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Rethinking John Lennon’s Assassination

The FBI’s War on Rock Stars

By Salvador Astucia

Part IV: The Manson Murders

Chapter 9: The Crimes

Charlie Manson

Charlie Manson, in 1969

(about 35)

Contrary to popular belief, Charlie Manson was a gifted musician, singer and songwriter. In 1969, he had the look and persona of a Sixties rock star. He also had the charisma—possibly comparable to the likes of John Lennon—to be a major force in rock music had fate dealt him a different hand. Or perhaps fate had nothing to do with it. Perhaps it was all the work of the FBI. To better understand Charlie Manson, it is helpful to understand his background. When the infamous Tate-Hinman-LaBianca murders occurred in 1969, Charlie had already spent nearly half his life in correctional institutions. Yet none of his crimes were of a violent nature; mostly steeling to survive. The following is a summary of Charlie’s life, how he was abandoned by his mother at the age of twelve, and was victimized ever since by America’s juvenile and adult penal institutions.

Charlie Manson was born November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Kathleen Maddox, born in Ashland, Kentucky, the youngest of three children—Luther, Joanne, and Kathleen—from the marriage of Nancy and Charles Maddox. Contrary to popular belief, Charlie’s mother, Kathleen, was not a prostitute, although she gave birth to Charlie out of wedlock. Born around 1918, Kathleen was a free spirit who ran away from home in 1933, at the age of fifteen, because she could not endure her parents’ fundamentalist Christian fanaticism. Charlie’s father was a transient laborer, who called himself "Colonel Scott," who worked on a dam project near Cincinnati. He left the area as soon after Kathleen discovered she was pregnant with Charlie. The name Manson came from William Manson, a man considerably older than Kathleen with whom she lived shortly after Charlie’s birth. They eventually married, but divorced soon afterwards. Charlie has no memory of his stepfather, William Manson.

When Charlie was six, Kathleen and her brother Luther were convicted of holding up a service station in Charleston, West Virginia and sentenced to five years in Moundsville State Prison. While his mom was in prison, Charlie lived with Kathleen’s sister, Joanne and her husband Bill, in McMechen, West Virginia. Although "Uncle Bill" was a stern, country man, Charlie liked living with them and they apparently liked raising Charlie. But when Kathleen was released from prison, she quickly took Charlie away and the two began traveling from town to town, constantly struggling to make ends meet. For a couple of years they lived in numerous towns and cities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. By the time Charlie was twelve, he had missed quite a bit of school, spent time in juvenile homes, and watched his mother go from man to man, not to mention a few lesbian affairs.

Around 1946, Kathleen decided raising Charlie was too much for her, and consequently, she took him before a judge and asked that her son be made a ward of the state until she had the means to take care of him. The judge complied and Charlie was placed in a religious school, run by Catholics: the Gibault Home for Boys in Terre Haute, Indiana. Gibault was not considered a reform school per se, but despite its religious training, it was essentially the same thing. After being there for a time, Charlie felt that he had matured enough to go back to his mother and help her get along in the world. Consequently, Charlie, ran away from Gibault and went straight home to his mom, thinking she would realize how much he had matured. He expected to be greeted with open arms, but instead, Kathleen turned him in and the next day he was right back at Gibault. Disillusioned, Charlie ran away from Gibault the first chance he got, and he more or less broke ties with his mother as well, since she apparently wanted nothing to do with him. He was twelve.

While on the run, Charlie knew to avoid the major highways; so he kept out of sight, walking through fields, over hills, along railroad tracks, hopping a freight train, sleeping in the woods and under bridges, meeting bums, winos and hobos who shared meals with him. Eventually, he arrived at Indianapolis, about one-hundred and sixty miles from Terre Haute and the Gibault School for Boys. He then stole enough money to rent a room in skid-row. He supported himself by sweeping store fronts, washing windows, cleaning garbage cans, and stealing. Eventually the local police picked him up and were surprised that a twelve-year-old boy could be living on his own. After a few days, they found out that he had run away from the Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute. They contacted his mother and she appeared with Charlie in juvenile court. Unfortunately, Kathleen was still unable to take care of Charlie. The judge was sympathetic and didn’t want to send Charlie to a reform school, apparently realizing Charlie’s problems were not of his own making, but rather, his mother’s.

