All language subtitles for Tom Gries - Helter Skelter Night

Good evening. You are about to see
a dramatization of actual facts...

...in which some of the names
have been changed. But the story is true.

If it were not true,
it would not be believable...

...for it is one of the most
bizarre chapters in the history of crime.

We may not like to accept
that people such as those...

...in the story of Helter Skelter
exist in our life, and yet they do.

And while they do, we cannot say
that the story of Helter Skelter is ended.

The foothills and canyons
above Beverly Hills...

...in the early morning hours
of Saturday, August 9, 1969.

"It was so quiet, "
one of the killers would say...

..."you could hear ice
rattling in cocktail shakers...

...in the homes way down the canyon. "

What was that? Sounded like a gun.

Come on, let's go to bed.

All right.

Hey, hey, hey. Shut up, you two.

You two are gonna end up
in the pound if you don't look out.

Now what's the matter, boy, huh?
What's the matter?

Cookie, Cookie.

- What are you shaking for, huh?
- Please, don't. Don't. No, please.

Please, no. No. No!

And what direction
did the screams come from?

I couldn't say exactly. In these hills
the sounds get scrambled.

Murder! Murder! Murder!

Six-Adam-25 at location.

All right, please, everybody move back.
Just move back, please.

We don't know anything yet.

How do you open this thing?
Miss, how do you open this thing?

I'll need you to identify the bodies.

I can't go back in there.
No, no, no way.

No.

Hey, look, there's even blood
on this button.

Is that the killer?
Where did you find him?

How many did he kill?

- Well, what's his name?
- Garretson, William.

Mr. Rosner? Sergeant Smith, Homicide.

- You are Mr. Polanski's business manager?
- Yeah.

It's going to be difficult for you, sir,
we know, but we need your help.

This way.

The first one is in this car here, Mr. Rosner.

- Can you identify him, sir?
- No.

- No idea?
- I never saw him before.

All right, can we look
at the others now, please?

- Voytek.
- Who?

A friend of Roman's from Poland.

Voytek Frykowski.

Okay, good.

Do you know her?

I think so.

It'd be a big help
if you could make it positive.

Gibby.

Abigail Folger.

The coffee family.

Yeah, she and Voytek
were staying with...

...Sharon while Roman was-

Sharon?

I'll have that blood sample
in five seconds.

Okay.

I'll get that later.

That's Jay...

...Sebring.

I think, I don't really know.

I know he's beat all to hell,
but you're pretty sure?

Yes.

Would you come to this side
of the sofa, please, Mr. Rosner?

Oh, my God. Sharon.

Often called one of the world's
most beautiful women...

...Miss Tate was eight months pregnant
at the time of her death.

Her body, clad only
in flowered bikini panties and bra...

...and bearing multiple stab wounds...

...was found with a nylon rope
tied around her neck.

The other end was around
the neck of Jay Sebring...

...known men's hair stylist,
who according to police...

...had been stabbed, beaten and shot.

Police describe Garretson's answers
as stuporous and unresponsive.

They said he would be held
for further questioning.

In other developments,
law enforcement sources confirm today...

...that drugs have been found
in the house on Elysium Drive...

...as well as in Jay Sebring's Porsche.

One day after the Tate murders,
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca...

...return from a trip to the mountains.

Veteran newsmen theorize...

...that the fact that Garretson was held
for questioning had not been specifically-

- How are you folks?
- Fine, Herb.

- I'm not.
- She's upset because of these killings.

- A terrible thing.
- Yeah.

The world is full of crazies.

- They got the guy, so what's the worry?
- It sure sounds like the guy.

- Have you folks been up at the lake?
- Yeah.

- It must be nice there.
- I don't know.

I couldn't get a racing form up there.

Listen, the last time we were up there
somebody went through our house.

- I'll see you later.
- So long.

- How old are you?
- Nineteen.

Keep your look forward, please.

Were you the caretaker?

Yes, sir.

Is your true last name Garretson?

Yes.

Did you know the boy
they found dead in the car?

Steve Parent. But not so good.

Concerning Steve Parent,
did you cause his death?

No.

You understood the question?

Yes.

Do you feel responsible for Steve's death?

- Well, that he even knew me, yeah.
- Huh?

Well, that he even knew me.

I mean, he wouldn't have come
to visit me that night.

Nothing would've happened,
in other words, to him.

Did you cause Mrs. Polanski's death?

No.

Why are you so nervous?

- Wouldn't you be?
- Not if I was telling the truth.

But I am telling the truth.

So relax.

I can tell you what made me
so nervous if you want to know.

What?

When they brought me in here...

...a policeman pointed to me
and said, "That's the guy.

That's the guy
who killed all those people. "

- So it's not because you're lying?
- I'm not lying.

I'm just confused.

Why are you confused?

Well, for one thing...

...how come I wasn't murdered?

- Are you Franklyn?
- Yeah.

Harry Jones, Sheriff's Homicide,
and my partner, Bob White.

- We know each other. Hi, Ted.
- Sit down, fellas. You want some coffee?

- Oh, we're on our way to eat.
- Well, it's about that time.

- You're on Tate, right?
- Yeah.

What do you got?

Maybe nothing. We've been
on the Hinman case.

Hinman, the music teacher?

He was cut up pretty good
like the Tate people.

The same kind of crazy viciousness,
you know.

And we saw in the Teletype that
the Tate killers left a message, "pig. "

Yeah, in blood.

The Hinman killers wrote "political piggy"
on the wall.

- In blood.
- Well, didn't you pick up somebody on that?

- Bobby Beausoleil.
- So he was in custody during Tate?

The thing is we don't think
he was alone on Hinman.

He's been living with a bunch
of hippies at the old-

A bunch of weirdos out there.
They think their leader is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ, huh?
Peace and love and flowers.

These are bigtime dope murders, Harry.
Now we're sure of that.

Well...

...we thought it was worth
mentioning anyhow.

Similar mode of death,
message left in both places...

...both printed, both in blood,
the word "pig" in both messages.

Well, I see what you mean, but the dope
angle is the only one that fits here.

- You want to come and eat with us?
- No, thanks, I'm brown-bagging.

I gotta hang around.

So long, sir. Good luck.

Sunday, two days after the Tate murders.

I really am sorry, sis,
to get you up so late.

That's okay, Frank.
I don't blame you.

When I saw all the shades down
and the boat in the driveway...

...and the light on in the kitchen
and Mom didn't answer...

...when I kept knocking,
well, I got a little scared to go in.

You did the right thing.

Susan, why don't you wait here,
and Frank and I'll take a look.

Garretson is released for lack of evidence
three days after the Tate murders...

...two after LaBianca.

I don't see any connection
between the Tate and LaBianca killings.

There are similarities,
but we think the dissimilarities...

...are so strong as to preclude
any connection. For instance-

- And the writings on the wall?
- I don't know who told you...

...there was writing at the
LaBianca residence. I didn't say there was.

We believe the LaBiancas
were killed by a copycat.

There are a lot of psychos.
This sort of thing turns them on.

Are you saying the killings
were done by psychos?

I'm saying we have no motive...

...and there was no connection
between the victims that we know of.

- That you know of?
- That we know of.

Drugs were found at the Tate murders,
while none were found at the LaBiancas.

We believe the Tate killings
were a drug burn.

Now, here's that Beatles album
I told you about.

I don't say it's anything solid,
but I got me a hunch.

- Mark, you guys working on the Tate case?
- LaBianca, Ted's on Tate.

Now here, you see?

- I've got something for you guys.
- A good cigar?

Those pieces of gun grip
you found at the Tate scene...

...they come from a Hi Standard
.22 caliber Longhorn revolver.

Now, that's known as a Buntline Special.

It's patterned after guns
that Ned Buntline made for Wyatt Earp.

- Look, the firearms experts broke the case.
- As usual.

They're not too many made
with that kind of grip.

We're sending a flyer out to every P.D.
in the U.S. And Canada.

- In no time at all, you'll have your gun.
- Sure. One chance in a 1000.

All you do is match up the bullets
found in Sebring and Frykowski...

...your case is solved, just like on TV.

That's not the way you break cases, Hank.
You do it by filling out forms in triplicate.

Now, here's a song called "Piggies. "

- They printed "death to pigs" on the wall.
- Right.

And here's a song called "Helter Skelter. "
"Helter Skelter was on the refrigerator door. "

- Look, I know it's a wild guess-
- That's not so wild.

It's not as wild as stabbing
some woman 41 times...

...and then go on stabbing her
even after she's dead.

It may as well be thrown in.
We don't have much.

- You said it.
- Well, it beats a blank.

Yeah, hopefully.

One week after the killings...

...in answer to complaints
of an auto-theft ring...

...but unrelated to the Tate-LaBianca
investigations...

...deputies from the L.A. Sheriff's
Department conduct a raid...

...at the isolated Spahn Movie Ranch
in the Simi hills northwest of Los Angeles.

Because some of the members
of the hippie cult at the ranch...

...sleep in groups
away from the main buildings...

...many of the officers move
into the ranch from the back way.

All right, put your hands on your head.
Keep them where I can see them.

Get up! Come here! Get up!

Danny DeCarlo, a member
of the Straight Satan motorcycle club.

Danny stays at the ranch
because of the wide variety of girls.

Hold it!

Susan Denise Atkins,
21 years old...

...also known as Sadie Mae Glutz,
and infant son, Zezozose Zadfrack Glutz.

This one's got a baby.

Come on. All right, come on.

Let go of my arm. Christ.

- Okay, Charlie, come on out of there.
- Come on, let's get your hands up.

- Move!
- All right! Damn it, I'm coming!

- All right!
- Get out.

All right! All right!
I'm coming! I'm coming! I'm here, man!

All right.

- Quit struggling! You're not gonna get hurt.
- Just be quiet, Charlie, everything's okay.

- All right, on your feet.
- Let's go. Up. Up.

- What's the matter?
- You're under arrest.

- What for?
- Grand theft auto, okay? Let's go.

Why don't you tell them to relax. I'll
tell some of the girls to be nice to you.

Sayce, 22 years old, also known
as Moses, also known as Boots.

Steve Grogan, 17,
also known as Clem...

...an escapee from a state mental hospital.

Patricia Krenwinkel, 22 years old...

...also known as Katie,
also known as Marnie Reeves...

...also known as Big Patty,
also known as Mary Ann Scott.

There he is. All right, Charlie...

...tell them I'm a ranch hand.
I'm not part of your crummy Family.

Look, wake up old man Spahn. Ask him.

I don't belong to this gang.
I'm a ranch hand.

Damn it, why do you do this to me
every time you put a bust on these bums?

I work here. You take me in, Flynn,
who's gonna do the work?

- Will you tell us what you know?
- You're damn right.

Snitch! Snitch! Snitch!

It's not nice to snitch, Shorty.

Horse manure.

Charles Milles Manson, also known
as Jesus Christ, God, Soul, the Devil.

Charles Willis Manson, born
No Name Maddox, November 12th, 1934.

Mother, Kathleen Maddox.
Lived with a succession of men.

Married briefly to William Manson,
who gave young Charles his last name.

Let's start getting
these people out of here.

All right, all children with their mothers.

All females, let's go. On your feet.

Single-file line to the bus.

- On your feet, girl.
- What do you think we're on?

- Okay.
- All right, on your feet. Get on your feet.

Kathleen Maddox served time
in state penitentiary for armed robbery.

Charles lived with relatives,
then his mother...

...and a series of her lovers
in rundown hotels.

Unwanted, he ran away at 12,
burglarized several stores...

...was caught and sent to Boys Town.

Fled four days later in a stolen car.
Committed first armed robbery, age 13.

Has spent 17 years,
one half of his life...

...in boys homes, jails
and federal penitentiaries.

Took guitar lessons in prison
from Alvin Karpis...

...lone survivor of the old
Ma Barker gang.

Twice married and divorced.
Fathered two children, probably more.

Criminal record includes burglary,
armed robbery, attempted escape...

...parole violation, homosexual rape,
assault, procuring...

...mail theft, grand theft auto, forgery.

Psychiatric evaluation: emotional
instability, rejection reaction...

...psychic trauma, bisexual,
dangerous, assaultive.

Three weeks after the murders...

...9-year-old Steven Quint is working
with his father in their back yard.

Hey, Dad. Hey, Dad, look what I found.

I'm holding it this way so I don't mess up
the fingerprints. I saw it on Dragnet.

My son's convinced this gun
was involved in every major crime...

...from the Black Dahlia
to those Tate murders three weeks ago.

We appreciate your calling, Mr. Quint.

It looks like it's been used
to hammer something.

Thank you.

Steven Quint's discovery is tagged
and filed in the property room...

...of the Van Nuys Division
of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Come out! Come on out! Let's go!

Come on out! Come on!

- What happened?
- We had to release them.

