The Sixties remain shrouded in myth, demonology and nostalgia. (Pale Green House 1) That era still recalls something dimly remembered of an expedition into the heart of consciousness. This era ended in August 1969 when the followers of Charles Manson slaughtered Sharon Tate, her unborn child, her houseguests, and the next night repeated the bloody ritual by killing a prominent couple named the LaBiancas. The murders committed by the Manson family were the most horrendous of their time and some people still consider them the most brutal slayings in American history. Maybe they were, or perhaps it was the era in which they were committed that made them so horrific. Charles Manson was a merciless, evil man who led followers to commit atrocious crimes; moreover, he also ended a time of love, peace and happiness. The murders committed by the Manson family concluded the era of the “flower children.”

The Nineteen Sixties were a time of love, peace, happiness and more importantly, trust. The hippie generation, which had engulfed American society by 1968, had given birth to a new sub-culture of people: the flower children. The flower children were hippies who rejected materi

In the aftermath of Susan Atkins jailhouse confessions, the Manson family was on a downward spiral. Several raids on Spahn Ranch produced all the evidence that police forces needed, in addition to the remaining suspects. Manson, Krenwinkle, Atkins and VanHouten were prosecuted together in a theatrical trial, where the girls followed Charlie’s lead in lashing out against the legal system, shuffling lawyers, shaving their heads, and cutting and burning X’s into their foreheads. Outside the courtroom, free family members also continued to follow Manson’s lead. A group of bald girls with X’s on their foreheads held a 24-hour protest on the corner near the courthouse. The most loyal and devoted free member, Lynette Fromme, had taken responsibility of the entire family and they attempted to hold the family together until Manson was released. Manson and the family members’ trial dragged on for seven months. It was said to be one of the most dramatic trials in history (Bugliosi 409-511).

On Saturday, August 9th, 1969, Family members Charles Watson, Patricia Krenwinkle, Susan (Sadie) Atkins and Linda Kasabian drove to 10050 Cielo Drive. Climbing over the fence, they began one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Shooting the first person they saw, Steven Parent, and then making their way to the house, they stabbed to death four people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, who was only 26 years old and in her last trimester of pregnancy. Sadie considered cutting the baby out of the womb, but decided that they didn’t have enough time, and that it would probably die. She did, however, have time to taste Tate’s blood, supposedly licking it off her fingers and declaring, “What a trip!”(Pale Green Horse 18) The Family also murdered Abigail Folger, heir to the Folger coffee fortune, Voytek Frykowski and famous hair stylist Jay Sebring. They left behind another message in blood, “pig”, which was printed on the front door in Sharon Tate’s blood. The next murders came shortly after. Manson, Charles “Tex”, Katie, Sadie, Linda, Clem Grogan, and Leslie VanHouten drove to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson went in first, tying the couple up, and then left the dirty work to his followers, who stabbed the pair to death with their own silverware. “Death to Pigs” and misspelled “Healter Skelter” was left written on the wall, again in the couple’s blood; they also carved the word “war” into their flesh. Police initially failed to see any connection between the three murders (Bulgliosi 1-56).

After a lengthy trial, all defendants were found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty on April 19, 1971. Charles Manson and Clem Grogan were later charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the deaths of Gary Hinman and Donald “Shorty” Shea, a ranch hand at Spahn Ranch that had gone missing and whose body had never been found. Charles Watson was tried separately for seven counts of murder and was sentenced to death. Susan Atkins pled guilty to the murder of Gary Hinman and was sentenced to life in prison, along with Bobby Beausoliel. All of the death sentences were reduced to life imprisonment when the Supreme Court suspended the capital punishment in 1972. The murder status in effect in 1971 did not offer life without parole, so ex-family member are regularly eligible for parole and release; thought it is doubtful t

Some topics in this essay:
Sharon Tate, Charles Manson, Lynette Fromme, Blacks Whites, LaBianca Manson, Atkins VanHouten, George Spahn, Bobby Beausoliel, Air Hollywood, Nineteen Sixties, flower children, manson family, charles manson, love peace, susan atkins, sharon tate, gary hinman, beverly hills, green horse, summer love, rejected materialism war, green horse 18, colony charles manson, committed manson family, materialism war preached,