The judge arranged for Charlie to be sent to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town. At that point, running away had become a part of Charlie’s makeup. He stayed at Boys Town for four days, then escaped with another youngster whose uncle was a World War II veteran living on disability; he was also a thief. He gave the two runaway boys food and shelter; in exchange he had them burglarize various places and he kept most of the money they stole. The two boys were arrested on their third burglary, and placed in the Indianapolis City Juvenile Home. After being there only one day, Charlie managed to steel a pair of wire cutters from a maintenance man’s tool box. That night he escaped, along with thirty or thirty-five other boys he freed with the wire cutters. Charlie was picked up about two hours later driving a stolen car, although he could barely see over the dashboard. At thirteen, Charlie was booked at the county jail, the youngest offender ever.

When Charlie went before the judge again, stronger measures were taken because of Charlie’s propensity to run away and take up with criminals. As a result, Charlie was sent to a bona fide reform school: The Indiana School for Boys at Plainfield, Indiana. It was a brutal school; many of the employees were child molesters or engaged in similar perversions. Charlie was small for his age, and consequently, he was often the target of bullies. After being at Plainfield for only a few hours, he was held down by several inmates while a sadistic guard beat his buttocks with a leather strap until they bled. About a week later, four of the older inmates cornered him, held him down, and raped him repeatedly. He got even later. One night after the lights were turned off in the building where he and several other inmates slept, he took one of the iron handles used to open and close the windows and severely beat one of the boys who raped him. Charlie then placed the weapon under the bed of one of the other rapists, hoping he would be blamed for the beating. The injured boy almost died, but through pure chance, a guard happened to discover the unconscious youth under his blanket. The boy was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a severe concussion. The other boy became a suspect just as Charlie had planned. After that incident, it was rumored that Charlie was the true assailant. As a result, he was never raped again, despite his small stature.

Charlie spent the next three years at Indiana School for Boys at Plainfield. Although the rapes stopped, the guards continued to harass Charlie quite a bit, blaming him for the slightest infractions, regardless of his guilt, and punishing him routinely. Consequently, Charlie escaped from Plainfield several times, but was always caught and returned. When he was sixteen, however, he made a successful escape with two other inmates. They stole a car and headed for California, burglarizing service stations and grocery stores along the way for gas money. In Utah, they were arrested for driving a stolen car. Because the car was driven across state lines, Charlie and his two accomplices were handed over to the federal authorities and prosecuted under the Dyer Act. In March 1951, at the age of sixteen, Charlie was sentenced to the National Training School for Boys in Washington, DC. Because of his offenses, Charlie was given quite a bit of extra time in jail, but he didn’t care; he was glad to be away from the Indiana School for Boys. In fact, he preferred the federal reformatory to the state-run facility at Plainfield. The people who ran the federal facility were not sadistic, and they generally seemed interested in trying to rehabilitate the inmates, rather than torture and humiliate them.

Over the next three years, Charlie was placed in four federal institutions. They were: The National Training School for Boys in Washington, DC; Natural Bridge Honor Camp; The Federal Reformatory at Petersburg, Virginia; and The Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio. While at Chillicothe, Charlie met Frank Costello, the notorious American syndicate gangster, and close associate of Lucky Luciano, noted for his influence with politicians. Years later, Charlie described Costello to writer Nuel Emmons. The following is Charlie’s description of Costello from the book, Manson: In His Own Words (1986), as told by Nuel Emmons:

In May 1954, Charlie was paroled, through the help of his mother’s sister, Aunt Joanne and her husband Bill. Charlie was nineteen and had been incarcerated for seven years, since his mother abdicated her responsibility as a parent when he was twelve. The parole stipulated that Charlie live with Aunt Joanne and Uncle Bill in McMechen, West Virginia. In January 1955, at the age of twenty, Charlie married the daughter of a coal miner, a young woman he met at a card room in Steubenville. Unable to manage his money or get a decent job, Charlie returned to a life of hustling and petty larceny. A few months after getting married, the young couple moved to Los Angeles and set up house keeping. Charlie’s wife was a few months pregnant by then. After living in LA for only a short while, Charlie was arrested for driving a stolen car. Since it was a Florida car, the FBI took over the case. In the end, a judge was lenient with Charlie because of his pregnant wife, and only gave him five years probation. But since the car had been stolen in Florida, Charlie had to face another hearing there. His future uncertain, Charlie panicked and hit the road as a fugitive. Ironically, he was arrested in Indianapolis. Since he had jumped his federal parole, he was returned to California, his five year probation was revoked, and he was sentenced to five years at the Federal Penitentiary at Terminal Island, San Pedro.

