The famous trial of the crazy cult leader.
Charles Milles Manson was a musician and criminal in the United States who, in the late 1960s, headed the California-based cult known as the Manson Family. In July and August of 1969, some of the group's members committed nine killings across four cities. Sharon Tate and four others were killed in her house by Manson Family, including Patricia Krenwinkel, Tex Watson, and Susan Atkins in 1969. The trial of Charles Manson was the American history’s longest trial that took nine and half months. It was called the "trial of the century" and was one of most publicised criminal trials of America in the 20th century. No jury has ever been sequestered for 225 days. 209 volumes or 31,716 pages comprised the trial transcript.
California tried Manson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten, and for the Tate and LaBianca murders. In first trial commenced on July 15, 1970. Manson wore his Spahn Ranch fringed buckskins for his trial. On the first day of testimony, July 24, 1970, Charles Manson appeared in the court with a a word X carved on his forehead. Manson's devoted fans released a statement and said, “I have X'd myself from your planet”. The members of Manson Family members held a vigil on a street outside the courtroom after being expelled for being disturbing. Other Manson Family members etched crosses into their skulls. Some Manson Family members donned saffron robes to the trial, threatening to self-immolate if Manson was convicted.
The Tate murders' main witness was Linda Kasabian. According to her, she was accompanying him the next evening when Manson ordered the LaBianca murders. After testifying, she hid away for 40 years. Later, in October 1970 in front of the jury Manson tried to assault Judge Older and after that incident the Judge started wearing a.38 calibre revolver to the trial. In all seven of the murders at the Tate and LaBianca residences, the jury convicted Krenwinkel, Atkinsm and Manson guilty on January 25, 1971. During his sentencing hearings on March 4, 1971, all four defendants were convicted to death penalty on March 29, 1971.
On April 22, 1971, For the murders he committed, Manson received a state jail term in Los Angeles County. Manson was originally condemned to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life in prison without the possibility of release. February 2, 1977, changed his death sentence to life.
Manson was found guilty of first-degree murder on December 13, 1971 because of the murder of musician Gary Hinman. in Los Angeles County Court on July 25, 1969. Later, for killing Donald Jerome "Shorty" Shea in August 1969 he was again found guilty of first a degree murder. California v. Anderson found death sentences unlawful in 1972. After seven years Manson was eligible for parole. On November 16, 1978, California Medical Facility in Vacaville refused his first parole hearing. On September 25, 1984, Jan Holmstrom set Manson on fire at for threatening him and he was sent to California’s state prison of California’s Protective housing unit. Later, on November 19, 2017 Manson died because of cardiac arrest at the hospital.