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- Guilty But Unbowed
Manson and three others faced Judge Older for the Tate/LaBianca
killings and other trials followed. The star prosecution
witness was kept in solitary confinement to protect her
life. The Manson trial began on 15 June 1970. Lasting
for nine and a half months, it was the longest ever American
murder trial, with a transcript running to over eight
million words.
The jury of seven men and five women were sequestered
that is kept in a hotel supervised by bailiffs, for the
entire trial 225 days longer than any other jury before.
There were vast amounts of evidence and information to
collect, and a mass of witnesses to find.
It also took an age to build a defence team, as Manson
wanted to represent himself (his request was refused)
and rejected many of the attorneys appointed for him.
He was enough of a prison lawyer to know all the ways
to win time by delaying tactics.
Manson was also desperate to control the defence he did
not want the girls' attorneys doing their proper job representing
their clients interests individually. The whole team was
there to defend Manson and the girls could take the rap.
Manson was eventually defended by Irving Kanarek. Although
Manson did not choose him he was the ideal attorney for
the man who wanted to win time.
He was notorious for his obstructionist behaviour and
had once stretched a simple theft case into two years
worth of court time. Manson challenged the right for the
first judge. William Keene to preside over the trial (this
is allowed by law), and he was replaced by Judge Charles
Older.
For the people, the prosecution team was led by the indefatigable
Vincent Bugliosi supported by Aaron Stovitz. From the
start, the trial was characterized by bizarre scenes and
unprecedented behaviour both in and outside the courtroom.
On day one, 24 July. Manson appeared with a cross on his
forehead, which he had inflicted on himself with a hacksawblade.
He said nothing, but issued a typewritten statement: I
have Xd myself from your society. A few days later, his
co-defendents were sporting the same mark and by the end
of the week, devoted Family girls, encamped on a corner
near the courthouse, had done the same. When Manson shaved
his head, so did all the girls.
When he was obstructive in court, turning his back on
the judge, they did likewise. At one point. Manson leapt
from the dock towards the judge, screaming that he should
have his head cut off.
In August, newly elected President Richard Nixon (who
should have known better as he was himself an attorney)
endangered the legality of the trial by declaring sub-judice
that Manson was guilty, and allowing this to appear in
the press.
Death threats
Bugliosi had to present the prosecution case in an eerie
atmosphere of death threats and anonymous phone calls
from the zealous Family members who wanted their friends
freed. Judge and attorneys had to be protected by bodyguards
and were issued with walkie-talkies for communication,
in case their phones were cut off.
Bugliosi's star prosecution witness was Linda Kasabian.
who had actually been present at the Tate killings and
had heard about the LaBiancas'. Susan Atkins had promised
to testify, but retracted. Linda, who had said to Manson.
"I'm not like you Charlie: I can't kill anyone.'
seemed to have no fear of telling all she knew.
She had to be kept in solitary confinement during her
time at court for fear of her life. Probably the most
damaging witness was Tex Watson. finally extracted from
the Texas jailhouse where he had first been arrested.
Manson had been trying desperately to establish him as
the evil mastermind of the killings, but when the jury
saw All-American Tex. they could not believe it. What
he said was more damaging: 'Charlie called me over behind
a car. He said for me to take the gun and knife and go
up to where Terry Melcher used to live.
He said to kill everyone in the house as gruesome as I
could. At last, on 15 January 1971. the jury went out.
seven months to the day since the beginning of the trial.
They took ten days to come to a decision, announcing a
verdict of guilty on all counts on 25 January 1971.
Californian law demands two trials one for guilt to be
established and the second for the sentence to be decided.
In the second trial, fraught with further courtroom antics.
Vincent Bugliosi asked for the death sentence. Manson.
Atkins. Krenwinkel and Van Houten had the death sentence
passed on them on 19 April 1971.
They were not to die, however, because on 16 February
1972, California revoked the death sentence. The four
of them were saved by the very society they planned to
destroy.
Further trials
After the Manson trial, there were others. Tex Watson
was finally brought to justice for the Tate/LaBianca murders.
Steve Grogan, Bruce Davis. Manson and Susan Atkins were
brought into court for the murder of Gary Hinman and Shorty
Shea. The death of Shorty Shea, ranch hand and out of
work actor on the Spahn Ranch, has never properly been
explained.
He and Manson did not get on with each other and after
the police raid at the Spahn ranch for stolen cars and
credit cards in August 1969. Manson decided that it was
Shea who had informed to the police. Shortly after the
raid. Shea disappeared and was never seen alive again.
On the evidence given by the others, it was accepted he
was the ninth victim of the Manson Family. Vincent Bugliosi
barely rested from the Manson trial, prosecuted Tex Watson.
The jury were sequestered, but this time it was all over
within three months. The jury found him guilty on 12 October
and he was sentenced to death on 21 October, after only
a few hours deliberation.
Susan Atkins was sentenced to death for her part in the
Hinman murder. Bobby Beausoleil was already on death row.
Manson. Bruce Davis and Steve Grogan were tried separately.
Manson and Davis got life: Steve Grogan was given the
death sentence, but Judge James Kolts commuted it to life
on 23 December 1971 finding Grogan incapable of deciding
anything on his own.
It is by no means certain that the Family death toll rests
at nine. Various other deaths occurred throughout the
period from 1969 to 1972. most of which have never been
solved. In a beach house on 5 November 1969. Family member
John Philip Haught alias Zero, apparently shot himself.
At the time he was with other Family members Cathy Share.
Linda Baldwin. Sue Bartell and Bruce Davis.
They claimed he was playing Russian roulette. But the
gun was fully loaded and it had been wiped clean of fingerprints
even Zero's own. On 16 November 1969 the body of a young
girl dumped in Laurel Canyon was identified as a Family
member. She had been stabbed 157 times. No one has ever
found out her name.
On 21 November, the bodies of two young scientologists.
James Sharp and Doreen Gaul were found in an alley in
Los Angeles. Doreen Gaul had been a girlfriend of Bruce
Davis himself an ex-scientologist. Although the police
suspected Family involvement, nothing was ever proved.
London death
On 1 December 1969. the body of Joel Pugh was found in
the Talgarth Hotel in West London. His throat had been
cut and there were razor slash marks on both wrists. Police
put it down to suicide. It was not until later that it
was discovered that Joel Dean Pugh, ex-Family member,
was the former husband of Sandra Good.
In November 1970. Leslie Van Houten's attorney, Robert
Hughes, went away camping for the weekend and did not
return. The trial had to be adjourned. His body was found
in Sespe Creek. Ventura County, four months later. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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