It may seem odd, but Charlie liked the facilities at Terminal Island quite a bit. It was a paradise compared to the Indiana School for Boys at Plainfield. The guards were only interested in security, and the inmates were mainly interested in doing their time, without bothering others. His wife wrote him almost daily and came to visit frequently, eventually bringing their son to visit. But after a year, she got tired of waiting and took up with another man, a truck driver. Devastated, Charlie viewed the loss of his wife to another man as a turning point in his life. Prior to that, he teetered between a life of crime and the hope of living a more honest existence. He wanted the latter but continually slipped back into criminal activity because, frankly, it was all he had ever known. After his wife left him, he lost all hope of ever being an honest man, and made a conscious decision to become a criminal. He decided to get involved in prostitution because in prison, pimps enjoyed a higher social status than petty thieves. In prison, a pimp was comparable to a bank president in the business world, whereas, a gunman or thief was considered a blue-collar worker. Consequently, Charlie got another inmate to teach him the ropes of getting into the prostitution trade.

In September 1958, Charlie was released from Terminal Island and immediately began pursuing a career as a pimp. He met a young woman named Sandy who became his girlfriend and prostitute. In the end, Charlie spent nearly two years having his girlfriend turn tricks for him. He met lots of "high-rollers" in Hollywood and thought he was doing well as a criminal. Then in May of 1959, he was arrested for trying to cash a government check, worth $37.50. The judge gave him a ten-year suspended sentence, pretty harsh, considering the offense, but it was mostly because of Charlie’s criminal history. With a ten-year sentence hanging over his head, Charlie recklessly continued his life as a smalltime player in the prostitution trade. Eventually he ended up facing the same judge who had given him the ten-year suspended sentence for cashing the government check. The judge revoked the suspension and sent Charlie back to prison. He spent a year in a county jail fighting the ten-year sentence, but was quickly deserted by his so-called high-roller friends, and eventually his girlfriend Sandy abandoned him as well. The government dropped the morals charges against Charlie, but he still had the ten-year sentence which he was unable to fight. Ironically, the ten-year sentence was over a check he cashed for $37.50. Eventually, he was sent to McNeil Island in Washington state to begin serving his time for the minor infraction. The year was 1961.²

Charlie has reasonably happy at McNeil Island for the first couple of years, then a feeling of melancholy began to permeate his soul. He felt guilty about the life he led, the things he had done, the wife who left him, the son he loved but had been taken from him. He felt he had several chances to make a good life, but through his own shortsightedness, had squandered them. He was depressed. He tried to shake the feeling but was unable. In the end, Charlie credits the study Scientology and Dianetics as the thing that brought him out of his depression. An inmate had told him about it and they began to study Scientology with a third inmate. Charlie claims it gave him a lot of self-confidence and helped him to decide an honest career path: music. McNeil didn’t consider music a trade, so Charlie relied on fellow inmates to help him learn to play the guitar. Through music, Charlie befriended Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, a nationally known gunman and member of the notorious Ma Barker Gang from the Thirties. Karpis was past sixty at the time and played the steel guitar. Although he and Charlie liked different styles of music, they both shared an interest in their instruments which established a friendship. Charlie observed that Karpis was quite knowledgeable in other areas besides music. The following is Charlie’s description of Alvin "Creepy" Karpis from the book, Manson: In His Own Words (1986), as told by Nuel Emmons:

In June of 1966, Charlie was transferred from McNeil Island to Terminal Island in San Pedro, California. Charlie was happy to be there, having befriended several inmates when he was there years earlier. In addition, Charlie’s new interest in music made Terminal Island a better location, since it was close to Hollywood. He practiced his music and wrote lots of songs during his year at Terminal Island. He made plans for starting a career in music upon his ensuing release, and he performed for inmates whenever the opportunity arose. But as his release date approached, he got cold feet. In fact, he asked if he could stay at Terminal Island on the day he was released in 1967.⁴ The following is Charlie’s description of his desire to stay in prison from the book, Manson: In His Own Words (1986), as told by Nuel Emmons:

Charlie’s desire to stay at Terminal Island poses two interesting questions. First, is it possible that Charlie intentionally reverted back to crime, committing the most heinous crimes imaginable in order to ensure he would return to Terminal Island? The problem with that theory is there is no guarantee that someone will be sent to a specific prison after committing a crime. Charlie apparently liked Terminal Island because it was somewhat progressive and it satisfied many of his needs; however, it is quite possible he would be sent to a prison with substandard living conditions. As someone who had spent years in various penal institutions, Charlie must have been aware of the absurdity of such a notion. Therefore, the scenario that he committed the crimes so he could to be re-incarcerated is not very realistic. But a second question arises: Is it possible that Charlie’s fear of going back into the outside world made him vulnerable to people with ulterior motives? In other words, is it possible that someone from the FBI lured him into becoming an informant? The latter scenario is quite possible. In 1967, Charlie told the officer who signed him out of Terminal Island that he wanted to stay, but the officer laughed and ignored the request. Perhaps the officer told a colleague of Charlie’s unusual request and the conversation was eventually passed to someone with the FBI who decided to contact Charlie about working as an informant. This scenario is quite plausible. Law enforcement and prison officials work closely with the FBI. Many are trained at the FBI Academy at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia.

