35 years since the Manson murders
By Stephanie Bertholdo
bertholdo@theacorn.com

JAMES FARALLY/ Acorn Newspapers OUT OF THE DARKNESS-Caves such as this one found on the Spahn Ranch at the far end of Simi Valley were often used by the Manson cult for staging strange and satanic rites.

It’s been 35 years since Charles Manson and his "family" of wayward girls and other societal dropouts went on their Los Angeles murdering spree, but today at the family’s former hang-out in Simi Valley, there are no special markings, no indication that a madman had once been living there.

The Tate-LaBianca murders and the Manson saga are stories that have been told a thousand times from a thousand different angles, but the details continue to titillate. There’s the Hollywood connection—victim Sharon Tate, the blond bombshell actress who was married to director Roman Polanski of "Rosemary’s Baby" fame. Another victim, Jay Sebring, operated hair salons in Hollywood, San Francisco, New York and London. Abigail Folger was heir to the Folger Coffee Company.

Famous musicians were linked, albeit innocently, to Manson as well, including Dennis Wilson of Beach Boys fame, who allowed Manson and his entourage to stay as guests at his home for several months. In addition, the bloody words "Healter (sic) Skelter" at the crime scene were connected to the Beatles’ song "Helter Skelter."

At the root of it all, Manson and his gang wanted to spark a race war. In their twisted scheme, Manson believed that the Los Angeles murders would be blamed on black Americans, who would then rise up in anger for being wrongfully accused and kill all white people. Manson and his family, who planned to hide out in the desert while the world was under siege, would rise to power once the blacks realized that world domination was beyond their natural abilities. Manson believed he and his brethren could handle the job.

Manson and his family hatched their crimes at Spahn Ranch, which was located off Santa Susana Pass Road in the Chatsworth/Simi hills near the Iverson Movie Ranch, which burned down in the wildfires of 1970.

The ranch no longer exists, but the caves where Manson and other cult members sometimes slept are still part of the rugged landscape.

Today, the saga continues through the hundreds of websites and chat rooms devoted to Manson, some even dedicated to idolizing the man.

Charles Manson is serving life in prison at California State Prison-Corcoran.

On MansonDirect.com, in a question-and-answer format, one writer tries to debunk some of the so-called myths about Manson and the infamous murders. The question, "What was the real reason Manson killed all those people?" brought the following answer: "The perpetrators of these horrible crimes were caught and have been in prison ever since. But Manson never killed any of the ‘Tate-LaBianca’ victims. He was never accused of killing them, and he never did kill them."

The website professes Manson’s love of nature, evidenced by his association with the ATWA organization (Air, Trees, Water, Animals). "Manson has had a sense of oneness with nature and has consistently been strongly committed to saving the environment throughout his life, even before it became a popular cause," according to the website.

But certainly not all Internet links are pro-Manson. On CharlieManson.com, there are documents, photos, testimony, news articles and other bits of information that are there simply to document the horrific history of the man and his crimes, and to report on the various parole board hearings that occur from time to time. (Patricia "Pat" Krenwinkel, who is serving a life term for her role in the murders, was once again denied parole on July 7. Leslie Van Houten will go before the parole board on Aug. 25. Susan Atkins is scheduled for a parole hearing around the beginning of next year.)

The Internet is replete with Manson information. Type in the words "Charles Manson" in search fields anywhere and hundreds of thousands of hits will appear.

Many books about the man have been written as well, the most popular being "Helter Skelter," by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi. Many of the other books penned by people related to the case are out of print and difficult to obtain.

After 35 years, Charles Manson, his "family" and his infamous crime spree continue to fascinate people—and there are no signs of the intrigue letting up.

Spahn Ranch, even in its absence, will go down in infamy as the place where Charlie and his gang plotted one of history’s most senseless murder sprees.