- DA's reject. Insufficient evidence.
- My aching back.

Come on, let's go! Come on, go! Go!

- Sheriff's Homicide. Jones.
- Harry, Phil Cohen here.

- Hey, Phillip, what's up?
- Well, just a thought.

- You were working on that Hinman case?
- Yeah, we're still on it.

Well, Mark and I are on this LaBianca thing,
and we were just wondering...

...what exactly did you find
printed on the walls at the Hinman place?

"Political piggy. "

- Political piggy?
- Right, Hinman's blood.

- Political piggy.
- That's one hell of a coincidence, huh?

- You said it.
- By the way, Phil...

- Yeah.
- We picked up that whole gang...

...out there at Spahn Ranch.

You know, that's where Bobby Beausoleil
was living when he killed Garry Hinman.

There's a ranch hand out there...

...you might want to talk to.
Name is Shorty Shea.

He's had a couple run-ins
with the leader of this gang...

...and he may have heard something.

Right, Shorty Shea.
I got it, Harry. Thank you.

- You bet.
- Okay, bye-bye.

Come on in.

Hi.

Hi. You're new around here, aren't you?

Charlie left me here to take
good care of George.

They took off, huh?
I thought the place looked deserted.

- Manuel Gris, Mr. Spahn.
- Phil Cohen, Mr. Spahn.

I recognize your voice, Mr. Cohen.

Charlie and his girls took off
the day after you were down here last time.

Over a month ago.

Yeah. You gentlemen want some lunch?

- No, thank you. Some other time.
- No, thank you.

But we were wondering, Mr. Spahn...

...if Mr. Shea had come back
from San Francisco yet.

- Shorty?
- Couple of Charlie's girls...

...told us he went to San Francisco
for a few weeks.

That's what Charlie told me too.

But it wasn't like old Shorty to haul freight
like that without saying boo to me about it.

But he just turned up missing one day,
and I ain't seen hide nor hair of him since.

- Learned exclusively that pieces of a gun
grip were found at the Tate murder scene.

And that the gun police are
seeking is a 22 caliber pistol.

That's the news. And now,
this comment and a question:

Two months have passed since Sharon Tate
and four others were slaughtered.

And yet not one suspect is in custody.

Not one piece of concrete evidence is
presented to a frightened community...

...that progress is being made.

- Sounds like the gun Stevie found.
- Had a broken grip, didn't it?

It must not be the one.
When was it we gave it to the police?

Was over a month ago.

Surely they'd have come back
to ask more questions by now.

And search the hillside.

Help!

Death Valley, California, two months
after the Tate and LaBianca murders.

Stephanie Mark, 17 years old.

And Kitty Lassiter, 17 years old
and five months pregnant.

- Please, will you take us somewhere?
- Oh, please!

- Where you going?
- Anywhere at all.

- Somebody is trying to kill us.
- All right, who?

- Charlie Manson.
- Please! Come on!

- Come on.
- Get in the back.

They tell the officers the Manson Family
left Spahn Ranch a month before...

...and has stayed at Barker Ranch
in Death Valley.

Kitty is pregnant by Family member
Bobby Beausoleil...

...now in custody in Los Angeles
for the murder of Gary Hinman.

Stephanie is a recent favorite of
Charlie Manson, now fallen from grace.

Both girls believe Manson will
kill them for what they know.

They don't know that Manson and the
Family were arrested two days earlier...

...for the destruction
of an earthmoving machine.

We got him over in the jail at Independence.
We picked him up, and the gang, yesterday.

- What for?
- Arson.

Burning up one of those
earthmoving machines.

- You have anything to do with it?
- No.

Sir.

- Are you taking us to Independence too?
- I'm afraid we'll have to.

You're not gonna put us
with them, are you?

No, you'll be by yourself.

Now, what are some of those things that
you know that Charlie wishes you didn't?

Bobby Beausoleil didn't do it by himself.
I know that.

What's that, kill Gary Hinman?

Sadie was there too. She helped.

- Sadie?
- Sadie Mae Glutz.

Sadie Mae Glutz. Is that her real name?

No, I think her real name is Susan Atkins.

Susan Atkins is Sadie Mae Glutz?

Isn't that the girl we arrested yesterday?

You better call
the L.A. County Sheriff's Office.

Have them send somebody down
to talk to that little lady.

Even after Bobby slashed his face,
he just wouldn't give us the money.

Is that why you ended up
having to kill him? The money?

Sure. $5000. We knew he had it.

He just wouldn't give it to us.

So me and Bobby took turns sleeping and
guarding him, so he wouldn't get away.

And one night, while I was in the kitchen...

...I heard Gary yell, "Don't, Bobby. "

And he staggered into the kitchen.
He had blood on his chest.

Sort of pouring out through his fingers,
you know?

- What happened then?
- Well...

We thought that was it for him.
He fell down, he was just laying there.

So we wiped the house for prints, okay?

And we were about to jam out of there,
and we heard Gary again.

Just moaning and groaning.

He's a funny guy. He just wouldn't die.
Just wouldn't.

So Bobby went back in,
and I heard Gary again.

"Oh, no, Bobby. Please, don't. "

And then I heard a sound like gurgling,
as when people are dying.

Susan.

Would you repeat this on tape for us?

No way.

- Why did you tell us in the first place?
- For fun.

You can't use it.
I'll just say I made it up.

Okay, Sadie Mae. We'll be bringing
you back to L.A. This afternoon.

You have any objection
to flying in a small plane?

I love to fly.

Two months and one week
after the Tate-LaBianca killings...

...Atkins is arrested
for the Gary Hinman murder...

...and brought to Sybil Brand Institute
for Women in East Los Angeles.

Take 31, that's your bunk.

- Cute.
- Yeah, probably straight too.

- What's your name, honey?
- Sadie.

Sexy Sadie.

Charlie.

Charlie's the strongest man alive.

They keep putting him in prison.
They can't break him. He has powers.

- Powers?
- Believe me.

I mean, he's not very big, physically...

...but everybody does what he says.

Even when he doesn't say it.

- You know what I mean.
- No, not really.

He's...

He's our father. He's our leader.

- He's our love.
- Really good, huh?

Our teacher. He's everything.

In fact...

You're a nice person, Ronnie.
I can trust you.

- Thanks.
- No, I feel that.

- Ronnie.
- Yes?

Charlie's Jesus Christ.

He is?

Oh.

What are you in here for?

First degree murder. Gary Hinman.

- Did you do it?
- Sure.

They got it wrong.

They claim I held him
while Bobby stabbed him.

The way it came down was Bobby held
him while I stabbed him four or five times.

- Cops are really dumb.
- What do you mean?

There's a case right now.

They're so far off the track,
they don't even know what's happening.

- What are you talking about?
- That one in Benedict Canyon.

Bene-?

- Oh, you don't mean Sharon Tate?
- Sure.

You know who did it, don't you?

- No.
- Well...

...you're looking at her.

You gotta be kidding.

Boy, I'm tired.

Why don't we go to bed?

Why don't I stay here?

I'm really tired.

Well...

Okay.

- Good night, love.
- Good night.

- Danny DeCarlo?
- Hello.

- You know Kitty Lassiter?
- No, man. I never heard of her.

She says you used to hang around Spahn's
Ranch with Charlie Manson's Family.

Man, I never heard of him either.

Couple of charges pending against you,
I believe, Danny.

Grand theft and a federal rap.

Giving false information
while purchasing a firearm.

Maybe they made a mistake cutting
you out on your own recognizance.

Well, I guess you boys
wanna ask me a few questions, huh?

The morning of November 18, 1969, I was
on my way to work in the Hall of Justice.

It was just three months after
the Tate-LaBianca murders.

Vince!

Come here. I was looking for you.

- What's this all about?
- Never mind. You'll see.

We've got statements from the bikers,
Al Springer and Danny DeCarlo.

- Well, they finally found you, huh, Vince?
- Congratulations, Vince.

On what?

I want you to okay this press release
before we let it go out, all right?

"Dateline, Los Angeles,
November 18, 1969.

DA Evelle Younger's office
announced today...

...that Deputy DA Vincent T. Bugliosi...

...has been named co-prosecutor
in the Sharon Tate murder case. "

Are we gonna handle it?

"Mr. Bugliosi, chosen from a staff
of 450 lawyers to prosecute this case...

...has previously tried
104 felony jury trials, losing only one. "

You make me sound like a sure winner.

- What do we got to go on?
- Not much.

Few statements, that's it.
None of which can be used in evidence.

Why not?

- Aranda?
- That's right.

California Supreme Court,
The People v. Aranda, 1965.

These are all statements from defendants
implicating codefendants.

So Manson ordered Hinman killed.

Yep, that's the way Bobby told it.

- He said Charlie sent him, Mary, Sadie-
- Wait a minute. Who's Mary?

Mary Brunner, man.

Is this her?

Yeah, that's her.

Her and Bobby and Sadie.

They went to Gary's place.

By the way, my man...

...is Charlie gonna know
I talked to you guys?

- Charlie's up in jail in Independence.
- Charlie's got a long reach, man.

None of the girls know you're here.
We'll make sure they don't.

Just between me and you...

...the little dude scares
the hell out of me.

He's a freak, man.

I mean, he did Shorty just like that,
just because he thought he was snitching.

- Who told you that?
- It's in the tapes.

- I told the other detectives.
- Tell me again.

- So your story doesn't change.
- I'm telling the truth.

Now, what would be the point?

Okay, Danny. All right.
Who told you about killing Shorty?

Cisco Budge.

- Said they cut him up in nine pieces, man.
- Is this him?

Chopped his head off too.

That's Boots.

- Boots?
- Yeah, man. Boots.

He was one of the young kids.
He hung out to the ranch.

He didn't seem to fit in with the Family.

Boots is no longer with us, Danny.

What do you mean,
"Boots is no longer with us"?

He's among the dead.

Well, terrific.

Since when?

Couple weeks ago. Accidentally
shot himself playing Russian roulette.

- Who was with him?
- Cisco Budge.

Cisco Budge?

All right.

Okay. Boots must have got out of line.

- That wasn't no accident.
- Some other members of the Family-

I know, I know. And they all tell
the same story, right?

That's it, partner. I ain't talking no more.
I'm riding out of here on the wind.

There's still charges against you, Danny.
I don't think you'll feel very safe in jail.

- That's where Charlie is.
- That sure is cold, man.

Danny, go to Spahn Ranch
with me tomorrow.

Oh, no way, baby. No. Not the kid.

I heard
some of the Family is still up there.

We need a guide.
If you don't wanna go, it's your decision.

Well, what about the charges, man?

All right.

All right, I'll do it. Yeah, I'll do it.

If you handcuff me.

Flapping to the fuzz, huh, Danny?

- My God. Does she live here?
- Yeah, she lives here.

- She's happy.
- Is it all right to be happy?

And they had this
9 mm Polish random automatic.

Danny, did you ever see
a 22 caliber Buntline revolver?

- That's the one Charlie carried.
- Here's another. 22.

- Wait a minute, are you sure of that?
- About the Buntline? Hell, yes, I'm sure.

- Cleaned the guns. I am a weapons man.
- So Charlie had a. 22 caliber Buntline.

That's the one he did
the Black Panther with.

- You hear about that one?
- No.

That's the kill that went down
about a year ago.

Charlie had some trouble with this nigger
over a dope deal. So he snuffed him.

When was the last time
you saw that 22 Buntline?

A week before
the sheriff's office raided us.

- So that would be August 16th, right?
- Hey.

Charlie didn't allow no calendars
or clocks at the ranch.

About a week after the Tate killings,
I asked him what happened to his gun.

He always carried it in a holster.
I noticed right away it wasn't there.

He said, "Hey, man, I just gave it away. "

Danny, do you think Charlie
had anything to do with Tate?

Man, I don't feel like talking about that.

You know, Shorty's buried around here
somewhere, in nine different graves.

He was a real right dude too.

Danny, if we ever find this 22 caliber
Buntline revolver, could you ID it?

Hell, yes, I could.

- Who was the last to die?
- Sharon was the last to die.

I was holding her arms behind her...

...and she's looking at me,
begging and crying.

"Please, don't kill me.
Please, don't kill me.

I don't wanna die. I wanna live. I wanna
have my baby. I wanna have my baby. "

And I looked her straight in the eye,
and I said:

"Look, bitch, I don't care about you.
I don't care about your baby.

You better be ready. You're gonna die,
and I don't feel a thing about it. "

- And I proceeded to stab, okay?
- Okay.

- And you know what?
- What?

I just kept stabbing her and stabbing her
until she stopped screaming.

But she was pregnant.
Didn't it bother you to kill her?

I thought you understood.

I loved her.

And in order for me to kill her, I was
killing part of myself when I killed her.

In fact, Charlie gave us instructions
to mutilate them.

We were gonna cut out the baby
if we had time.