If Charlie was asked to be an informant for the FBI, they would have paid him a moderate amount to do certain things. This would help with his basic needs like providing food and a place to live. In addition, Charlie’s handlers would likely open lots of doors in the music business. It is also significant that Manson had befriended gangster Frank Costello while at the Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio. Charlie also claimed he befriended Ma Barker’s gunman Alvin "Creepy" Karpis while serving time at McNeil Island in Washington state. Costello was a close associate of Lucky Luciano,⁷ leader of the American Mafia until his death in 1962.^* Costello and Luciano were also associates of Meyer Lansky, considered by many to be one of the most powerful mobsters in America after Luciano’s death. In 1979 the House Select Committee on Assassinations, ending its two-year investigation of the Warren Commission report, linked Lansky with Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who killed President Kennedy’s accused assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.⁸ In my book, Opium Lords, I assert that Oswald was a patsy, and Lansky was recruited by J. Edgar Hoover to hire French Corsican assassins to kill Kennedy.

To my knowledge, Charlie Manson has never publicly stated having any association with Meyer Lansky or Lucky Luciano, only that he knew Frank Costello and gunman Alvin "Creepy" Karpis in prison. Perhaps Charlie was unaware of Costello’s association with Lansky, and he likely did not know of Lansky’s involvement in the Kennedy assassination. More research is needed to determine the precise nature of Charlie’s connection to the mob, and possibly the FBI, after his release from Terminal Island in 1967. But Charlie’s admissions that he had befriended Frank Costello and Alvin "Creepy" Karpis certainly suggest he might have been manipulated by powerful mob figures possibly working at the behest of the FBI. Whether Charlie was a bona fide FBI informant remains a question.

It is also highly relevant that prior to the infamous Tate-Hinman-LaBianca murders, Charlie was never incarcerated for committing violent crimes. He had spent half of his life in correctional institutions when he was released from Terminal Island in 1967. Yet none of his crimes were of a violent nature; mostly steeling to survive. His last six-year stint in prison was for cashing a government check worth $37.50, hardly the act of a violent criminal. These and other facts suggest that Charlie Manson and his followers were probably patsies, wrongfully blamed for the murders of Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowki, Jay Sebring, Steven Parent, Gary Hinman, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Charlie might have been lured into working as an informant in some capacity, but if so, it was probably because he needed money to survive, not because he was part of a conspiracy to commit mass-murder. In the rest of this chapter, I will show that there is much more to the infamous Manson Murders than anyone has yet revealed, perhaps more than Manson himself truly understands.

The Tate-Labianca-Hinman murders

On August 9, 1969, a year after Rosemary’s Baby was released, Roman Polanski’s beautiful young bride, actress Sharon Tate, was brutally murdered along with four other people at a house, in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, where record producer Terry Melcher—Doris Day’s son—had lived until Polanski and Tate took over the lease in February 1969.⁹ Three other murders occurred around the same time. All eight murders were linked to the Beatles. The names of two Beatle songs—"Piggies" and "Helter Skelter"—were written in the victims’ blood at the crime scenes. Charlie Manson and members of his hippie commune, known as the "Manson Family," were eventually arrested and convicted for the murders. The following is an overview of the crimes that Manson et al were convicted of perpetrating:

The brutal murder of Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, was not unlike the satanic worship portrayed a year earlier in Rosemary’s Baby. In an interview years later, Charlie Manson told Nuel Emmons of a satanic group in the Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles where he and his friends (aka, The "Manson Family") used to visit. Here is an excerpt from Manson: In His Own Words (1986), as told to Nuel Emmons:

It is worth noting that the first murder victim, Gary Hinman, linked to the Manson Family was killed at Hinman’s residence on Topanga Canyon Road, Los Angeles. The satanic house—nicknamed the "Spiral Staircase" by Manson’s group—was also located in the Topanga Canyon area of L.A. It is quite possible that members of the Spiral Staircase were involved in Hinman’s murder and possibly the Tate-LaBianca murders as well.

