From Squeaky Fromme and Bobby Beausoleil to Tex Watson and Leslie Van Houten, some members of the Manson Family cult walked free after the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders of 1969 — while others spent the rest of their lives behind bars.
Los Angeles Public LibraryMembers of the Manson Family lounging on a hammock in August 1970.
To this day, the story of the Manson Family members is a haunting tale of corruption, power, and how one man with enough influence convinced his followers to commit truly reprehensible acts. Most notable among these was the tragic murder of actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the killing.
After Manson told his followers it was time for “Helter Skelter,” he sent Susan Atkins, Charles “Tex” Watson, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to the home of Tate and her husband Roman Polanski, where they brutally killed Tate along with Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent.
The next night, displeased with the chaos of the killings, Manson brought six of his “family” members, including Leslie Van Houten, to the home of supermarket owner Leno LaBianca, killing him and his wife Rosemary the “proper” way, as Manson wanted.
Police soon noticed eerie similarities between the killings, but it was a string of car thefts committed by the Manson Family that ultimately brought the cult down. While in jail for the crimes, Susan Atkins admitted to her cellmates that she had stabbed Sharon Tate — and things quickly spiraled from there.
The trials were a mess, and the Manson Family members who hadn’t been involved in the murders tried multiple times to disrupt the legal process. In the end, however, Krenwinkel, Atkins, Van Houten, Watson, and Manson were sentenced to death, which was commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty in 1972.
Since the lives of the Manson Family members were spared, it begs the question: Where are they now?
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Charles Manson
Before becoming infamous as the leader of the Manson Family cult, Charles Manson had a troubled early life marked by abuse and frequent run-ins with the law, starting with petty crimes and escalating to more serious offenses. Born in 1934 to a teenage mother, he spent much of his youth in reform schools and prisons, struggling with a lack of stability and family support.Albert Foster/Mirrorpix/Getty Images
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Charles Manson
As the leader of the Manson Family cult in the late 1960s, Charles Manson orchestrated a series of brutal murders, including the infamous Tate-LaBianca killings, driven by his apocalyptic beliefs and desire to incite a race war. Manson controlled his followers through a combination of charisma, psychological manipulation, and hallucinogenic drugs.Los Angeles Public Library
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Charles Manson
After his arrest and conviction, Charles Manson spent the remainder of his life in prison, where he became a notorious figure known for his erratic behavior, swastika forehead tattoo, and continued influence over certain fringe groups. Despite multiple parole hearings, he remained incarcerated until his death in 2017, frequently drawing media attention and maintaining a macabre legacy through interviews and followers who continued to idolize him.California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
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Tex Watson
Before joining the Manson Family cult, Charles "Tex" Watson was a typical all-American boy from Copeville, Texas. He was a high school athlete, excelling in football and track, and he later attended the University of North Texas. However, he dropped out of school and moved to California in the mid-1960s, where he became involved in the counterculture scene, experimenting with drugs and eventually crossing paths with Charles Manson.Bettmann/Getty Images
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Tex Watson
During his time with the Manson Family cult, Tex Watson became one of Charles Manson's most loyal — and violent — followers. Watson played a lead role in the Tate-LaBianca murders. When he entered Sharon Tate's home on the night of Aug. 8, 1969, he reportedly announced to his victims, "I'm the Devil, and I'm here to do the Devil's business."Public Domain
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Tex Watson
After his arrest for the Tate-LaBianca murders, Watson was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to death in 1971, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty the following year. While in prison, Watson underwent a significant transformation, becoming a born-again Christian and an ordained minister. He has expressed remorse for his crimes, authored several books about his experiences and spiritual journey, and continues to be involved in prison ministry work while serving his life sentence.