I gotta go to the can.

You know the other two? The next night?

LaBiancas.

Well, what do you think?

And there's more. Before...

...one guy, we cut his head off.

Three more out in the desert,
and more besides.

At least 11. Eleven they'll never solve.

And there's gonna be plenty more to come.

We're gonna pick out some
of the biggest pigs and execute them...

...and release them from this Earth.

You have to have a real love in your heart
for people to do this for them.

- You know?
- I gotta go to the can.

I'll let you get some sleep.

Sergeant, my life could be in danger
if anybody catches me talking to you.

I know who killed Sharon Tate,
and I wanna talk to the lieutenant, please.

You know who killed Tate,
and you want the lieutenant?

- I'll tell him.
- Real soon, please.

- I said, I'd tell him.
- Okay.

Now get back in line and go to lunch
with the other girls.

- Did you ask him?
- Ask who?

Oh. Yeah. He wants more details to see
if you knew what you were talking about.

Okay. Could we go someplace else private?

I happen to know that the killers
did not cut out the baby.

So you tell her that her informant is either
lying or unreliable. Quit wasting our time.

Sergeant Broom, that's not what I said.
I didn't say she cut out the baby.

She wanted to cut out the baby. They
wanted to do all these other kinds of things.

And they didn't have the time.
That's what I told you.

I think we've bothered
the lieutenant enough.

- No.
- The matter is closed.

Oh, my God.

Here, take these.
You go to court today, don't you?

- Well, it's nothing to get thrown about.
- Oh, it's not that.

I'm just nervous.

I'll give you each 50 cents if you
let me get in front of you in this line.

- Cash?
- Yeah. Here, look.

Come on.

- Deal.
- Oh, thanks a lot.

Bus for the court leaves in four minutes.

Yeah, well, what do you want me to do?

I know, I know.

The lawyer said-

Hello, is this Homicide?
Oh, my name is Ronnie Howard.

And I- What?

Howard. Yes, sir.

I wanna report that I know the people
that committed some of the murders...

...that you are presently working on
the cases right now. Yes, sir. And-

Ronnie Howard, sir. Yes.

Which ones? Well...

Sharon Tate is one of them, sir.

If we don't find the gun and tie it to
Manson, we have nothing on him...

...except hearsay.

None of the statements places him
at the murder scenes.

But he ordered these killings!
He ordered Shea, Tate, Hinman, LaBianca.

- He's as guilty as Hitler.
- Can we prove it?

- Not yet.
- Then we better go with what we got.

- What have we got?
- Susan Atkins.

- L.A.P.D. wants to make a deal with her.
- No way. Immunity for her?

If what she told Ronnie Howard is true,
she personally killed Hinman and Tate.

- We don't give her anything.
- We may have no choice.

Chief Davis doesn't want her
to walk away any more than you do.

But the public pressure
on him is unbelievable.

Every time he shows his face,
a reporter asks him:

"What, if anything, is happening on Tate?"
He is being pilloried by the press.

- Aaron, just give me some time.
- We don't have time!

Inyo County can't hold Manson forever
on that arson charge.

He'll disappear the minute they spring him,
unless we make a case against him, fast.

Motive.

We need a motive, Vince.

What would be the motive
for the Tate slaughter?

- Robbery?
- No, no. It can't be robbery.

- Too much valuable property left behind.
- That's right.

Well, you know how tough it is
to prove conspiracy, Vince.

And that's what we gotta prove
if we're gonna convict Manson.

Right, right, right.

You gonna prove that Manson's domination
over these hippies is so great...

...that he ordered them to commit
seven seemingly unmotivated murders?

And they obeyed?

Good luck with the jury on that one.

The Panamint Mountain Range.
The western edge of Death Valley.

Three months after the killings.
Frank Fowles, DA of Inyo County...

...guides a search party to Barker Ranch,
where the Family lived for over a month...

...prior to their arrest in October.
- Now, you're sure this trip was necessary?

You mean to tell me, Manson drove
that bus up the way we just came?

He brought it up here from the Vegas side,
which is only a little less rough.

It'll never be driven out of here,
I can tell you that.

These magazines all have
an article on Hitler in them.

Oh, Charlie's a Hitler nut...

...among other things.

Vince, I have never heard anything
like the report...

...the raiding officers turned in
on this gang up here.

Drugs, sex orgies, dozens of girls
running around naked.

Hell, they were charging
all over the landscape...

...in a bunch of dune buggies
they brought up here.

They had field phones strung
all over the area.

You- You know this Charlie
thinks he's Jesus Christ.

Yeah, so I heard.

Vince...

...what exactly are you looking for?
- Remember that. 22 I told you about?

Come on, there are no guns here.

This place has been gone over
with a fine-toothed comb.

Well, at the LaBianca residence...

...the credit cards were stolen,
and her driver's license.

Maybe they stole some dresses.

Hey.

- These dresses come from good stores.
- Maybe we can find some blood stains.

At the Tate residence, a killer left
a bloody heel print on the porch.

There was a little mark, a little indentation.
If I could match that up...

- Hey, Ross, did you find anything?
- Oh, yeah, everything except blood.

This is the filthiest mess of clothes I've
seen. It should be cleaned, then burned.

- What time you got?
-3:30.

- Already? You sure about that thing?
- Within a minute, you could bet on it.

It gets dark early up here.
I think we should start back.

Independence, California,
November 21, 1969.

Lisa Armbruster, 25, also known as Richie.
Married name, Mrs. Charles Nicholas.

Cindy Jane Orelia, 21, also known as
Freckles, also known as Martha Ellen Fry.

Excuse me, girls.
I've been looking for you.

Aren't you Cindy and Lisa?

- I'm Vincent Bugliosi.
- Oh, the DA from L.A.?

Did you enjoy your trip to the ranch?

We visited Charlie in the jailhouse.
He told us you were there.

Well, how'd you girls like to have
a little chat with me this afternoon?

Sure, if you'll buy us some candy.

You two are the first actual members of the
Manson Family I've had a chance to talk to.

- You seem very happy.
- We are.

- Mr. Fowles has a very nice office.
- Are you always this happy?

- What's the secret?
- We found the truth.

- What's the truth?
- Charlie is love.

Charlie is love. Is that it?

- How do you mean, the male-female sense?
- Well, that's it, but that's only a part.

- Love is love. You can't define it.
- Did Charlie teach you that?

Charlie taught us to look at ourselves
and see the love within.

When you accompanied Charlie
up to Barker Ranch in that bus...

...how did he get it over the washouts?
- He flew it.

You mean-?

You actually believe Charlie made
the bus fly over the washouts?

Oh, we were there.

Do you believe he's Jesus Christ?

When you were at Spahn Ranch,
Charlie assigned you to keep house...

...for George Spahn. Is that right?
- Yes. I love George.

Is your love for Charlie different
than for George Spahn?

No. Love is love.

Come on.
George Spahn is over 80 years old.

I'm in love with George. If he asked
me to marry him, I would.

He's a beautiful person inside.

And he's a good lover too.

Actually, I'm not very interested
in your sex life, Cindy.

What I am very, very interested in
is what you may know...

...about the Tate, Hinman,
LaBianca and other murders.

- We don't know anything about any crimes.
- All we know or care about is love.

I see.

Well, do you mind telling me where you two
were on the nights of August 8 and 9?

There's no such thing as time.

There's only love.

Okay, Charlie, let's get going.
Gate's open. Unlocked.

Gate open.

Okay, Charlie. Let's go.

Charlie, tell me, what is it you got against
these earthmoving machines anyhow?

That's the pigs ripping off nature, man.

Is that a fact?
Well, let's go. Come on.

Three months after
the Tate-LaBianca murders...

...Manson is arraigned at the
Inyo-Kern County courthouse...

...for the destruction of the county's
earthmoving equipment.

I understand Manson's going to plead
not guilty to setting fire to that machine.

- He'll get bail.
- Ask for as high a bail as possible.

You can hold him till I'm ready
for the grand jury in L.A.

Okay.

Five deputies for me? What do you
gentlemen do when you get a real baddy?

- That's Jesus Christ.
- What'd you do with his disciples?

They sound alike, say the same
thing, nobody tells me anything.

That's telling me something. Manson
is exercising domination over these girls.

The way we can get them to talk
is to bring them to L.A...

...away from him,
and question them separately.

The wandering troubadour act of his. It's
part of a con to get us to underestimate him.

If he looks like he's gonna
make bail, give me a call in L.A.

Okay.

The Manson girls are transferred from
Independence to L.A. County jurisdiction.

Pigs, bye-bye.

I've talked to the girls, Danny, and I
believe Manson had enough domination...

...to send them to do anything.
- Not just the girls. Clem, Tex, Bobby-

Why? Why would he send them to kill
Sharon Tate and everybody in that house?

They didn't go there to rob them.
They didn't take anything.

See, Charlie taught the Family
that pigs just deserve to die.

I mean, that's all they were good for.

He wanted to kill the pigs, blame it
on the niggers and start a race war.

Why a race war?

Well...

...Charlie was always preaching
that the karma was turning, you know?

And it was blackies
turn to be on top.

- But why?
- I don't know. That's just what he said.

Who did he call pigs?

The establishment.

Pigs. They use that word a lot,
don't they?

That's right.

All the time.

Well, if the other girls
talked like you say, fine.

More power to you.
Why do you need me?

Leslie Van Houten is interrogated by
Sergeant O'Neal of homicide, L.A.P.D.

I wanna know who was involved.

I wanna know how it went down,
all the details.

I said I'd talk about it
if I changed my mind.

I haven't changed my mind yet.

You're gonna have
to talk about it someday.

Maybe, but not today.

Hey, how did you
ever trace it back to Spahn?

Who did you see leave
the night of August 8?

I went to bed early that night.
Really, I don't want to talk about it.

- Why are you trying to protect them?
- I don't need to protect nobody.

You couldn't meet
a nicer bunch of people.

The Family's no more, Leslie.
Charlie's in jail.

- Not for long.
- Clem's in jail.

Boots killed himself
playing Russian roulette.

Boots dead?

Playing Russian roulette? How?
Who else was there?

- Cisco Budge.
- Was Cisco playing too?

No.

Boots was playing
Russian roulette all by himself.

Kind of odd, isn't it?

Yeah, it's odd.

Leslie...

...we know that five people went to the
Tate residence. Three girls and two men.

We know that one was Charles.

I don't think Charlie
was in on any of them.

There were only four people went
up there and three of them were girls.

I heard one girl didn't murder
anyone while they was-

- They were up there.
- No? Who was that?

Girl by the name of Linda.

- Linda who?
- I don't know.

- Who told you she was there?
- I don't remember!

I don't remember who told me little details.

Susan Atkins told 15 people in the jailhouse
she was there and that she took part in it.

That's incredible.

Didn't she mention anyone else?

- Charlie and Katie.
- Not Charlie. Charles.

He's Tex. Tex Watson.

- She mentioned Tex and Katie?
- That's right.

That's pretty nauseating.

She said that Katie was there. Now,
I know that Katie's Patricia Krenwinkel.

And you know that Katie's
Patricia Krenwinkel.

She said she went out the next night
and killed two people.

Sadie said that?

I'm not saying another word.
Nothing!

Leslie, when you help me,
you're helping yourself.

If Boots was found playing Russian roulette,
I could be found playing Russian roulette.

- We'll give you 24-hour protection.
- Oh, that would really be nice.

I'd rather stay in jail.

Based on inadvertent bits of information
leaked by Leslie Van Houten and others...

...and interviews with detectives, L.A.P.D.
issues warrants for arrests of three persons.

That's right, sheriff,
Charles Denton Watson.

Male Caucasian, 6-feet-2,
160 pounds...

...slim build, ruddy complexion,
born December 2, 1945.

-5-foot-3.
-187 P.C. Murder.

22 years old, brown hair, blue eyes.
That's correct, sir.

Krenwinkel, Patricia. 187 P.C.

Linda Kasabian, age 20, no physical
description, present address unknown.

- Hi, Vince.
- How you doing?

Talked to Sheriff Ansel
in Watson's hometown in Texas.

Watson's there.
Sheriff's gonna pick him up.

Ansel, Ansel. Watson used that name.
He's using his hometown sheriff's name?

- Second cousins.
- I smell extradition problems.

- Maybe good news.
- What?

Watson was busted on a drug charge
in Van Nuys on April 23 and fingerprinted.

I sent the fingerprints down
to latent print section on rush order.

- You come up with anything?
- We're working on it.

When we find it, we'll give it to you.

Right.

Thank you.

Print on Watson's right ring finger...

...matches the latent thumb
on the front door to the Tate residence.

I'll buy you a cup of coffee. That's
the first piece of physical evidence...

...connecting any of the suspects
to the crime scene.

- What about Manson?
- Not one of the five girls will discuss him.