It is also important to note that Manson takes responsibility for the murders, but he objects to the motives used by the prosecution to convict him and his followers. Here is an excerpt from Manson: In His Own Words, as told to Nuel Emmons:

The ‘Spiral Staircase’ - Satanic cult group

Manson gave a chilling description of the Spiral Staircase to Nuel Emmons. The following is an excerpt from Emmons’ book, Manson: In His Own Words:

The Manson Family

As previously stated, the infamous Manson Family was actually a hippie commune, something that was quite common in the late Sixties and mid-Seventies. The Manson Family had a carefree attitude about sexuality and hallucinatory drugs, as did many people of that era. By the autumn of 1969 the Manson Family consisted of twenty-two identifiable commune members, plus ten or twelve others whose names have escaped publicity. The following is a listing of the family members, sorted in alphabetical order of the last name.

When Charlie Manson was released from the prison at Terminal Island, San Pedro, California on March 21, 1967,¹⁷ he had not been a free man since 1960. America had changed a great deal in those seven years. "I was to see a lot of changes compared to what things were like when I started my sentence in ’60," Manson told Nuel Emmons years later.¹⁸ The following is Manson’s perception of America in 1967—as told to Nuel Emmons—after being incarcerated for seven years.

The earliest iteration of the Manson Family consisted of just four people: Manson, Mary Brunner (the original member), Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and Patricia Krenwinkel. Charlie’s two and a half years of freedom—from the spring of 1967 until the autumn of 1969—was like a five-act play. During each act new members constantly join the commune, which causes Manson to look for larger dwellings. Act 1: Charlie is a gifted singer-songwriter-guitarist just released from prison. His primary goal is to get a recording contract and give up his life of petty crime. Manson is a carefree spirit enjoying his freedom, traveling in a VW van with Brunner, Fromme, and Krenwinkel along the coast of California on Highway One. The van is their home. Charlie’s relationship with the three women is sexual, but not obsessive. The foursome bond emotionally and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. The girls view Charlie as a wiser older man. He views them as the first people who ever loved and nurtured him.

The following are Manson’s comments about the love and respect he felt for Brunner, Fromme, and Krenwinkel; as told to Nuel Emmons:

Act 2: Susan "Sadie" Atkins joins the Family. Atkins is a bad influence; trouble follows her everywhere. Manson goes to L.A. to audition for a studio contact. While in L.A. the Family stays at the Spiral Staircase, but Manson has bad vibes about the strange people who visit and live there. Many are into the occult. Act 3: On April 1, 1968, Mary Brunner gives birth to Charlie’s son, Valentine Michael Manson. (nicknamed "Pooh Bear") Manson moves to the Spahn Ranch primarily to get away from the weirdoes at the Spiral Staircase.²¹ The Spahn Ranch was an abandoned Hollywood movie set located above Chatsworth, California in the Simi Hills, about a thirty-five minute drive from Hollywood. The Spahn ranch—then owned by an elderly man, George Spahn (deceased, 1974²²)—had a mock old western town with a boardwalk filled with buildings designed to be cafés, saloons, hotels, and jails. By the time the Manson Family moved in, the Spahn Ranch was no longer used by Hollywood film makers, but George Spahn owned fifty or sixty riding horses which he charged money for a leisurely day of horse-back-riding.²³

While living at the Spahn Ranch, a friend introduces Manson to Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson who is quite impressed with Manson’s talent and his carefree lifestyle.²⁴ Charles "Tex" Watson joins the Family. Watson is similar to Susan Atkins: a bad influence; trouble follows him everywhere. Surprisingly, Manson meets Watson through Dennis Wilson.²⁵

Act 4: Manson moves back to L.A.—at the suggestion of Gregg Jacobson (colleague of record producer Terry Melcher)—to be closer to people in the recording business. Manson rents an old house which his group names the Yellow Submarine. (after the Beatle song) Manson also moves part of his group farther into the desert at a place called the Barker Ranch. So he has people at three different locations: (a) the Yellow Submarine in LA, (b) the Spahn Ranch, and (c) the Barker Ranch, in the desert. Act 5: Manson’s musical career collapses temporarily. Shortly afterwards, the murders occur.

The following is a timeline of the different places where the Manson Family lived:

Entanglements

Several parallels exist between Rosemary's Baby, and the life and death of John Lennon, and the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders. Perhaps these parallels are merely coincidental, but a close analysis of the movie and of Lennon’s life reveals that dark forces—trusted people within Lennon’s inner circle—may have been at play, manipulating events in John and Yoko’s lives as part of a satanic ritual that ultimately ended with John’s slaying on December 8, 1980.

