Police Blunders In The Manson Investigation Essay, Research Paper

Police Blunders in The Manson Investigation

On August 10, 1969 the headline “Actress Is Among 5 Slain at Home in

Beverly Hills” appeared on the front page of the New York Times (Roberts). This

was the beginning of a investigation of police error which prolonged the arrest

of Charles Manson.

There were several people who claimed they had heard gunshots and

screaming in the early morning hours of August 9. Mrs. Kott, who lived at 10070

Cielo Drive, heard three or four gunshots at what she guessed was to be about

twelve thirty to one o’clock a.m. after which she heard nothing. About three

quarters of a mile south of the murder scene, Tim Ireland was having an over

night party at the camp of which he was a counselor. Everyone had gone to bed

when Tim awoke to a man’s voice screaming “Oh, God, no, please don’t! Oh God,

no, don’t, don’t, don’t…” (Bugliosi & Gentry 4). At this time, about twelve

forty a.m., he awoke his supervisor, told him about the scream, and requested

that he go see if anyone needed help. He drove around the area but saw nothing

unusual. Robert Bullington of the Bel Air Patrol was in his parked car when he

heard three gunshots spaced a few seconds apart. He immediately called in to

headquarters (the call logged in at 4:11 a.m.). Headquarters then called in to

LA

PD but nothing further was done. About four thirty paperboy Steve Shannon, who

hadn’t heard anything the previous night, noticed what looked like a telephone

wire hanging over the front gate and a bug light on near the house. Mr. Kott

also noticed the wire when he went out to get his paper at about seven thirty

that morning (Bugliosi & Gentry 4-5).

Winifred Chapman, the housekeeper for 10050 Cielo Drive, arrived at the

house and also noticed the wire hanging at the gate. She first thought the

power was out but then she pushed the button to open the front gate and it did.

She began to walk up the driveway when she noticed that there was an unfamiliar

automobile in the driveway. She figured, though, that it was only a visitor and

continued toward the house. When she entered, she picked up the phone and the

line was dead. Thinking she should inform someone, she entered the living room

where she noticed two blue trunks which were not there when she left the

previous night. A closer look saw that there was blood on the trunks. There

was blood scattered about in the living room. She could see out the back door

and on the ground there were pools of blood and a body on the lawn. She ran out

of the house in a panic and on her way out she passed the unfamiliar automobile

in the driveway and this time, looking inside, saw yet another body (Bugliosi

& Gentry 5). She ran from the estate screaming “Murder Death Bodies Blood”

(Begg & Fido 134).

Knowing she needed to get help she ran immediately to 10070 Cielo Drive

and began banging on the door but Mr. and Mrs. Kott did not answer. She then

went to 10090 Cielo Drive and began banging on their door. Mr. and Mrs. Asin

came to the door and let her in. She was in complete hysterics and the Asin’s

didn’t know what to do. Jim Asin, 15, called the police and noted the time,

eight thirty-three a.m. Jim and his father Ray went to the crime scene and

stood at the gate. they noticed a white Rambler in the driveway and also

noticed that there were wires cut. They then returned and made a second call to

the police and, shortly after, a third call (Bugliosi & Gentry 6).

Police error begins with phone calls. The first being the one that was

made to the LAPD in connection with the gunshots heard early on the morning of

August 9. The police didn’t follow up on anything concerning that call. As for

the calls made by Jim Asin, in the official report it says that at “0914 hours,

West Los Angeles Units 8L5 and 8L62 were given a radio call ‘Code 2 possible

homicide,10050 Cielo Drive’” (Bugliosi & Gentry 6). “The confusion extends to

the arrival times of the units. Officer DeRosa would later testify he arrived

about 9:05 a.m., which was before he supposedly received the Code 2. Officer

Whisenhunt, who came next, set the time of his arrival at between 9:15 and 9:25,

while officer Burbrige, who arrived after both men, testified he was there at

8:40 (Bugliosi & Gentry 6).

Officer DeRosa, who was driving 8L5, had arrived first and began

interviewing Mrs. Chapman but she was too hysterical and only mentioned names-

Polanski, Altobelli, and Frykowski. Ray Asin cleared things up for DeRosa. He

said the house was owned by Rudi Altobelli who was in Europe. Altobelli had

hired a caretaker, a young William Garretson, to watch the house. He lived in

the guest house just behind the residence. Altobelli rented the house itself

out to Roman Polanski and his wife Sharo