- Not even Van Houten.
- So the big fish is still out of the net.

- The only shot we have is Atkins, Vince.
- Immunity for the little monster.

- We don't have much choice.
- A minute ago I was happy, now I'm down.

No matter who we convict,
if Charlie and Sadie go free, we failed.

Partial failure, maybe.
Partial isn't as bad as total failure.

Somehow judging my life by the size
of my failures doesn't really grab me.

Concord, NH. Three months,
two weeks after the slayings...

...Linda Kasabian, hearing that a warrant
is out for her, surrenders to police.

In McKinney, Texas...

...Sergeant Phil Cohen telephones
his report to L.A.P.D.

The sheriff, Ansel, won't let us talk
to Watson or even take his fingerprints.

I don't know.

We're not gonna get much cooperation
from these good old boys down here...

...as far as getting Watson
to L.A. To stand trial.

Listen. Before we go in, Dennis,
let's check signals.

I want this to be a short meeting.

This is to confirm with the DA
what we've discussed.

The best deal that we can give Susan
is if she cooperates...

...and testifies truthfully before the jury
about the Hinman, Tate, LaBianca cases...

...then we will not seek the death penalty
against her in those cases, okay?

You won't use her testimony against her
or her codefendants at the trial.

- We're getting the short end.
- She's all we've got.

At least we'll get indictments.
I don't want a lot of renegotiation...

...to start after we get in Younger's office.
- I'm with you.

- He knows how lucky he is.
- Aaron, Vince!

- Lieutenant, you know Dennis?
- I've seen him around.

- Could I speak to you alone?
- I'll meet you inside.

Right. Right, guy.

We got an exemplar
of Krenwinkel's prints from Mobile.

The print of the little finger
on her left hand...

...matches a latent that Gerebone lifted
off a door in Tate's bedroom.

- You do good work.
- Most of the time.

- Who's your friend?
- It's great having physical evidence...

...but I've gotta have the 22 Buntline
and a case against Manson.

Now you know that the grand jury
proceedings are secret...

Thank you very much, gentlemen!
Thank you.

- Where did you first meet Charlie?
- I was living in his house in Haight-Ashbury.

Were there other young men and
women living in that house with you?

Oh, sure.

Would it be fair and accurate to say
that as a group you were into drugs?

Sure, that would be accurate.

- Shall I get back to Charlie?
- Yes, go ahead, please.

Charlie's looking at us right now,
and he can hear everything we're saying.

Susan, Charlie is up
in Independence, in jail.

You're not capable of understanding.

Well...

...I was sitting in the living room,
this is about two years ago...

...and a man walked in,
and he had a guitar with him.

And all of a sudden he was surrounded
by girls, and he started to sing.

He sounded like an angel.

- You are referring to Charles Manson?
- Yes.

A couple of days later,
he asked me to go for a walk...

...and we walked a couple
of blocks to another house...

...and he told me he wanted
to make love with me.

I acknowledged the fact
that I wanted to make love with him.

And when I had all my clothes off,
he told me...

...to go over to the mirror
and look at myself.

I didn't wanna do it, but he took me
by the hand and made me do it.

And he said,
"Go ahead and look at yourself.

There's nothing wrong with you.
You're perfect.

You always have been perfect. "

- Did you have sexual intercourse with him?
- Yes.

Was there any limit to what
you would do for him?

- No.
- Did you steal for him?

For him? Well, I stole. We all stole.
Credit cards, cars, other things.

Did Charlie Manson
ask you to steal for him?

No, I took it upon myself.
I was...

- We get programmed.
- Programmed by Charlie?

By Charlie, but...

It's hard for me to explain it so that...

...you can see the way-
The way I see.

The words that would come from Charlie's
mouth would not come from inside him.

They would come from-
From what I call the infinite.

- The infinite?
- Yes. The infinite.

On the eighth of August, did Charlie
instruct you and other members to do anything?

Well, I never recall getting any actual
instructions from Charlie, other than...

...getting a change of clothing and a knife
and was told to do what Tex told me to do.

Did he tell you the type
of clothing you should take?

He said to wear dark clothes.

And who went with you that night?

Katie, Tex and Linda.

And Tex said we were going to a house
that used to belong to Terry Melcher.

The only reason we were going there was
because Tex knew the outline of the house.

Did Tex tell you why you were going
to Terry Melcher's former residence?

To get all the money
and kill whoever was there.

Didn't make any difference who.
You were told to kill them all?

Yes.

- Did all of you girls enter at the same time?
- Only two of us entered.

- One stayed outside.
- And who stayed outside?

Linda Kasabian.

And Frykowski ran for the front door,
yelling for somebody to come and help him.

When he did, Tex got to him and started
hitting him over the head with the gun butt.

When the gun butt broke,
he started stabbing him.

Well...

...when I came out of the house, I saw
Tex stabbing Abigail Folger three or...

I don't know how many times.

Katie and I were looking for Linda
because she wasn't around.

Then Tex went over to where
the other man was on the lawn.

- Frykowski?
- Yes.

And Tex kicked him in the head...

...and the body didn't move very much,
and I believe it was dead at the time.

We have a juror who
would like to be excused...

...for just a couple of minutes.

And then Tex told me
to go back in the house...

...and write something
in the victim's blood.

"Something that would shock
the world," he said.

Well, I'd previously been involved
in something similar to this...

...where I saw "political piggy"
written on the wall.

So that stuck very heavily in my mind.

So I went back in the house and walked
over to Sharon Tate, and I heard sounds.

What kind of sounds were they?

Gurgling sounds, like blood flowing
into the body out of the heart.

What did you do then?

I picked up the towel,
turned my head and touched her chest...

...and at the same time,
I saw that she was pregnant.

And I knew that there was a living
being inside of that body, and I wanted to...

...but I didn't have the courage
to go ahead and take it.

I took the towel
with Sharon Tate's blood...

...walked over to the door,
and with the towel wrote "pig" on the door.

And when we got back to the ranch,
Charlie was waiting for us.

He wanted to know
what we were doing home so early.

Tex told him basically
what we had done. He said:

"It all happened fast
and there was a lot of panic. "

He said, "Boy, it sure was
helter skelter. " And then...

...I wiped the car down for blood,
and I went to bed.

I made love to someone.

Clem, I think. I'm not sure.
Maybe I imagined it.

Now we come to the second night,
the night of August the ninth.

Well, that evening Charlie told me again...

...to go ahead and get an extra set
of clothing, and I looked at him...

...and I knew what he wanted me to do.

And I gave a sort of sigh and went
and did what he asked me to do.

Who went with you that night?

Charlie and Katie and Tex
and Linda and-

- Charlie went with you that night?
- He was in the car, yes.

- Who else?
- And Leslie.

- Leslie Van Houten?
- Yes.

And then Katie said the woman heard her
husband being killed and started to scream:

"What are you doing to my husband?"

And then Katie said that she
then proceeded to stab the woman.

Katie told you this the next morning?

Like I said, Charlie and Linda and I drove
off after they went into the house.

Leslie was helping Katie
hold the woman down.

Rosemary LaBianca?

We found out later
it was Rosemary LaBianca.

Leslie was helping Katie hold the woman
down because she was fighting...

...all the way up until she died.

Then Katie said she went
in the living room with a fork in her hand...

...looked at the man's stomach,
put the fork in his stomach...

...and watched it wobble back and forth.

She said she carved
the word "war" on his stomach.

Then did Katie, Tex
and Leslie leave the house?

No. First they wrote
some stuff in blood.

"Death to all pigs," I think,
and "Helter Skelter" and "arise. "

Then they took a shower, went in the
kitchen and made something to eat.

Susan, what do the words "pig" and "Helter
Skelter" mean to you and your Family?

"Pig" was a word used
to describe the establishment.

But you must understand that
all words had no meaning to us.

- And "Helter Skelter" was explained to me.
- By whom?

Charlie.

I don't like to say Charlie. I'd like
to say the words came from his mouth...

...that Helter Skelter was to be
the last war on the face of the Earth.

It would be all wars that had been fought
built one on top of the other, something...

...no man can conceive
in his imagination.

You can't conceive of what it would be like
to see every man judge himself...

...and then take it out on every other man
all over the face of the Earth.

Sunday, December 14, 1969.

Four months after the murders took place...

...the world begins to read
Susan Atkins' story of the murders.

Hey, Charlie. Hear what happened?

Your little tootsie sold her story
to the newspapers. It's all in there.

How you done it. How they
done it, all on your orders.

Think you're a big deal, don't you?

Well, I wanna tell you,
your butt is in a sling.

Know what they're gonna do to you?
They're gonna walk you the long walk.

They're gonna drop the pill on you, Charlie.

What do you think of that, huh? Huh?

It's the same story she gave the grand jury.

Can't use that. Can't use this.

They'll claim a fair trial's impossible.
Too much publicity.

It's gonna be hard finding
jurors that haven't heard about this.

This just makes a tough trial tougher.

Susan's lawyer swears the sale was made
only for European publication.

He has no idea how The Times
got ahold of the story.

Just a fortunate accident.

The Los Angeles County grand jury
hands down the following indictments:

Leslie Van Houten,
in custody in Los Angeles...

...two counts of murder and one count
of conspiracy to commit murder.

Susan Atkins, in custody in Los
Angeles, seven counts of murder...

...and one count of conspiracy
to commit murder.

Charles Tex Watson,
in custody in McKinney, Texas...

...seven counts of murder, one count
of conspiracy to commit murder.

Patricia Katie Krenwinkel,
in custody in Mobile, Alabama...

...seven counts of murder and one count
of conspiracy to commit murder.

Linda Kasabian,
in custody in Los Angeles...

...seven counts of murder,
one of conspiracy to commit murder.

Charles Manson,
in custody in Independence, California...

...seven counts of murder and one count
of conspiracy to commit murder.

- Hi, Manny.
- Hey, Vince.

You're not supposed to be walking alone.
You're on Manson's death list.

Oh, wonderful.

Glad you came.
I'm doing the arraignments in four minutes.

Phil and I brought Charlie
from Independence today-

You sneaked him in, didn't you?
I don't want him talking to the girls.

The girls don't even know he's here.

Good. All I have to do
is get a case against him.

Don't worry, you'll nail the bastard.

You better come up
with some big nails.

Right now I've got an indictment.
That's all I've got.

This little Sadie will exercise her right
not to testify at the trial...

...and since it's all I got,
I'm finished before I start.

Can't use her testimony
against her or her codefendants.

We'll find something for you, Vince.

Hurry. With what we've got now, the
judge will throw the case out before trial.

Krenwinkel's fighting extradition.

I grant the continuance.

Mr. Bugliosi, Charlie's very close.

He's sending vibes.

You better believe Charlie's
got power, Mr. Bugliosi.

Once in the desert he picked up a dead bird
and breathed on it, and it flew away.

Can you believe it?

The girls are separated
so they can't talk...

...Manson's brought here in maximum
secrecy and still they found out he's here.

Jailhouse scuttlebutt
cuts through anything.

Yeah, they'd love us to think
they find out by Manson's magic.

Wanna hear a joke?

Del Arnold, Watson's lawyer,
is the son of Oscar Arnold.

Who's Oscar Arnold? He's the
campaign manager for the candidate...

...who's running for Attorney General
of Texas.

Who's the candidate?
Why, Judge Anthony Milo, that's who.

Who's Anthony Milo? He's the judge who
hears our request to extradite Watson...

...so we can try him
on seven counts of murder...

...and who grants delay after delay to the
client of the son of his campaign manager.

Although he wouldn't allow personal
considerations to get in justice's way.

After all,
he's a good old boy from Texas.

I hadn't thought of it that way.
I forgot. I got a meeting.

That's funny. That hasn't happened before.
My watch stopped.

Charles Manson, under indictment
for the seven Tate-LaBianca murders...

...is to be tried with codefendants
Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel...

...Leslie Van Houten
and Charles Tex Watson.

The California Penal Code provides
that if at the end of the people's case...

...the court feels the prosecution failed
to put enough evidence to sustain...

...a conviction on appeal, the judge
is empowered to acquit the defendant.

The consensus in the legal community
now is that Manson...

...who has boasted of 35 murders
will soon be a free man.

Four months and one week after
the slaughter of the victims...

...an event takes place that still
embarrasses the L.A. Police Department.

"Started the car
and Tex told her to get over.

We all got into the car and there was
nothing but just blood and exhaustion.

We had blood on us, so we changed
our clothes as we were driving.

We went for a ride to look for a place
to dump the bloody black clothes.

We drove along a steep embankment.

I got a picture in my mind and all it shows
me is the side of a mountain and a road. "

Then they had to turn right
off Elysium Drive.

There's none of that stuff
heading to Beverly Hills.

"We stopped, Linda got out,
I'm sure of that...

...and threw all the clothes drippy with
blood and knives as fast as she could...