The most obvious parallel between Rosemary's Baby and Lennon is the location of the movie. Most of the filming was performed at Lennon’s future home, the Dakota, on West 72^nd Street, Manhattan, New York City. In the movie, the Dakota was renamed the Bramford.

Second, in Rosemary’s Baby, two people either died or suffered violent retribution at the entrance of the Dakota/Bramford, near the spot where Lennon was killed. A female character, Terry Ginoffrio, committed suicide by jumping to her death from a window above the entrance to the Dakota/Bramford. Terry was a former prostitute/drug addict taken in by an elderly couple, Minnie and Roman Castevet, (played by Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer) who turned out to be witches. Roman Castevet’s father, Adrian Marcato, was nearly beaten to death in the lobby of the Dakota/Bramford, by the residents, for conjuring up the living devil.

Third, Lennon knew Mia Farrow’s sister Prudence. In fact, he wrote a song about her, Dear Prudence. Here is Lennon’s description to Playboy (1980) about how the song was inspired:

Lennon was apparently referring to his participation in an extensive meditation course in Rishikesh, India, under the instruction of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in February and April 1968. On May 15, 1968 John and Paul appeared on the Tonight Show, on American television, and John publicly denounced the Maharishi.³⁶

Fourth, as previously stated, a year after Rosemary’s Baby was released, Sharon Tate—wife of the film’s director, Roman Polanski—was brutally murdered, along with seven others, in the infamous Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders. (aka, the Manson Murders)

Two Beatles songs, Helter Skelter and Piggies were linked to the murders. The words "Political Piggy" were scrawled on the living room wall of Hinman’s residence, written with Hinman’s blood.³⁷ The word "Pig" was written on the door of the residence where Sharon Tate was killed, written with Tate’s blood.³⁸ The words "Death to "Pigs" and "Rise" were written in blood on a wall in the LaBiancas’ home. On the LaBiancas’ refrigerator were the words "Healter Skelter" (misspelled), also written in blood.³⁹

Lennon commented about Helter Skelter and Piggies in the well-known 1980 Playboy interview:

Here is the verse from Piggies where Lennon’s line about "forks and knives" and "eating bacon" are mentioned:

When Leno LaBianca’s body was found, a carving fork was protruding from his stomach and a knife was still in his throat.⁴² His body contained twenty six stab wounds. No doubt the killers were referencing the Beatles music, specifically John Lennon’s line about pigs using "forks and knives." In fact, Los Angeles district attorney Vincent Bugliosi built much of his case against Manson and his followers around the two cited Beatle songs—which appeared on the Beatles’ White Album—and how Manson interpreted the songs’ lyrics.⁴³

Fifth, one of the eight people killed in the Tate-LaBianca-Hinman murders was named Rosemary, the same name as Mia Farrow’s character, Rosemary Woodhouse, in Roman Polanski’s movie, Rosemary’s Baby. The real life victim’s name was Rosemary LaBianca.

Terry Melcher’s ties to the Beatles

Terry Melcher—the man who previously leased the house where Roman Polanski’s wife, Sharon Tate, and her four friends were murdered⁴⁴—had been a recording producer in the early days of Apple Publishing, a business created by the Beatles which later evolved into Apple Records. Terry Melcher is the son of actress Doris Day (real name, Doris Von Kappelhoff) and Cincinnati trombonist Al Jorden. In 1951, Terry was adopted by his mother’s third husband, Marty Melcher.⁴⁵

Terry Melcher became a successful producer for several Sixties rock bands. He produced the first two albums by the renowned Sixties rock group, the Byrds, plus Paul Revere and the Raiders.⁴⁶ He is also closely associated with the Beach Boys and has written songs for them in recent years. In 1997 Kristofer Engelhardt published a book, The Beatles Undercover, which revealed that Melcher had direct ties to the Beatles inner circle through Derek Taylor, publicist for the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Beach Boys. In 1968, Melcher produced a song for Grapefruit, a band backed by Lennon and McCartney and signed to Apple Publishing by Terry Doran, a friend of Brian Epstein (Beatles original manager). The following is an excerpt from Engelhardt’s book:

It is widely known that Charlie Manson was a singer/songwriter/musician trying to make it in the music business. It is also widely documented that Terry Melcher was interested in Manson as a recording artist. During Manson’s trial, L.A. district attorney Vincent Bugliosi claimed Manson hated Melcher for closing him out of the music business, and subsequently sent his followers to kill the young record producer. Years later, Manson described his feelings for Melcher in positive terms in the 1986 book, Manson: In His Own Words. The following is an excerpt:

Beatles often stayed at Tate residence (?)