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Susan Atkins
Before joining the Manson Family cult, Susan Atkins had a troubled and unstable life. Born in 1948, she experienced a tumultuous childhood marked by the early death of her mother and the subsequent disintegration of her family. She dropped out of high school and moved to San Francisco, where she struggled with substance abuse, started working as a stripper, and became involved in the counterculture scene, eventually meeting Charles Manson and joining his "family."Ralph Crane/Time Inc./Getty Images
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Susan Atkins
As a member of the Manson Family, Susan Atkins directly participated in the torture and murder of Gary Hinman as well as the Tate-LaBianca killings. She even wrote "PIG" on the front door of the home at 10050 Cielo Drive in Sharon Tate's blood.Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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Susan Atkins
During her trial, Atkins testified that she stabbed Sharon Tate because she was "sick of listening to her, pleading and begging, begging and pleading." She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life behind bars. Atkins also became a born-again Christian while in prison, expressed remorse for her crimes, and authored an autobiography detailing her transformation. She remained incarcerated until her death from brain cancer in 2009.Public Domain
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Leslie Van Houten
Leslie Van Houten had a relatively normal suburban upbringing in southern California, but when her parents divorced when she was 14, she began experimenting with marijuana and LSD. She eventually drifted into the counterculture scene, which led to her meeting Bobby Beausoleil and later Charles Manson.Los Angeles Public Library
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Leslie Van Houten
Van Houten was not present at the Tate murders, but she was involved in the LaBianca killings the following night. She held down Rosemary LaBianca as Tex Watson stabbed her, and then she stabbed Rosemary herself at least 14 times. Los Angeles Public Library
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Leslie Van Houten
In 1971, at age 21, Van Houten became the youngest woman ever sentenced to death in California. After several mistrials, however, she ultimately received a life sentence. During her time behind bars, Van Houten earned a master's degree, participated in rehabilitation programs, and became a model prisoner, showing remorse for her actions. She was released on parole in July 2023 after serving 53 years in prison.California Department of Corrections
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Patricia Krenwinkel
Before she became a member of the Manson Family, Patricia Krenwinkel was a deeply insecure girl. She struggled with her confidence and feeling unattractive, which led to bouts of depression. After briefly attending a Catholic college and working as a secretary, she became involved in the 1960s counterculture scene, where she eventually met Charles Manson and was drawn into his orbit.Los Angeles Public Library
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Patricia Krenwinkel
Krenwinkel was an active participant in the Tate-LaBianca murders. She later testified about her role in Abigail Folger's death, saying, "I stabbed her and I kept stabbing her." Krenwinkel said she felt "nothing" during the killing, stating, "What is there to describe? It was just there, and it was right."Los Angeles Public Library
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Patricia Krenwinkel
Patricia Krenwinkel was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder, and she has been in prison ever since. She initially remained loyal to the Manson Family, but she distanced herself as time went on, earned a bachelor's degree, and began teaching her fellow prisoners how to read. She is now 76 years old and the longest-incarcerated woman in California's prison system.California Department of Corrections
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Linda Kasabian
Linda Kasabian had a tumultuous and unstable early life. Born in 1949 in Maine, she experienced a difficult childhood, particularly in the wake of her parents' separation and her mother's remarriage. By her early 20s, Kasabian had been married twice and had one child and another on the way. While experiencing marital problems with her second husband, Kasabian met Charles Manson and became a member of the Manson Family.Los Angeles Public Library
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Linda Kasabian
At the time of the Tate-LaBianca murders, Kasabian was still pregnant with her second child. She served as the driver and lookout and did not kill anyone herself. So, when prosecutors offered her immunity if she testified against the other Manson Family members, she eagerly agreed.Los Angeles Public Library
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Linda Kasabian
Following the Manson Family trials, Kasabian lived a largely reclusive and private life, attempting to escape the infamy associated with her involvement in the cult. She traveled to New Hampshire with her second husband and two children to live in a hippie commune for a time before moving to Washington, where she remained until her death in July 2023. Los Angeles Public Library
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Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme had a relatively typical middle-class upbringing in Santa Monica, California. She was involved in activities like dance and drama during her school years. However, she struggled with family issues, particularly a strained relationship with her father. After high school, she drifted and eventually became homeless, leading to her fateful meeting with Charles Manson in Venice Beach in 1967.Bettmann/Getty Images
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Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme
Fromme was not directly involved in the Tate-LaBianca murders. During the trials of the other Manson Family members, she camped outside of the courthouse in support and even carved an X in her forehead after Charles Manson did so. She proclaimed that Manson was innocent and continued to preach the cult's apocalyptic philosophies. Public Domain
