Charles Manson Mastermind of 1969 Murders, Dies

the late murderer Charles Manson

Charles Manson, Mastermind Behind 1969 Murders, Dies

Charles Manson, the hippie cult leader who orchestrated the gruesome murders of then 26-year old pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in Los Angeles during the summer of 1969, died Sunday after nearly half a century in prison.  He was 83.  Manson, whose name is synonymous with unspeakable violence and madness, died of natural causes at Kern County Hospital.  Even though he had ordered dozens of slayings, he was eventually convicted of two high-profile massacres.  One of those massacres was the death of Actress Sharon Tate, Roman Polanski's wife at the time. He was away when she was murdered.  Five others were murdered as well, including Kroger Coffee heiress Abigail Folger.  Manson was convicted of first degree murder in 1971 of the Tate/LaBianca killings and was sentenced to death.  Consequently, the California State Supreme Court's 1972 decision to outlaw the death penalty caused his sentence to be commuted to a lifetime behind bars at California's Corcoran State Prison.  He had a swastika engraved on his forehead.  Click on the above link to read the rest of the story.