In the famous 1970 Rolling Stone interview, Lennon suggested that he, George Harrison and Ringo Starr took their second LSD trip at Doris Day’s house in California while touring with the Beatles. He may have been referring, unwittingly, to 10050 Cielo Drive, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, the house where Sharon Tate and four others were murdered. As previously stated, Doris Day’s son, Terry Melcher, had allowed Roman Polankski and his wife, Sharon Tate, to take over his unexpired lease about six months prior to the murders.⁴⁹ Here is what Lennon said about his first and second experiences with LSD:

Lennon’s memory of his second LSD trip was a bit fussy, but he mentioned some interesting people and places: Doris Day’s house, the Byrds. Earlier I mentioned that Terry Melcher produced the Byrds’ first two albums. As stated before, Melcher’s mother is Doris Day. Sharon Tate and her four companions were killed at a house in LA where Melcher had lived six months earlier. It might have been owned by Melcher’s mom, or maybe Lennon knew she was connected with the house somehow, so he referred to it as Doris Day’s house. Not only does Lennon unwittingly suggest that he and two other Beatles—George and Ringo—took their second acid trip in the house where Sharon Tate was murdered, he further intimates that the Beatles stayed at that house quite often while touring California. Here is the key statement again: "We were on tour, in one of those houses, like Doris Day’s house or wherever it was we used to stay." The words "wherever it was we used to stay" describe a place the Beatles stayed at frequently while on tour.

Manson meets Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson

Manson told writer Nuel Emmons that he and Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson were friends, and Wilson opened doors for him in the music business. The following is Manson’s description of how he first met the young rock star.

Dennis Wilson was obviously quite impressed with Manson’s musical abilities and songwriting talent. The following is Manson’s description— as told to Nuel Emmons—of things Dennis did to help and encourage him:

One of the songs Manson wrote was Cease to Exist, retitled Never Learn Not to Love, included on the Beach Boys’ 20/20 album.⁵⁴ I know personally that Manson had talent because I heard a recording of him singing and playing guitar in a documentary about the infamous murders. He was surprisingly good. The song was not what I expected, very upbeat as I recall. In my memory, it had several major-seventh chords which, as musicians know, gives melodies a very positive feeling.

Also note that Manson recorded at Brian Wilson’s home studio. Brian Wilson was the primary songwriter for the Beach Boys, an American rock group who rivaled the Beatles. Recording at Brian Wilson’s home studio was tantamount to recording at John Lennon’s home studio or Paul McCartney’s. Manson never made it to the big-time, but he was definitely playing in the big leagues.

On December 28, 1983, Dennis Wilson drowned while free-diving in the frigid waters of Marina Del Rey Harbor. According to the official story, he was legally intoxicated.⁵⁵

Similarities between Manson & Lennon

"But for the grace of God, there go I." That popular saying came to mind as I read about Charlie Manson and his ties to the Beatles. Although John Lennon was not a murderer, he could have easily quoted that phrase to describe Manson. I have observed that, in many ways, Manson is the inverse life force of Lennon. Had there been a few twists of fate, Manson might have been a rock legend and Lennon might have grown up in reform schools and prisons. If dark forces were truly at play as I suspect, manipulating events in John’s life as part of a grandiose satanic ritual, then the selection of Charlie Manson—using him essentially as a human voodoo doll of John Lennon—is conceivably the most sinister, the most satanic piece of the venomous puzzle. The similarities between the two men are striking.

First, Lennon and Manson were abandoned by their natural parents early in life. John was born to Alfred "Freddy" Lennon and Julia Stanley who were married on December 3, 1938, but Freddy—a sailor—abandoned Julia when John was born two years later on October 9, 1940.⁵⁶ During John’s early years, he went back and forth staying with his mother, who lived with her parents, and Julia’s sister, Mimi. At the age of five, his father asked him to choose between living with him and his mother. John chose his father but ran after his mother when he saw she was leaving. From that point on John lived with Aunt Mimi and her husband George Smith.⁵⁷ John and Uncle George became quite close.⁵⁸ When John was almost fourteen, George died suddenly of a brain hemorrhage.⁵⁹

Charlie’s mother, Kathleen Maddox, ran away from home at the age of fifteen to escape her mother’s stern interpretation of God’s Will. On November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, an unwed Kathleen gave birth to Charlie. His father called himself "Colonel Scott," but the name Manson came from one of Kathleen’s live-in boyfriends, William Manson. When Charlie was about six, his mother and her brother Luther were sentenced to five-years in the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville for trying to rob a service station in Charleston, West Virginia. Charlie lived with Kathleen’s sister Joanne and her husband Bill while his mom was in prison.⁶⁰

