Cult leader Charles Manson died on Monday (NZ time) at the age of 83. The convicted mass murderer was infamous for his cruelty and his ability to make other people do terrible things for him. But what became of those people?
The cult called themselves the Manson Family, and members believed that a violent race war they called 'Helter Skelter' was just around the corner. Their leader, the charismatic Charles, convinced them into murdering seven people in Los Angeles in 1969, which he believed would trigger the apocalypse.
None have received the same media attention as Manson, but some members of the cult are still alive today. Here's what became of them.
The 'family' members:
Charles "Tex" Watson, 71, described himself as Manson's "right hand man." On August 9, 1969, he and three female accomplices murdered actress Sharon Tate and four visitors at her Beverly Hills home. The following night, they killed a couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, at their Los Angeles home. Watson remains in prison in California after repeatedly being denied parole. He became a minister in 1981, taking a path similar to some other ex-Manson Family members who alsoturned to Christianity.
Susan Atkins, who took part in several of the slayings including those at the Tate residence and who wrote "Pig" in blood on a house wall, died of brain cancer in a California prison in 2009 at age 61.
Patricia Krenwinkel, 69, who took part in the murders of the LaBiancas and at the Tate residence, has become California's longest-serving woman prisoner. In June, commissioners again denied parole for Krenwinkel, after a six-month inquiry to look into allegations that she had been abused by Manson or someone else, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Leslie Van Houten, 68, is serving a life sentence for taking part in the murders of the LaBiancas. Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown overturned a parole board recommendation that she should be released, saying Van Houten still posed an "unreasonable danger to society." In September, the parole board again granted her parole, which started a 150-day review process that will likely culminate in a final decision by Brown.
Bruce Davis, 75, was sentenced to life in prison for the 1969 murders of music teacher Gary Hinman and stunt man Donald "Shorty" Shea. Brown has repeatedly overturned recommendations by the California parole board that Davis should be freed.
Robert (Bobby) Beusoleil, 70, is serving a life sentence for the 1969 murder of Hinman. A California parole board last denied his bid on October 14, 2016. He will be eligible for a hearing again in 2019.
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, 69, was a member of the Manson Family and attended Manson's trial. In 1975, she was tackled by a Secret Service agent after she aimed a pistol at then President Gerald Ford. Convicted of attempted assassination, she was sentenced to life in prison. She was paroled in 2009 and moved to Marcy in New York state, according to the New York Post.
Reuters
