent uprising resulting in the temporary rule by blacks, whom he thought incapable of governing. (Press 162) The earth had to rid itself of this ?inferior? race, and this could only be brought about through a race war. Manson expressed that his family had been chosen as the ?instrument of his wrath?. They would kill some important whites and blame the slaughter on blacks. This ultimately would lead to a race war, bringing about the abolishment of blacks. Manson?s hatred for the black race ignited while in prison, through sexual abuse by black prisoners. He would now take revenge upon the entire race for this offense. (Encyclopedia 2110)

Meanwhile Manson began playing the guitar and believed himself to be one of the most accomplished composers in the world. Soon Manson contacted musician Gary Hinman in order to produce his work. Hinman was amused by Manson and his work and allowed Manson, Susan Atkins, and Robert K. Beausoleil to stay in his house. When the group was kicked out of Hinman?s house, Manson grew an intense hatred toward the musician, believing that Hinman was jealously ignoring his work. (Encyclopedia 2110) When hearing that Hinman had inherited money, Manson sent Atkins and Beausoleil on a mission to get the money, and later kill Hinman. They obediently followed his commands, torturing Hinman for three days until a gruesome murder was committed. He was stabbed in the chest and then smothered to death. Atkins left the ensanguined remark ?political piggy? on Hinman?s wall. The two murderers overlooked the fingerprints of Beausoleil when wiping the house clean of their mess. This assisted in the police search for the killer, whom they found to be Beausoleil. (Press 163)

At this point, Manson?s only concern was to have his song published, and he approached Terry Melcher, the son of Doris day, asking Melcher to introduce him to the important people of the music industry, in order to publish his ?musical masterpiece.? Melcher apparently did nothing to help Manson, which enraged the cult leader. In his twisted thinking, Manson came to the conclusion that he would place complete terror into the heart of Melcher, until the producer would give in to each and every one of Manson?s requests. (Encyclopedia 2111)

On March 23, 1969, Manson and Tex Watson went to Melcher?s home, but realized that he no longer lived at the house on Cielo Drive. In fact this was now the house of Sharon Tate and Roman Palonski. Nevertheless, Manson noticed some glamorous looking people moving about in the house and labeled them ?movie star types,? based on their stature. It was then that Manson decided that everyone living in that house would now die. Their deaths would prove to Melcher that Manson meant business, the ?business of death? and the next time Melcher would be more supportive in promoting Manson?s songs. On the night of August 8, 1969, Manson sent his ?death squad? to the house on Cielo drive. (Encyclopedia 2111)

The unsuspecting inhabitants of the house included movie star Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, heiress to the coffee fortune, Voytek Frykowski, her fianc?e, Jay Sebring and Steven Earl Parent. Watson, Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian were sent to get the job done. Watson shot Parent four times as they entered the grounds. Kasabian stayed outside as Watson, saying, ?I?m the devil, and I?m here to do the devil?s business,? and the other two shot, clubbed and stabbed Frykowski; shot, stabbed and hung Sebring; stabbed Folger; and stabbed and hung the eight and one half month pregnant Tate. They later marked the residence with demented slogans such as ?Death to Pigs,? ?Rise? and ?Healter Skelter??misspelled, with the blood of their victims. (Press 164)

This ?senseless killing spree? was repeated two days later when the same group invaded the home of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca. (Bloodletters 423) Manson claimed he had visited the scene of the previous murders, and was disappointed in his family for doing such a ?messy? job. This time, he would show them how to do it right. He began doing so by entering the residence alone and tying up the La Biancas with leather thongs from around his neck. He then left the house and told the others to complete the task. Again they brutally murdered the two innocent victims, resorting to the use of kitchen utensils (forks and knives). (Press 164) The killers did not flee the home, but enjoyed it as if it were their own. They showered and helped themselves to a bite to eat before leaving the premises. (Encyclopedia 2111)