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Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme
On Sept. 5, 1975, Fromme attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford, purportedly in a bid to bring attention to the dangers facing California's redwood trees. She was sentenced to life in prison. Fromme managed to escape briefly in 1987 in an attempt to meet up with Charles Manson, but she was recaptured two days later. She was released on parole in 2009 and has lived a relatively low-profile life in upstate New York. Fromme has declared that she is still in love with Manson. Bettmann/Getty Images
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Bobby Beausoleil
Bobby Beausoleil was an aspiring musician and actor before he became a member of the Manson Family. He played guitar in various rock bands and acted in underground films such as director Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising. Beausoleil was living with Gary Hinman when he first crossed paths with Charles Manson in 1968.Public Domain
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Bobby Beausoleil
Beausoleil is most notorious for the murder of Gary Hinman in July 1969. He killed Hinman on Manson's orders, making the death the first directly connected to the Manson Family. Some people believe the Tate-LaBianca murders were an attempt to free Beausoleil from jail by making it seem that Hinman's true killer was still on the loose.Public Domain
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Bobby Beausoleil
Bobby Beausoleil was sentenced to death for Hinman's murder, but the sentence was later commuted to life in prison. While behind bars, he pursued his artistic talents, such as composing and recording music and creating visual art. Despite multiple parole hearings, he remains incarcerated, though he continues to express remorse for his actions.Public Domain
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Mary Brunner
Born in 1943 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Mary Brunner grew up in a stable, middle-class family and graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She then moved to California, where she worked as a library assistant at the University of California, Berkeley. Her life took a dramatic turn, however, when she met Charles Manson in 1967, just weeks after his release from prison, and became the first member of the Manson Family.John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
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Mary Brunner
Brunner was a member of the Manson Family from the very beginning. She lived with the cult in various locations, including the Spahn Ranch, and participated in its communal lifestyle. She even became pregnant with Charles Manson's child in the summer of 1967. Brunner was present at the murder of Gary Hinman but was not involved in the Tate-LaBianca killings. Michael Haering/Herald Examiner Collection/Los Angeles Public Library
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Mary Brunner
Mary Brunner was granted immunity from prosecution if she agreed to testify against Bobby Beausoleil and Susan Atkins at the Gary Hinman murder trial. However, in 1971, she was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. She was granted parole in 1977 and largely vanished from the public eye.John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
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Paul Watkins
Paul Watkins grew up in a Christian household, frequently attending Bible school and other church events. In high school, he began experimenting with psychedelic drugs, and he dropped out during his senior year. He met Charles Manson several months later.Los Angeles Public Library
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Paul Watkins
Watkins was present when Manson first made his Helter Skelter prophecy, and the rhetoric unsettled him. He began distancing himself from the Manson Family, and he was not involved in the Hinman or Tate-LaBianca murders. He ultimately went to the police with information about members of the Manson Family. Los Angeles Public Library
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Paul Watkins
After testifying against Manson at trial, Watkins began to rebuild his life. He moved to the small town of Tecopa, California, where he became a respected member of the community. He worked as a musician, ran a small business, and wrote a book about his experiences titled My Life with Charles Manson. Watkins remained active in speaking out against the dangers of cults until his death from leukemia in 1990.Find a Grave
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Kathryn "Kitty" Lutesinger
Kathryn "Kitty" Lutesinger became involved with the Manson Family through her boyfriend, Bobby Beausoleil, when she was just 17 years old. She didn't get along with Manson, who was reportedly angry that Lutesinger was pregnant with Beausoleil's child. Los Angeles Public Library
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Kathryn "Kitty" Lutesinger
Lutesinger fled Spahn Ranch before the Tate-LaBianca murders, and she spoke with the police about her experiences with the Manson Family. When Manson found out who was leaking information about the cult to the authorities, he reportedly put Lutesinger on his "Death List."John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
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Kathryn "Kitty" Lutesinger
Even after telling the police about the Manson Family's crimes, Kitty Lutesinger sat outside the courthouse in support of the cult members during their trials, shaving off her hair and carving an X in her forehead. Because of this, the prosecution declined to use her as a witness. She later distanced herself from the Manson Family, became a middle school science teacher and a principal, and now lives a quiet life in retirement.
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Inside The Stories Of The Manson Family’s Members And What Happened To Them After The Tate-LaBianca Murders
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Who Were The Key Members Of The Manson Family?