...over the side of the embankment
down a ravine, I guess you'd call it. "

Okay, let's go.
Start changing your clothes.

Show this beautiful torso of mine in broad
daylight? Some chick will go over the side.

Look out for cops. With our luck
we'll get picked up for exposure.

Maybe.

- Just keep your eyes on the road.
- Yeah, don't worry about it.

- How you doing?
- Okay, getting there. Wait a minute.

- Beautiful pair of legs yourself.
- Yeah.

Hey, I can see the evening news.
Three guys from ABC picked up...

...for undressing in a canyon.

You never know. We'll take a shot at it.
Hey, two cuties at 3:00...

...coming right behind us.
- You're kidding.

- They're coming up.
- Are they?

- Yeah.
- Great, baby.

- Terrific.
- We're getting there.

Here they come.

- Hello, girls.
- How you doing?

Hi, sweetie.

Bye-bye.

- Okay, I'm done.
- You done in the back?

- I'm done. Yep.
- Okay. All right, finished, right? Okay.

It's 6 minutes and 20 seconds.
All right.

The first wide shoulder I come to
in the road, I'm gonna pull over.

Hey, looks like clothes down there.

There's a whole wardrobe down here.

December 16, 1969.

Four months and one week
after the Tate-LaBianca murders.

Hello?

My name is Ben Quint.

I'm calling about a gun that may be the gun
that was used in the Tate murders.

You see, my son found-

Quint. Q-U-I-N-T. Quint.

My son found a. 22 caliber revolver.

We turned it over to
the Van Nuys Police and-

First of September. Labor Day. It was
just two weeks after the Tate murders.

And-

What do you mean,
you don't keep guns that long?

I cannot believe that you would
throw away what might be the single...

...most important piece of evidence
in the Tate murders. Now, I-

Yeah, but this was not just any gun.
This was-

Hello?

Hello?

He hung up on me.

He what?

Says they haven't got time to check out
every citizen report on every gun they find.

No wonder nobody feels safe
anywhere in the world.

I'm gonna call Clete Roberts at Channel 2.

Maybe a newscaster has the power
to expose this kind of cynicism.

Take these bullets to the lab,
will you, Sam?

The one on the left is the test bullet.

The one on the right was the bullet
taken from Jay Sebring's body.

Now, there's no doubt that it's the same
one that was fired from the. 22 Buntline.

Let me take a look.

That burns me up.

We could've had it months ago. The
department has its share of incompetence.

So does the DA's office,
from what I hear.

Not to mention the United States Senate,
the FBl, the Department of State.

Hank, do me a favor, please.
Just help me hang this gun on Manson.

Lawyers play with people.

And I'm a person.

And I won't be played with
in this matter.

Even though they may know
all there is to know about the law...

...they don't understand
the free-love society of the generation gap.

And they don't understand people that are
trying to get out from underneath all of this.

There's not an attorney in the world
who can represent me as a person.

I have to do it myself.

Mr. Manson...

...I've tried my best to convince you...

...that the complexities in this case...

...require the best possible
legal minds.

Why don't you understand that?

Christmas Eve, 1969. Judge Keene, unable
to convince Manson that he is making...

...a "sad and tragic mistake" grants him
permission to serve as his own lawyer.

Watson's attorney told the press
he'll fight...

...to keep his client in Texas
if it means going to the Supreme Court.

Watson and Krenwinkel.
The only two that are scientifically...

...connected to the crime.
- Out of reach.

Temporarily. What if Manson
demands an immediate trial?

- He's got a right to go within 60 days.
- He'll do it if he finds out we're in trouble.

No question.

Hey, Aaron...

...why don't we bluff?

If Manson thinks we're in a hurry,
maybe he'll start stalling.

Worth a try. Let's do it.
You got a lot of toys for the kids?

- That's Gail's department.
- Merry Christmas, Scrooge.

Oh, thanks, Santa Claus.
Happy Hanukkah.

Hey, Santa Claus, it's 2:00.

How long can you go on working
100 hours a week?

I just bought myself
a hell of a Christmas present. A motive.

The kids will be up early.
I'll finish all of this.

- If you're gonna get any sleep at all-
- These are crazy crimes.

An ordinary motive won't do.
Robbery, revenge, none of them fit.

They took a few things, but left more.
Almost as if taking was an afterthought.

They didn't know them
and had nothing personal against them...

...except they were pigs,
establishment people whose crime...

...was working, sleeping in beds,
getting married-

And taking baths.

Susan Atkins said that Manson
was trying to ignite Helter Skelter.

She described it as the final war,
all the wars rolled into one.

An apocalyptic vision in which
the black man would take over.

- That's unbelievable.
- Unbelievable, right? Too far out.

Maybe we just better start
believing it anyhow.

Five and a half months after the killings,
Judge Dell sits in for Judge Keene.

I ought to have the same rights
and privileges as any other attorney.

But I wanna interview Linda Kasabian
and Sadie Mae Glutz...

...and their attorneys
say that I can't.

They have a right to do that,
Mr. Manson.

Well, I got a message from Sadie.

And she told me the district attorney
made her say what she said.

That's too nonsensical
to respond to, Your Honor.

Your Honor, the people are prepared to
go to trial at the earliest possible date.

I'm not ready, Your Honor.
I need more time.

Continuance granted to February 9th.

That's one way to get a message to Sadie.
Tell the press we coerced her.

It's the next best thing to picking up
the phone and telling her how to recant.

Hi, guy.

The exact measurements
of the LaBianca knife wounds. Okay.

But why?

I need to prove that some wounds were
made by knives other than the kitchen's.

I don't get it.

If the wounds were made by the
LaBianca's knives...

...the logical inference would be
that they entered the residence unarmed...

...then killed the LaBianca's
with their kitchen knives.

Defense counsel could raise
a good point.

If Manson sent them to kill,
why would he send them unarmed?

Oh, right. Good thinking, Vince.

- Hi, Manny.
- Hey, Vince. I just got word that-

This album's
got all the words on it.

Yeah, I know. All the stuff
that they wrote on the walls.

You knew about that?

Well, sure. I talked to Art and Mark
about it only a week or so...

...after Tate was killed.
- Give me strength.

I even put it in the report,
but it seemed so, you know...

- Weird. Too far out.
- Yeah. Crazy.

- Unbelievable.
- You said it.

No, unbelievable how in a crime like this,
everyone looks for conventional clues...

...instead of crazy ones.
- I got good news for you.

Lieutenant got word
they're gonna turn Watson over.

- It's about time.
- How about that?

The Texas Secretary of State
just signed the extradition order.

Listen, you're not gonna try
and make a motive out of this...

...Helter Skelter stuff are you?
Nobody will buy it.

Unbelievable?

Manny, do you ever light those things?

Nope.

Unbelievable.

You're arraigned on seven counts
of murder...

...and one count of conspiracy
to murder.

Five months after the killings,
Kasabian is arraigned...

...on seven counts of murder and one
of conspiracy to commit murder.

Keene accepts her plea of not guilty.

At the same time in McKinney, Texas,
Judge Anthony Milo...

...vacates the extradition order
on Charles Watson...

...and grants
another 30-day continuance.

Hey! Come on, girls, get it on!
Free Charlie!

Charlie!

Right. Okay, thanks, guy. Yeah.

Vince.

Vince, I got some good news
and some bad news.

Why don't you keep the bad news?

George Brewer wants to make an immunity
deal for Linda Kasabian.

Oh, I'd much rather have her than Susan.

But we're already legally committed
to Susan.

It's bad enough
we had to give her anything.

I don't believe this.
Krenwinkel in Alabama, Watson in Texas.

We may not get them back here
in time for the trial.

Van Houten, she wasn't along
on the night of the Tate murders.

No way, we make deals with Atkins and
Kasabian, who do we prosecute on Tate?

Just Charlie?
And his is the weakest case we've got.

People won't stand for it. In Bel Air,
the fear's so real you could feel it.

Relax, will you? Relax.
I said he offered her.

We may be glad to have her one day.

Take a look at some of those ones.

Copies of things Lisa, Cindy and Gypsy
have been sending to Susan and Linda.

"Always think of the now.
No time to look back, no time to say how. "

In other words, don't say anything.
On Manson's orders.

He wants them to drop lawyers
so they'll have a united defense.

Susan's gonna repudiate
her grand-jury testimony.

And refuse to take the stand. A blanket
defense that fails to convict Manson...

...sets them free.
If I have time, I can make a case.

You don't have time!

Where's the missing link?

The motive.

The personal motive.

You're gonna get up there
in front of that jury...

...and try to convince them
that Manson wanted to start a war...

...between blacks and whites,
so the blacks could take over.

- Right.
- Charlie Manson, who hates blacks?

Vince, they'll lock you up.

DeCarlo and others told me
that was the way Manson thought.

I interviewed Death Valley miners.
He preached the same philosophy to them.

Like Hitler. Remember those magazines
I found at Barker Ranch?

- The ones with articles on Hitler?
- Yes.

I asked a miner if Manson ever said
anything about Hitler, and he said yeah.

Manson said Hitler was a tuned-in guy
who wanted to level the karma of the Jews.

That's the kind of stuff he said.

I'm gonna find out enough
to convince you and a jury-

Vince. Vince, I'm on your side,
remember?

- Hey, I'm sorry.
- It's frustrating.

Yeah.

That creep. Bodies all over the place.
Who knows how many? If he walks...

...and they get on the street-
- I know what you mean.

I know you do, Aaron, I know.
It's just I gotta bitch to somebody.

Besides Gail.

Are you kidding?

Yeah, besides Gail.

- She's getting used to it.
- Oh?

I don't believe me.

I've got an interview,
and I'm sitting here with you.

Good luck.

Oh, let me show you this.

The new secret weapon.

The Bible?

If all else fails, pray, right?

Paul, I understand you were sort of
Manson's right-hand man at one time.

What exactly did you do?

Well, one of the things I did
was I got girls for him.

- You got girls?
- Charlie'd say, "I need some new love. "

He used to call the girls young loves.
So I'd go out and get him one or two.

Do you mind if I turn this on, Paul?
I wanna just record this.

Testing, testing, one, two, three.
Testing.

- Go ahead.
- Testing.

1.98 marked down
from a dollar and a half.

- Testing, testing.
- 1.98 marked-

Okay.

Now, I want to go into
a lot of things with you.

- The orgies Manson supposedly organized.
- Did organize. Did organize.

His domination of the Family.

His attitude toward death, fear,
the Beatles, the Bible.

How did he do it?
Did he use fear?

Well, sure. That was a big part of it.

Charlie was always saying
that fear was beautiful.

I must have heard him
tell the Family 50 times...

...they ought to live
in a constant state of fear.

Yeah, but why?

Well, to Charlie, fear was
the same thing as awareness.

The more fear you had,
the more awareness you had.

The more awareness, the more love.

You know what it's like? It's like
when you're really all scared out.

You know, and you come to now.

Well, when you're at now,
you're totally conscious.

So he wanted people to be afraid,
is that it?

The more fear the better.

Charlie said that death was beautiful
because people fear death.

Fear really turns Charlie on.

Paul, you seem like an independent
sort of guy, not just a follower.

And yet you stayed with the Family
for a long time.

Was it just the girls
or was there some other reason?

I thought Charlie was Christ.

Vince, don't like to interrupt you, but you
looked like you could use some good news.

Krenwinkel gave up her fight
against extradition.

That's right.
She'll be out here tomorrow.

- Looks like our luck is changing.
- Hey, man, karma. Karma.

Right, right, karma. Right.

Now, Paul, while my luck is running,
I wanna get to the subject of motive, okay?

I talked to Greg Jakobson
and Brooks Poston...

...and they told me Charlie
was always sounding off...

...about the ninth chapter
of Revelations.

Oh, yeah, the Beatles laid that on him.

You know, that White Album of theirs.
Man, that blew Charlie's mind.

He said it was beautiful.

Charlie said that the Beatles were sending
him messages through their music.

You know, like that song
"Revolution 9."

Charlie dug it the most, man.
He said it was beautiful.

I mean, Charlie was hip right away
they were referring to Revelation 9.

I heard you knew about that, Paul,
so I came prepared.

"The shapes of the locusts were like
unto horses prepared unto battle. "

Right. Dune buggies.

"And on their heads were as it were
crowns like gold...

...and their faces were
as the faces of men. "

Bright lights.
Bright lights, you know.

"And they had hair as the hair of women,
and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. "

The Beatles' long hair.

"And they had breastplates, as it were.
Breastplates of iron.

- And-"
- Electric guitars.

"The sound of their wings
was as the sound of chariots...

...of many horses running to battle. "
- Oh, yeah.

Well, see, that's their music, you know,
the rhythm and the volume of it.

"And they had tails like unto scorpions
and there were stings in their tails. "

The wires leading
to their electrical instruments.

