Helter Skelter and the Manson Family

The Manson Family, the quasi-commune led by murder-conspirator Charles Manson that arose in California in the late 1960s, will forever live on in infamy. Charles Mason is, without a doubt, the most notorious killer in American history, infamous worldwide for the terrible Tate/LaBianca murders. Manson has become a symbol for the dark side of the 1960s, and has left a horrific legacy behind him.

He established himself as a sort of “messianic” guru figure in the hippie counterculture of the late 1960s. He preached an eclectic mix of philosophies, and attracted a group of followers that gathered around his teachings. Manson and his group of followers landed in Los Angeles in 1967.

Interestingly, hitchhiking members of the Manson Family were at one point picked up by Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, who took them back to his house in Los Angeles, where he left them. Upon returning, Manson and his followers had taken over the mansion. The “family” essentially took over Wilson’s home for a few months, while the drummer talked and played music with Manson.

After getting kicked out of Wilson’s house, Manson created a base for his “commune” at Spahn Ranch, a movie ranch in Los Angeles Country used for filming Western-themed movies and television programs. Here, Manson began to preach of an “inevitable race war” that would eventually wipe out the country, at which point he and his followers could rebuild it in their own philosophy.

On July 25, 1969, Manson ordered several of his “family” members to hold his acquaintance Gary Hinman hostage. Manson arrived after a few days and gave the order for his murder. Two days later, Manson announced to his followers that it was time for the “Helter Skelter” race war. His followers then proceeded to murder five people, including actress Sharon Tate. The next night, six members of the Manson family murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary. Overall, the Manson Family murdered nine people in the span of just a couple months.

In 1972, Manson and the other convicted members of his “family” had their death sentences dropped to life imprisonment after California abolished the death penalty. From prison, Manson always managed to stay in the public eye, even giving several TV interviews in the 1980s.

Today, Charles Manson is still alive in prison. The brutality of the murders he ordered has led to the denial of his parole on 12 separate occasions. Manson’s next parole hearing is scheduled for 2027, when he is 92 years old. The Manson Family and the horrific crimes they committed will continue to haunt the American culture and inspire countless books and movies as well as tourism, as many visited the Spahn Ranch and other locales in a perverse pilgrimage.