Second, Lennon and Manson had distant relationships with their fathers, but both loved their mothers despite obvious character flaws. Both women were free spirits and loved night life. Both mothers re-established relationships with their respective sons after abandoning them earlier. When John was about thirteen, around the time his Uncle George died, Julia re-entered his life. Pete Shotton and Ivan Vaughn, John’s two constant friends, thought Julia was great at first, but Vaughn eventually viewed her arrival was a bad influence on John; she encouraged him to be a rebel.⁶¹

Charlie’s mother was released from prison when he was about eight. They were both overjoyed to see each other, but Charlie reflected philosophically on the reunion years later: "It’s a lifetime too late to think about it," he told writer Nuel Emmons, "but things might have been a lot different if Mom had gone her way and left me with the aunt and uncle. She didn’t—and I was glad."⁶²

The following is Charlie’s description of his mother’s character flaws, as told to Nuel Emmons:

Third, Lennon and Manson were emotionally traumatized by sudden separations with their respective mothers after being abandoned then reunited years later. Lennon was seventeen when his mother was struck and killed by a car.⁶⁴ The accident happened outside his Aunt Mimi’s house on Menlove Avenue.⁶⁵ John was at Julia’s home for the weekend with her common law husband, John "Twitchy" Dykins (aka, "Bobby),⁶⁶ when the accident occurred. The following is John’s account as told to Hunter Davies:

At the age of twelve, Manson’s mother sent him to reform school. The following is Charlie’s description of the incident, as told to Nuel Emmons:

Fourth, Lennon and Manson were gifted songwriters and good rhythm guitarists. John began playing guitar in 1956, at the age of sixteen, inspired by Elvis Presley. Julia bought him his first guitar and taught him banjo chords.⁶⁹ Charlie’s mom, Kathleen, had let him take voice and music lessons as a child. Later, a Mexican friend taught him the fundamentals of playing the guitar. While serving time in prison, from 1960 through 1967, Charlie decided to develop his ability on the guitar, seek a career in music, and give up his life of petty crime.⁷⁰

Fifth, Lennon and Manson were both interested in rock music, but surprisingly, both had been influenced by Bing Crosby and similar non-rock singers. John claimed Please Please Me was inspired by the lyrics from a Crosby song. ("Please lend a little ear to my pleas…")⁷¹ Contrary to popular belief, Manson claims he was influenced by people like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Perry Como more than the Beatles, Beach Boys or any of the prominent groups of the 60s.⁷²

Sixth, Manson and Lennon had a charisma that—in Lennon’s case—translated easily to show business and stardom. In the Sixties Lennon was the king of rock, and he looked and acted the part. Manson also looked and acted the part of a Sixties rock star, but the world will never know his potential as an artist.

Susan Atkins & Tex Watson

The FBI likely directed two "mentally compromised" individuals into Manson’s family. By mentally compromised, I am referring to people who have already undergone extensive mind control processing. I have concluded that these individuals were Susan "Sadie" Atkins and Charles "Tex" Watson. I am not claiming that either Atkins or Watson consciously worked with the FBI; I am saying that the FBI essentially conducted extensive mind control processing on them, then pointed them in Manson’s direction and steered them into his group. This is important because Atkins and Watson were directly involved in the Tate-Labianca murders.

The following is Manson’s description of how the odd pair—Atkins and Watson—joined his group, as told to Nuel Emmons:

Susan Atkins became acquainted with Charlie Manson at Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. Sexy young women had no trouble making friends with Manson.⁷⁴ Next to LSD and other mind altering drugs, sexual obsession was probably Manson’s greatest weakness. Manson told Nuel Emmons a story of how trouble seemed to follow Susan Atkins wherever she went.

Realizing Manson was bluffing about having a gun in his pocket, the Mexican drew a knife and Manson drew an even larger hunting knife. They proceeded to fight one another; Manson dodged his assailant and cut the Mexican a few times in a non-lethal manner. Finally the Mexican left with his two friends.⁷⁶

Manson met Tex Watson through, of all people, the Beach Boys’ drummer Dennis Wilson. Here is Manson’s description of how he and Watson first met, as told to Nuel Emmons:

An odd incident occurred with Tex Watson that—according to Manson—caused him to lose control of his mental faculties.

Perhaps when Watson ate the poisonous belladonna root it was merely an unfortunate accident. But it is plausible that Watson was given the drug intentionally as a means of putting him in an altered mental state wherein he could easily receive hypnotic commands from a sinister third party.

MORRE TERRY MELCHER PRODUTOR DO THE BEACH BOYS

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