Many of Manson?s followers left the Spahn Ranch after these slayings, including Atkins, who was arrested and jailed for prostitution. Manson was eventually arrested in a camp with some of his followers near Death Valley on October 15, 1969. Police also tracked down the remaining Manson murderers and and Manson, Krenwinkel, Atkins, Watson, Kasabian, and Beausoleil were placed on trial for murder. (Encyclopedia 2111)

The trial was often interrupted by the deranged defendants who treated it as an absurd situation. They laughed at the descriptions of their mutilations and murders and posed for newspaper photographers. (Encyclopedia 2111) Manson ?constantly interrupted proceedings by shouting, chanting, turning his back on the judge, assuming a crucifixion pose, and singing?, actions that were often mimicked by the three women defendants. (Press 167)

Eventually, all of the defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death in the gas chamber. However, when the U.S. Supreme court later abolished the death penalty, all received life terms. Although California was one of the states that reincorporated the death penalty under a new Supreme Court ruling, the murderers was not affected. The bill was not retroactive, and the Manson ?clan? survived to serve out life terms. (Bloodletters 423)

Charles Manson has had three parole violation hearings since being convicted. Each instance he has been denied parole. In 1997, at the most recent hearing, the parole board concluded that Manson ?still posed an unreasonable risk and danger to society and a threat to public safety if he were released.? Manson responded, ?That’s cool. What I’d like for you to do in your own minds personally, ? consider that the longer you let this little conviction stand, and this little Helter Skelter scheme of the DA to give his particular reality over into the play, that’s going to be the reality that they’re perpetuating. That’s not the reality that I’m perpetuating. I’m not saying that I wasn’t involved. I’m saying that I did not break man’s law…? When asked what he would do if paroled, Manson replied with the notion that he would just ?go poof?. (Threlkeld 1)

These words may in fact be a pure reality. It is for his crimes, and criminal mastery, that Manson has discovered his claim to fame. In a sense, he has gained a concrete sense of self-identity through these crimes. Also, on a different basis, he has spent a great amount of his lifetime in prison. Imprisonment has become his way of life, the jail his home, his truth, and his ultimate reality. Furthermore, on a more literal sense, it is possible that the moment he steps out of the jail bars and finds his way back into society, he would not last long. Although the infamous man still has many followers today?a new Manson family, wearing on only by the past remarks and ideals of their true father-figure, he also has many enemies.

Nevertheless, as his legacy wears on ? one of complete horror to some, and enlightenment to others, it is certainly evident that this criminal mastermind has made a large impact on society. Manson has come to represent evil. He repeatedly expressed, however, that he is merely a reflection of what others have made of him, a reflection of their own existing evil. (Chiasson 168) The rants of present-day followers display this, as they dub their leader as the true ?Christ?, preaching his words and senselessly partaking in grotesque rituals. Many Satanic cults exist today, carrying on in exercising bigotry, and proceeding to act in a way contradictory to the societal norm?all in the name of their leader. His present ?family? still attempts to make strategic efforts to further his name, and establish his eternal legacy. Nonetheless, through his criminal mastery, and ultimately his impact on society, he already has established a place among the history books of America, and of the world.

?Charles Manson.? Bloodletters and Badmen. Ed. Jay Robert Nash. New York: M. Evans and Company Inc., 1995.

?Charles Manson.? Encyclopedia of World Crime. Ed. Jay Robert Nash. Wilmette, IL: Crimebooks, Inc., 1990

Dardenne, Robert. ?The Case of Charles Manson (1970).? The Press on Trial: Crimes and Trials as Media Events. Ed. Lloyd Chiasson, Jr. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1997

Foster, Shawn G. ?Quotes from the Participants of the Manson Trial? State vs. Charles Manson: Seminar in Famous Trials. Online. Microsoft Network. 7 Dec. 2000

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/manson/QUOTES.HTM

Threlkeld, Robin. ?Biography.? State vs. Charles Manson: Seminar in Famous Trials. Ed. Shawn G. Foster. Online. Microsoft Network. 7 Dec. 2000

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/manson/BIOGRAPH.HTM