Charlie had this thing come to him once,
and he says...

I don't remember all of it.
May I see that?

Yeah, down here.
See it right here where it says:

"And the four angels were loosed. "
That's the four Beatles.

"And the number of horsemen
were two hundred thousand thousand. "

That's the motorcycle gangs roaming
the Earth spreading destruction...

...according to Charlie.

And look here. Right here again
where it says "breastplates of fire. "

Electric guitars.

I wanna ask you specifically
about that Verse 15 quote.

"The four angels were loosed,
which were prepared for an hour...

...and a day and a month and a year
to slay the third part of men. "

Oh, Charlie said those were the people
who would die in Helter Skelter.

One third of mankind,
the white race.

Doesn't that include the Family?

No! No way, man.
That's where the fifth angel comes in.

Isn't that the fifth Beatle,
the one who was killed in 1962...

...before they took the name Beatles?
- Let me see this here.

Here. Right here.

"And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw
a star fall from heaven unto the Earth.

And to him was given the key
to the bottomless pit. "

Hey, Mr. Bugliosi, it's no secret
in the Family who the fifth angel is.

The ruler of the bottomless pit.
It's Charlie.

So being in the bottomless pit,
he'd survive.

Here. Now here's Verse 11.

Where is it?

Here's Verse 11.

"And they had a king over them,
which is the angel of the bottomless pit...

...whose name in the Hebrew tongue
is Abaddon. "

You see, Mr. Bugliosi, you got
the King James Version here.

Charlie had the Catholic version.

And in that version, the angel of the
bottomless pit also had a Latin name.

- Do you remember what it was?
- Sure. Exterminans.

Exterminans.

Charles Manson.

- It fits.
- Yeah, right.

The way Charlie had it figured out was that
the Beatles were sending him messages.

You know, that this was
all coming down now.

Not next year or sometime
in the future, but right now.

He'd play that song over and over again...

...listen to every sound real close.

He said it was a message
just for the tuned-in people.

That the Beatles
favored the revolution.

But how was this revolution
supposed to come about?

Well, according to Charlie...

...blackie would rise up and start
committing super atrocious crimes...

...against whitey.

And this would start a race war.

Whitey and blackie would fight each other.

Hippie liberals and uptight conservatives
would fight each other.

The Uncle Toms would fight the Panthers,
and it'd be Helter Skelter.

War of all wars. Then when
just about everybody was killed off...

...then the black militants would come out
of hiding and wipe them all out.

- All except for Charlie and the Family.
- Right on.

They'd be in the pit in Death Valley.

And this is the way it would go down
from then on.

Well, now the karma's turned, right?
Blackie's on top.

Well, now, blackie's gotta clean up
the mess.

Just like he's always done,
clean up the mess the white man made.

Try to build that world back up
a little bit.

But he wouldn't know what to do with it.
He wouldn't be able to handle it.

To Charlie, the only thing the black man
knows how to do...

...is what whitey told him.

He wouldn't be able to run the world
without whitey showing him.

- And that's where Charlie comes in.
- Right, so they'd come to Charlie.

Now the Family's grown to 144,000.

That's in the Bible too.
Let me see here.

Yeah. Right here.

"And I heard a number of them
which were sealed...

...and there were sealed 144,000."

Yeah, so they come to Charlie
and there's 144,000 people.

A pure white master race.

And they say, "Massa, you gotta run it. "

Charlie says, "Hell, I'll scratch
blackie's fuzzy head...

...kick him in the butt and go tell him
to pick cotton like a good nigger. "

Then the Family will emerge
from the bottomless pit...

...and Charlie will be king of the world,
and we'll all live happily ever after.

All that's left is the Family
and black servants?

According to the gospel of Charlie.

- King Charlie, the fifth angel Exterminans.
- Yeah.

- But he got tired of waiting.
- For Helter Skelter?

Right. You know, he said,
"Well, blackie's got no smart.

Blackie just didn't know
how to bring it on all down. "

He said, "I'm gonna have to show him
how to do it. "

Charlie's gonna have to show him
how to do it.

Do you remember exactly
when he told you that, Paul?

Oh, I don't know. Last May-
No, early June of last year.

Yeah, he comes to me. He comes to me,
and he takes me down by...

...the old trailers down at Spahn's Ranch.

And he's real frustrated, you know, like,
really uptight about something. He says:

"The only thing the black man knows how
to do is what whitey taught him to do. "

He was always saying that.

And he said, "I'm gonna have to show him
how to do it. "

"I'm going to have to show him
how to do it. "

Yeah, man, I've got some weird pictures
from that, you know.

King of the world.

Hey, man, I split. I didn't want any part
of whatever he was talking about.

I mean, I was hanging out there
because I thought Charlie was Christ.

Then all this stuff with Exterminian vibes.
I flashed on heavy weather ahead.

We never did anything out at the ranch
before Charlie got on this Beatle thing...

...but sit out there and smoke grass,
trip out and orgy.

Charlie was always thinking about orgies.

Directing orgies, organizing orgies.

He'd pass around the acid, and he'd start
dancing around, dancing around.

Everybody would get up
and start following him, like a train.

Charlie, he'd take off his clothes...

...then everybody would
start taking off their clothes.

The missing motive.

Personal power.

King of the world, huh?

You know, I think the madness is catching.
You've made a believer out of me.

Now, all you gotta do is make a believer
out of a judge and 12 jurors.

Yeah.

Thanks.

Susan Atkins has announced that she
denies everything she told the grand jury.

She will not testify at the trial
under any circumstances...

...and she's demanding to see Charlie.

Do we make the phone call now
or wait 30 seconds?

To offer Linda Kasabian a deal?

Why not wait 30 seconds?
We don't wanna seem too anxious.

Six and a half months after the murders...

...Linda Kasabian agrees to testify at
all trial proceedings against all defendants.

In return, the Los Angeles
District Attorney's Office agrees...

...after testimony is given,
to petition the superior court...

...to grant her immunity from prosecution.

Hello, Linda.

Mr. Brewer's made
an excellent deal for you.

I know. I didn't wanna wait for a deal,
but he made me.

I'd have talked anyway.

- You would've?
- I wanna get it out of my head.

I don't wanna carry it around anymore.

Manson argues a motion,
the burden of which is...

...that deputy district attorneys
prosecuting him...

...be incarcerated for a period of time
under the same circumstances Manson was.

Judge Keene's response is to the effect
that it has become abundantly clear...

...Manson is incapable of acting
as his own attorney.

There is no God in this courtroom.

- You're a mockery of justice!
- You old fool!

Get those people out of here.

You're a joke!
You're a joke!

Linda Kasabian gives birth to a son.
She names the child Angel.

Important witness Paul Watkins
is pulled from his burning camper...

...with second degree burns over
25 percent of his face, arms and back.

The fire is of undetermined origin.

Manson files an affidavit of prejudice
against Judge William Keene.

Judge Keene accepts Manson's challenge,
disqualifies himself...

...and the case is assigned
to Judge Charles H. Older.

If Mr. Manson insists on having
Mr. Scoville as his attorney...

...I must grant the request.

If Your Honor please, I believe Mr. Scoville
is a very sincere and conscientious man.

But it is well known that his cases
become unduly long and complicated.

And even with lawyers known
to handle matters expeditiously...

...this trial could last four months.

Then let me represent me.

It would be a miscarriage of justice
to allow you that...

...in a case having the complications
of this case.

Have you affirmed Mr. Scoville
as your attorney?

I'm forced into a situation.

My second alternative is to cause you
as much trouble as possible.

July 24, 1970,
almost one year after the killings.

Come on, lady!

Did you read it? Did you hear
what Charlie's saying to you?

Statement by Manson.

"I've X'd myself out of the world. "
I'll read it later.

Yeah. I see that Kitty Lassiter
is back with the Family.

Bobby Beausoleil's in the death house,
this is probably all she has left.

I thought about the problem of
having these people in the court.

Yeah. They'll conduct
continuous harassment.

- No, they're not. They won't be there.
- How's that gonna happen?

Prospective witnesses can't be in court
while other witnesses testify.

So we're gonna subpoena
all known Family members.

- Very good. Beautiful.
- So they're excluded.

That limits the obstruction
to the four defendants.

Oh, my God.

I love you.

All rise.

Department 104 is now in session.

The Honorable Judge
Charles H. Older presiding.

Be seated, please.

Mr. Bugliosi, do you have
an opening statement?

Yes, Your Honor.

Sharon Tate Polanski, Jay Sebring...

...Abigail Ann Folger, Voytek Frykowski...

...Steven Earl Parent...

...Leno A. LaBianca, Rosemary LaBianca.

What kind of a diabolical mind...

...would contemplate or conceive
these seven murders?

We expect evidence at this trial
to answer that question...

...and show that defendant Charles Manson
owned that diabolical mind.

Charles Manson, who the evidence will show,
had the infinite humility, as it were...

...to refer to himself as Jesus Christ.

The evidence will show Charles Manson
to be a megalomaniac...

...who coupled his insatiable thirst for
power with an obsession for violent death.

The evidence will show Charles Manson to
be the unquestioned leader and overlord...

...of a nomadic band of vagabonds
who call themselves "The Family. "

We anticipate in Mr. Manson's defense,
he'll claim neither he nor anyone else...

...was the leader of the Family and that
he didn't order anyone to do anything...

...much less commit these murders.

He's making our opening statement for us!

Overruled. You may continue, Mr. Bugliosi.

Thank you, Your Honor.

We therefore intend to show
that Charles Manson was, in fact...

...the dictatorial Family leader...

...and that everyone in the Family
was obedient to him...

...and eventually they committed the seven
Tate-LaBianca murders at his command.

Now, what about Charles Manson's followers,
the other defendants in this trial?

Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel,
Leslie Van Houten.

The evidence will show they,
along with Charles Tex Watson...

...were the actual killers of the seven
Tate-LaBianca victims.

The evidence will show they were willing
participants in these mass murders...

...and that by their overkill tactics...

For instance, Rosemary LaBianca
was stabbed 41 times.

Voytek Frykowski was stabbed 51 times...

...shot twice and struck violently
over the head...

...13 times with the butt of a revolver.

These defendants displayed
that even apart from Manson...

...murder ran through their own blood.

Now we come to the question that has been
asked since these murders occurred. Why?

Why did Charles Manson
order these seven murders?

Ladies and gentlemen...

...the prosecution does not
have any burden of proving motive.

We have no obligation to show one single,
solitary speck of evidence as to motive.

However, when we have evidence
of motive, we introduce it.

For if one has a motive
for committing murder...

...this is circumstantial evidence that
it was he who committed the murder.

In this trial, we will offer evidence
of Manson's motives...

...for ordering these seven murders.

The evidence will show Manson's fanatical
obsession with Helter Skelter...

...a term he got from the English
musical group The Beatles.

To Manson, Helter Skelter meant
the black man rising up...

...and destroying the entire white race.

That is, with the exception of
Charles Manson and his chosen followers.

Keep it clear.
Please, keep the aisle clear.

Gentlemen, keep it clear, please.

Stand back, please.

Keep it clear, please.

- Keep it-
- You'll kill us all!

Kill us all!

Raise your right hand.

Object, on the grounds this witness
is not competent and she's insane.

I ask the court to strike that and find him
in contempt for gross misconduct.

- This is unbelievable!
- Come to the bench.

The jury is admonished to disregard
Mr. Scoville's comments.

Mr. Scoville's objections alleges
Linda Kasabian is incompetent...

...because she has taken LSD
at least 300 times.

After 10 minutes of discussion,
the objection is overruled.

Motion for a mistrial is denied.

The first question to Linda elicits another
objection, another motion for mistrial.

After another 10 minutes' discussion,
this second motion is also denied.

A pattern of incessant objections
and motions is established...

...yet, piece by piece, the story of Linda
Kasabian and the Manson Family emerges...

...from the hours of wrangling
and obfuscation.

Mrs. Kasabian, do you have any children?

Yes. I have two children.

And what are their names?

Tanya and Angel.

When did you come to Los Angeles?

Maybe...

...the 27th of June, 1969.

Did you first meet Gypsy,
or Catherine Share on July 4, 1969?

Yes.

She had come to see a friend
who lived in the truck with us.

Did she have anything to do
with you going to Spahn Ranch?

- Yes, she did.
- And how was that?

She told me that there was a beautiful man
that we'd all been waiting for.

I became a member of a family.

Now, what do you mean by that,
"a member of the Family"?

Well, we lived together as one family...

...as a family lives together...

...a mother and a father and children...

...but we were all just one...

...and Charlie was the head.

- How old are you, Vince?
- Thirty-five.

You're lucky, you can go right from
this case on into Social Security.

I was ready for his objections and motions.
I've seen him in action.

What bothers me is he's sometimes
effective. He keeps testimony out I want in.

For instance, today,
I know he wore Judge Older down...

...with his constant, "Objection, hearsay. "
He said it over and over again until...

...Older thought he was right
and sustained.

If I can't use Linda Kasabian's testimony
against Manson-

This is it: People v. Stevens.

This is the kind of statement we need.

The court rules in here that you can show
the existence of a conspiracy...

...by showing the relationship between the
parties, including statements to each other.

Beautiful.

A little past mid-July, 1969...

...did a group of Family members
and guests gather at the back house?

- Yes, they did.
- About how many people?

Objection, Your Honor, ambiguous
as to time and also calling for a conclusion.

Overruled.

The Family...

...maybe 20, and I believe
there were three guests.

Four guests.

What took place that night?

Object, Your Honor.

Overruled, let's proceed.

- Do you have the question in mind?
- Yes, I do.

There was one particular girl,
I don't remember her name...

In view of the fact that the witness-

Don't interrupt the answer.
Let's proceed.

She was very young.

I'd say about 16.

And she was quite shy,
very withdrawn.

And I remember she was laying
in the middle of the room...

...and Charlie came over to her,
and he started...

...touching her and kissing her...

...and you know.

Well, like, she was really rejecting him...

...trying to push him off...

...and he just sort of pushed her
back down and kissed her.

At this point, she bit him on the shoulder,
and he hit her in the face.

And then she just sort of let go
or whatever.

And then he flashed the signal
to Bobby Beausoleil to take over...

...and do his thing,
and then he told everybody...

...to touch her and to kiss her
and join in.

And everybody did.

Move to strike the entire answer
as non-responsive and immaterial.

It's hearsay.

Join in the motion, may we approach?

We have to stick more
to the point here.

What is the purpose of this
extensive testimony about sex?

I'm trying to prove that Manson dominated
even the sex lives of these people.

Motion's denied.

Your Honor, this is the most prejudicial-
What Mr. Bugliosi is eliciting-

Excuse me, sir. Excuse me.
The G is soft. It's Bugliosi.

- I'm sorry.
- Let's proceed.

Thank you.

Did anyone who was present touch this girl
before Charlie told them to?

No, I don't believe so.

After everyone touched the girl,
then what happened?

Then he told everybody
to make love with everybody.

While you were at Spahn Ranch,
did you have any discussions with Manson?

- Object!
- Yes.

Just a minute, I will object, Your Honor,
on the grounds of time.

Overruled.

In your discussions with Mr. Manson,
did he ever talk about right and wrong?

- Yes.
- Objection! This is leading and suggestive.

- Overruled.
- What did he say?

He said there was no wrong-

Everything was all right,
there was no wrong.

Did he ever say anything about
willing to kill or be killed?

Leading and suggestive, Your Honor.

- Overruled.
- He used to say:

"If you're willing to be killed...

...then you should be willing to kill. "

Did you ever see or observe...

...any member of the Family refuse to do
anything Mr. Manson told them to?

- Hearsay, Your Honor!
- Overruled.

Nobody did.

We always wanted to do
anything and everything for him.

During the day of August 8, do you recall
him saying anything about Helter Skelter?

- Yes, I do.
- What was the occasion?

Well, we were sitting around,
talking about things...

...and Charlie was saying how
people couldn't get it together...

...how people were on their own little trips,
and they wouldn't go on his trip.

They just couldn't get it together at all.

And then he just came out and said:

"Now is the time for Helter Skelter. "

- That was August 8th, 1969?
- I believe so.

And did anything unusual
happen after dinner?

Yes.

I remember I was standing out in front
of the gun room at this one point...

...and Charlie came up to me
and pulled me off the porch.

And he told me I needed
a change of clothing...

...a knife and my driver's license.

- An additional change of clothing?
- Yes.

- And did you get these things?
- Yes.

And he told me to go with Tex...

...and do what Tex told me to do,
and I...

I got into the car...

...and I believe Sadie and Katie
were already in the back seat.

What is the next thing that happened?

Tex got in the car,
and we started to drive away.

And then Charlie said:

"Leave a sign.
You girls know what I mean.

Something witchy. "

This trial is the second
crucifixion of Christ.

The second crucifixion.

This trial is the second...

There's the chief crucifier!
There he is!

I'm sure Mr. Bugliosi would like
a picture of Charlie.

No, thanks, Mary, I already have
an autographed one on my mantelpiece.

She's proof of what's wrong
with immunity deals.

But without her testimony, I doubt
Beausoleil would be in the death house.

But she's a killer, Aaron, running loose.

I know. I'm talking about
the second crucifixion.

Still, Vince...

...if it weren't for immunity...

...we'd be nowhere without Linda.

Linda didn't kill anyone.
We're not turning a killer free.

All right, don't get hot at me.

Your Honor, I have here a. 22 caliber
Longhorn revolver. May it be marked...

...people's 40 for identification?
- It will be so marked.

- Have you ever seen this revolver before?
- Yes, I have.

And where did you see it
for the first time?

In the car.

This is the revolver in
the glove compartment?

Yes.

Did you actually see Tex
climb the pole?

I think so. I'm not positive.

I just remember seeing the wires fall.

Linda, I show you People's 41
for identification.

Have you ever seen this rope before?

That looks like the rope.

It looks like the rope that what?

That Tex was carrying up the hill.

What happened after you, Katie,
Tex and Sadie walked up the hill?

We...

We climbed over.

We climbed over a fence.

And then a light started
coming towards us.

Are you able to go on, Mrs. Kasabian?

Yes. Yes, I am.

And the man said:

"Please, don't hurt me,
I won't say anything. "

Now, you say that Tex cut
the screen of the window.

What's the next thing that happened?

He told me...

...to go back to the car and wait.

And I did.

And then...

...all of a sudden...

...I heard-

I heard screams.

There were no words.

It was beyond words.

It was just screams.

It was horrible!

Your Honor...

...I can appreciate that, but...

...I ask that the statement
about "horrible"...

The statement is out.
The jury is admonished to disregard it.

I'll get you a cup of water.

How long did the screaming go on?

I don't know.

It seemed like forever.

Infinite.

My mind went blank...

...and I was aware of my body
walking towards the house.

Then I hit...

Oh, God, I'm so sorry.

Sadie, please, make it stop!

I hear people coming.

And she said:

"It's too late. "

And then I said to Sadie:

"Sadie, please, make it stop. "

And when you told Sadie people
were coming, was that the truth?

No.

And why did you tell her that?

Because I just wanted them to stop!

All right, Mrs. Kasabian,
you can step down.

Ladies and gentlemen,
do not converse with anyone...

...nor form or express an opinion regarding
this case until it has been submitted to you.

The court will adjourn at this time
until 9:45 tomorrow morning.

When was the first time you learned
the names of the five victims?

The following day on the news.

Sadie woke me up and told me to go
to Spahn's trailer to watch television.

When I got there, she switched
the channels to the news.

And then Charlie came in and called
Katie, Leslie and myself aside...

...and told us to get a change of clothing
and meet in the bunkroom, which we did.

And he told me to get my driver's license.

That's three lies you've told already.

No, Charlie.

I've spoken the truth, and you know it.

Did Mr. Manson say anything to you
once you were all in the bunkhouse?

He said we were going out again, tonight.

That last night was too messy...

...and that he was gonna
show us how to do it.

He's had this information a week,
and we haven't heard it.

I've given it three times.

Objections from the defense continue.

Terrence Milik, during a dispute,
uses obscene language.

Judge Older cites him
for contempt of court.

He told me that there was
a man and a woman...

...tied up in the house.

And that he had tied their hands...

...and told them not to be afraid,
that he wasn't going to hurt them.

And then he told them:

"Don't cause fear and panic
in these people.

Don't let them know
you're going to kill them. "

And afterwards, they should
hitchhike back to the ranch.

You say Mr. Manson gave you a wallet?

Yes, he did.

Did he tell you what to do
with respect to that wallet?

He told me to take the change
out of the wallet...

...and wipe off the fingerprints.

And then, we were going
to put it someplace...

...where a black person would
pick it up and use the credit card...

...so that the people, the establishment...

...would think it was some sort of
organized group that killed these people.

Presumably, the black militants.

He said they wanted to show
blackie how to do it.

Order.

The court will recess for 15 minutes.

I'm gonna have Bugliosi and Older killed.

Testing, testing.
One, two, three, testing.

Testing, testing. Do you read me? Over.

Coming through loud and clear.

- Roger.
- Vince, what if-?

If they cut the phone wires,
we have communication with police.

And come here.
I got a full-time bodyguard too.

- See him?
- It's like being in a war.

Say, Vince? Vince, I want to apologize.

Terry, it was a heat-of-the-moment remark.

- I'm sorry Older found you in contempt.
- That's not it.

What I did was a hell of a lot worse.

I suggested that Everett Scoville
be Manson's attorney.

You testified this morning, did you not,
that you have taken LSD 50 times?

Approximately, yes.

What is LSD?

Lysergic acid diethylamide.
Something like that.

Well, is it a chemical? Does it provoke
an emotional response like anger?

Fear? Jealousy? Hate?

My sole purpose for taking it
was for realization, God realization.

- That was to discover God?
- Yes.

Were you successful in that endeavor?

I realize you don't have to take
peyote or LSD to discover God.

I believe you stated that
you've taken 50 acid trips.

Would you please describe
what happened on trip number 23?

I object to that question
as being ridiculous.

Sustained.

What is this?

All counsel will come to the bench.

If jurors had been influenced
by the headline...

...grounds for a mistrial
may have been established.

Therefore, each juror is questioned,
under oath, by Judge Older.

Do you feel that it has
influenced you in any way?

No, sir.

Do you feel you can form an opinion based
solely upon evidence presented to you?

I'm sure I can, Your Honor.

- Very good, you may step down.
- Thank you.

- Yes, sir.
- Do you feel it's influenced your thinking?

All 12 jurors and alternates
state under oath...

...that they have not been influenced and
will only consider the evidence presented.

I didn't vote for Mr. Nixon anyway.

Now, Mrs. Kasabian...

...you testified that when you saw
the shooting of Steven Parent...

...you went into a state of shock.

Now, just exactly when
did that state of shock end?

I don't know when it ended.

- I don't know if it ever ended.
- Oh!

And you weren't under the influence
of any drugs, is that right?

- No.
- You weren't under the influence...

...of anything, right?

I was under the influence of Charlie.

Oh, yes.

Now, Mrs. Kasabian,
I show you this picture.

Oh, God.

Oh, for God's sake.

Oh, God.

Mrs. Kasabian, the truth is that you
made up this whole story, didn't you?

- No.
- Didn't you?

No. Nobody could make that up.

Nobody.

Mrs. Kasabian,
why are you crying right now?

- Because I just can't believe-
- Believe what, Mrs. Kasabian?

- That they could do that.
- Oh, that they could do that!

Not that you could do it, Mrs. Kasabian,
but that they could do it.

- I know I didn't do that.
- Oh?

But you were in a state of shock,
weren't you?

- That's right.
- Then how do you know?

Because I know.

I do not have that kind of thing in me,
to do such an animalistic thing.

Linda...

...tell me, do you feel that you are
controlled by Mr. Manson's vibrations?

Possibly.

Did he put off a lot of vibes?

Sure.

He's doing it right now.

May the record reflect, Your Honor,
that Mr. Manson...

...is merely sitting there.

He doesn't seem to be vibrating.

Your Honor, the president
said we are guilty...

...so why go on with the trial?

Would you please repeat your response?

Her reply was that
Charlie had sent them, yes.

No further questions, Mr. Jones.

You may step down, Mr. Jones.

- May I examine him, Your Honor?
- No, you may not.

I'm gonna fight for my life,
you might as well let me do it with words.

If you don't stop,
I'll have to have you removed.

If you don't stop, I'll have you removed.
I've got a little system.

- Call the next witness.
- Do you think I'm kidding?

This is the second crucifixion of Christ!
This is the second crucifixion of Christ!

This is the second crucifixion of Christ!
This is the second crucifixion of Christ!

And the hypocrite...

Gillespie inquires as to
the judge's state of mind.

If he'd taken one more step,
I would have defended myself.

Because of the judge's state of mind,
Gillespie says he has to ask for a mistrial.

It isn't gonna be that easy, Mr. Gillespie.

They are not going to profit
from their own wrong.

Denied.

Call the next witness.

The People of the State of California rest.

- Are you ready to proceed with defense?
- Yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Gillespie, call your first witness.

Your Honor, the defendants rest.

- We wanna testify!
- We wanna testify!

Let us testify!

The counsel-

Older orders counsel into chambers
and demands an explanation.

- Your Honor-
- I gotta keep them off the stand.

Our contention is that
their testimony is already perjured...

...and it would be inadmissible
as perjured evidence.

There's a split between
attorneys and clients.

Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten
wish to testify...

...that they committed the murders
and Manson was not involved.

The attorneys vehemently oppose this and
want to forestall it by resting the case.

Gentlemen...

...defendants are gonna be
allowed to testify.

The right to testify supersedes
any and all other rights.

Before the girls are called to the stand,
Manson asks permission to speak.

Judge Older grants permission,
but it must be made...

...outside the presence of the jury.

I never went to school...

...so I never learned how to
read or write too good.

And I stayed in jail,
and I stayed stupid...

...and I stayed a child while
I watched your world grow up.

And then I look at what you do...

...and I don't understand.

You eat meat...

...and you kill things
that are better than you are...

...and then you say how bad...

...or even killers, your children are.

These children that
come at you with knives.

They're your children.

You taught them, I didn't teach them.

I just tried to help them stand up.

The people you call my Family...

...were people you didn't want.

People alongside the road
that their parents had kicked out.

So I took them to my garbage dump,
and I fed them...

...and I taught them that in love,
there's no wrong.

I can't dislike you...

...but I can say this to you:

It's not going to be long before you all
kill yourselves because you're all crazy.

And you can project it back on me...

...but I'm only what lives
in each and every one of you.

My father's a jailhouse.

My father's your system.

I'm a reflection of you.

I'm what you made me.

I've ate out of your garbage cans
to stay out of jail.

I've worn your secondhand clothes.

I've tried my best to get along
in your world...

...and now you say you wanna kill me.

And I look at you, and I say to myself,
you wanna kill me.

I'm already dead!

I have been all my life.

I spent 23 years in tombs that you built.

Sometimes I wanna
give it all back to you.

Sometimes, I wanna jump on you
and let you shoot me.

If I could, I'd grab this microphone,
I'd beat your brains out...

...because that's what you deserve!

These children...

...everything they done,
they done for love of brother.

Is that a conspiracy?

Is it a conspiracy that the music...

...is telling the youth to rise up
against the establishment...

...because the establishment is rapidly
destroying things. Is that a conspiracy?

The music speaks to you every day, but
you're too deaf, dumb and blind to listen.

It's not my conspiracy.

It's not my music.

I hear what it relates.
It says, "Rise. " It says, "Kill. "

Why blame it on me?
I didn't write the music.

How can you blame...

...what you do on your children?

And what about your children, huh?

What about them?

You say they're just a few.
Well, there are many, many more.

And they're running in the streets,
all in the same direction, right at you!

- Amen.
- Amen, Charlie. Right on, Charlie.

- Amen!
- Amen!

Amen! Right on, Charlie!

You don't have to testify.

- Has been serving as defense counsel
for Leslie Van Houten...

...one of the defendants
in the Tate-LaBianca murder trial.

Milik is believed to have spent
the weekend on a camping trip...

...to Sespe Hot Springs, rugged terrain
some 130 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

He may have been stranded there
because of flooding.

His absence may delay-

And then again, he may not have been.

Hi, honey. How does this sound?

"Everett Scoville,
the Toscanini of tedium...

...has accused the prosecution
of tying up the court. "

"Toscanini of tedium"? I like it.

I thought you said he was the most
effective of all the defense counsel.

He has been.

Vince, do you think Mr. Milik
would maybe stay away...

...to sabotage the trial?

No, sweetheart. He's not the type.

And, Your Honor, on the photograph
to the left of that...

...it's quite obvious that the Tate house
itself was entered.

That's part of the process by which
we're introducing testimony.

You're the murderer.
You're the leader of the "Pig Murder Gang. "

What did you do with my attorney?

- What'd you do with him?
- Remove the defendants!

We're gonna get you!

Your guts are gonna fall out, Older!
You're not gonna get any older, Older!

Help me!

No American court is required to submit
to this kind of nonsense day after day.

The defendants will not be allowed to
return for the remainder of the guilt trial.

And Linda Kasabian testified that Watson
shot Steven Parent four times.

You heard expert medical testimony
that Parent had been shot four times.

- Testified my ass.
- Pig! You lying whore!

- Pig!
- Yeah, she really testified, all right.

Linda Kasabian testified that Parent had
slumped over toward the passenger side...

...and you saw police photographs showing
Parent slumped toward the passenger side.

Forty-five instances where other evidence
confirms Linda Kasabian's testimony.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are all
very privileged in this courtroom...

...because we have been enlightened
by a new society...

...led by a new Jesus Christ...

...who is none other than Charles Manson.

We've even learned a new commandment:

Thou shalt love thy neighbor
by killing thy neighbor.

We've seen young people become
disciples of this new Christ...

...by slaughtering human beings...

...for the mere pleasure
and the excitement of it.

We've learned how this new Christ...

...will lead his chosen people
out of the desert...

...followed by the enslaved black man.

No.

What we have learned,
ladies and gentleman...

...is that this new Christ is not
Charles Manson, but Charles Con Man.

That's the religion he knows very well...

...and the one over which he is the leader.

And are we supposed to pity this con man...

...who has ordered at least seven murders?

Are we to pity him for tying up the hands
of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca...

...so they could be brutally butchered
a little more neatly, more orderly?

Are we to pity this Family leader
whose hero was Adolf Hitler...

...who had ordered the mass murder
of six million Jews?

On the hot summer night
of August the 8th, 1969...

...Charles Manson...

...the Mephistophelean guru...

...who raped and bastardized the minds
of all those who gave themselves to him...

...sent out from the fires of hell
at Spahn Ranch...

...three heartless, bloodthirsty robots...

...and unfortunately for him...

...one human being...

...little Linda Kasabian.

What resulted that night...

...was perhaps the most inhuman...

...nightmarish, horror-filled hour
of savage murder...

...and human slaughter
in the recorded annals of crime.

As the helpless, defenseless victims begged
and screamed into the night for their lives...

...their lifeblood gushed from their bodies,
forming rivers of gore.

If they could have...

...I'm sure that Watson,
Atkins, Krenwinkel...

...would gladly have swum
in that river of blood...

...and with orgasmic ecstasy
on their faces.

Susan Atkins, the Vampira...

...actually tasted Sharon Tate's blood.

On the very next night, Leslie Van Houten
joined the group of murderers.

And this time it was poor
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca...

...who were brutally butchered to satisfy
Charles Manson's homicidal madness.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...in a capital case in California,
the trial is divided into two phases.

Now, the first phase, with which
we are dealing now, is the guilt phase.

We are not asking you to decide
in the extent of the punishment.

That comes in the second phase.

The People of the State of California
are asking you at this time...

...to review the evidence...

...and decide whether the prosecution
has met its legal burden...

...of proving the guilt of these defendants.

And based upon the evidence you heard
from that witness stand...

...not only isn't there any
reasonable doubt as to their guilt...

...which is our only burden...

...but there can be no doubt whatsoever
of their guilt.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

...Sharon Tate...

...Jay Sebring...

...Abigail Folger...

...Voytek Frykowski...

...Steven Parent...

...Leno LaBianca...

...and Rosemary LaBianca...

...are not here with us now
in this courtroom.

But from their graves...

...they cry out for justice!

And justice can only be done...

...by your returning to this courtroom
with a verdict of guilty.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

...this trial has been an enormous imposition
on all of your personal, private lives.

And on behalf of the People of the State of
California, I want to thank you very much...

...for the patience and attention you've
shown throughout these proceedings.

You've been an exemplary jury.

The plaintiff in this trial is
the People of the State of California.

And I have all the confidence in the world
that you won't let them down.

Thank you.

Hello?

This is Mrs. Bugliosi, may I help you?

Who?

It's the clerk of the court.

Hello?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll be right there. Thanks.

Jury's reached a verdict.
Older wants to see the attorneys.

Dress warmly. You have a temperature.

Honey, I've been aiming for
this moment for 14 months.

All jurors and alternates are present.

All counsel but Mr. Milik are present.

The defendants are present.

Mr. Tubick, has the jury reached a verdict?

Yes, Your Honor, we have.

Would you hand the verdict forms
to the bailiff?

Will the defendants please rise?

The clerk will read the verdicts.

January 25, 1971...

...17 months and 17 days after the murders
of the seven Tate and LaBianca victims.

"In Superior Court of
the State of California...

...for the County of Los Angeles...

...the People of the State of
California v. Charles Manson...

...Patricia Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins
and Leslie Van Houten...

...case number A-253156,
Department 104...

...we, the jury, in the above entitled action,
find the defendant...

...Charles Manson, guilty of the crime
of murder of Abigail Folger...

...in violation of Section 187,
Penal Code of California.

A felony, as charged in count one
of the indictment...

...and we further find it to be
murder of the first degree. "

Susan Atkins, guilty of
conspiracy to commit murder...

...and seven counts of
murder in the first degree.

Leslie Van Houten,
conspiracy to commit murder...

...and two counts of
murder in the first degree.

Patricia Krenwinkel, guilty of
conspiracy to commit murder...

...and seven counts of murder
in the first degree.

The penalty phase of the trial begins.

The issue is whether they will receive
life in prison or the death penalty.

The defense seeks
to bring circumstances...

...background, remorse and the possibility
of rehabilitation to the jury's attention.

Susan...

...were you personally involved with
the Tate and LaBianca homicides?

Yes.

Did you ever feel any remorse?

Remorse?

For doing what was right to me?

I have no guilt in me.

Leslie, do you feel as if you wanted
to cry for what happened?

Cry for her death?

Why?

She's not the only person who has died.

Well, do you think about it
from time to time?

Only when I'm in the courtroom.

I'm the devil...

...and the devil always shaves his head.

Bugliosi...

...if I get the death penalty...

...there's gonna be bloodletting,
because I won't take it.

There's already been a lot of bloodletting,
Charlie. That's what we're trying to stop.

Vince.

Did you hear about Terry Milik?

They found him, face-down in a pool of
water with his head wedged under a rock.

And that's only the beginning.

I don't see how you people do this
without letting me put up some defense.

You people ain't got no authority over me!
Half of you in here ain't as good as I am!

You ain't gonna outlive this, old man!

You ain't gonna outlive this, old man!
You're gonna die, you hear?

You're gonna die!
You're gonna die!

You're gonna die!

"We, the jury, in the above entitled action,
having found the defendant...

...guilty of murder in the first degree...

...as charged in count one
of the indictment...

...do now fix the penalty as death. "

You have just judged yourselves.

You better lock your doors
and watch your own kids.

Your system's a game,
you blind, stupid people.

Your children will turn against you.

It's death for all defendants.

Death! That's what you're all gonna get!

Mr. Bugliosi?

Yeah, Charlie.

Can I talk to you for a minute?

- We're gonna get him upstairs, Mr. Bugliosi.
- That's okay, Joe.

I don't think we'll be
seeing each other again.

I don't have no hard feelings.

Thank you, Charlie.

You done a remarkable job.

You gave me a fair trial,
just like you promised.

And I ain't bitter about
having to go back in.

It's always been my home anyhow.

What about death, Charlie?

What about it?

I told you, I'm already dead.

And while I'm waiting around
to take the other form...

...I got steady chow. It ain't great,
but it's better than garbage.

I don't gotta work if I don't want to,
so I got plenty of time to play my guitar.

You know...

...you beat a man with a whip...

...and he likes the whip...

...you're just making a fool
out of yourself, partner.

- Aren't you gonna miss the girls?
- I don't need broads.

There's plenty of sex in prison.

You still think the black man's
gonna take over?

I may have put a clog in that one.

In other words, the trial alerted whitey.

Yeah.

But I almost did it, didn't I?
I almost pulled it off, almost made it.

No, Charlie, you weren't even close.

You killed some people,
that's what you did.

You accomplished murder.

You took a bunch of sad kids,
human flotsam...

...and you played
jailhouse games on them.

That's it, Charlie.

You're not even important anymore.

On February 18th, 1972...

...the California State Supreme Court voted
to abolish the death penalty in California.

The death sentences of the killers
in the Manson Family...

...were automatically reduced
to life imprisonment.

Manson himself...

...becomes eligible to apply
for parole in 1978.

Susan Atkins, murderer,
eligible to apply for parole in 1978.

Patricia Krenwinkel, murderer,
eligible to apply for parole in 1978.

Leslie Van Houten, murderer,
eligible to apply for parole in 1978.

Charles Tex Watson, murderer,
eligible to apply for parole in 1978.

Bobby Beausoleil, murderer,
eligible to apply for parole in 1978.

Meanwhile, other Family members,
some implicated in one or more...

...of the 35 killings admitted
by Charles Manson...

...are right now either at liberty
or awaiting parole.

With Charles Manson in jail...

...does an era of madness
now come to an end?

Or will the social compost heap
from which he sprang produce other...

...perhaps more virulent strains
of Mansonism?

Are there many more?
Perhaps hundreds, or even thousands...

...of young Mansons germinating in
the same hotbed that gave birth to Charlie?

And will they be more antisocial,
more aberrant than the original?