Some of the key members of the Manson Family were the group's leader, Charles Manson, his right-hand man Charles "Tex" Watson, and Manson's "children": Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel, Linda Kasabian, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, Mary Brunner, Bobby Beausoleil, and Paul Watkins.
Michael Haering/Los Angeles Public LibraryManson Family members in a cave at their compound on Spahn Ranch.
Nearly every member of the Manson Family had become embroiled in the counterculture scene of 1960s California and found themselves entranced by Manson's charisma. The cult leader used drugs and manipulative language to convince his followers that there was an impending race war, which he called "Helter Skelter." Through this, Manson effectively controlled his followers' minds, enabling him to tell them to carry out any number of heinous acts in his name.
At the various Manson Family homes, drug use was frequent, as were orgies. Multiple women in the cult became pregnant by Manson, and though a few members — such as Watkins and Kasabian — would later turn on the "family" and testify against Manson, others were less successful in escaping the indoctrination of their leader.
What Crimes Did Charles Manson And His Cult Commit?
If drugs and orgies had been the only illicit activities carried out by members of the Manson Family, they would have posed much less of a threat. However, Charles Manson also convinced his followers to perform the gruesome acts that sealed their infamy.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesCharles Manson at his trial.
The first major act of violence carried out by a Manson Family member was the murder of Gary Hinman on July 27, 1969. Hinman was a musician and acquaintance of the cult who was targeted because Manson believed he had a large sum of money that he refused to share with the group.
Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner, and Susan Atkins visited Hinman to demand the money, but when Hinman refused, the situation escalated. They held Hinman captive, beating and torturing him for days before Beausoleil stabbed and smothered him to death. Beausoleil tried to pin the murder on the Black Panthers by writing "POLITICAL PIGGY" and drawing a paw print on the wall in Hinman's blood.
Beausoleil was arrested on Aug. 6 after he was found sleeping in Hinman's car on the side of the road. This would mark a major shift in the cult's descent into violence. Just two days after Beausoleil was taken into custody, members of the Manson Family set out on the killing spree that would become known as the Tate-LaBianca murders. Some people even believe the cult planned the massacres to mimic Hinman's murder and make it seem as if his true killer was still on the loose and Beausoleil was innocent.
On the night of Aug. 8, 1969, Manson directed Charles "Tex" Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian to a house at 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles, where actress Sharon Tate lived. Manson selected this location because it was previously rented by a music producer who had turned him down. Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, was home with friends Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and an 18-year-old visitor, Steven Parent. The killers entered the property and initiated a night of terror.
Silver Screen Collection/Getty ImagesSharon Tate, the young actress murdered by the Manson Family.
Steven Parent was the first victim. He was visiting the groundskeeper, and he was shot by Watson as he was leaving the property. Inside the house, the group rounded up the other occupants, subjecting them to horrific violence. Jay Sebring was shot and stabbed, Abigail Folger was chased and stabbed multiple times, Wojciech Frykowski was beaten, shot, and stabbed, and Sharon Tate was repeatedly stabbed by Atkins and Watson. Before leaving, Atkins used Tate's blood to write "PIG" on the front door.
The following night, Charles Manson led a group consisting of Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel, Kasabian, Van Houten, and Clem Grogan to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, a wealthy couple living at 3301 Waverly Drive in the Los Feliz neighborhood of L.A. Manson entered the home first, tied up the couple, and reassured them that they wouldn't be harmed. He then left, instructing his followers to kill them.
Police HandoutPolice wheeling out the body of a Manson Family murder victim.
Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten proceeded to brutally murder the LaBiancas. Leno LaBianca was stabbed with a carving fork, which was left embedded in his stomach, and a knife. His wife, Rosemary, was also stabbed multiple times. Krenwinkel wrote "DEATH TO PIGS" and "RISE" on the walls and "HEALTER SKELTER" (a misspelling of Manson's term) on the refrigerator in the victims' blood, as reported by Los Angeles Magazine.
ARCHIVIO GBB / Alamy Stock PhotoBooking photo of Charles Manson, the satanist cult leader who wanted to incite a race war.
The perpetrators of the Tate-LaBianca murders were all behind bars by early December — and some of them have been there ever since.
Where Are The Members Of The Manson Family Now?
The fates of the Manson Family members all vary. Manson himself died in prison in 2017. His right-hand man, Tex Watson, is still alive and serving out his life sentence. He has been denied parole multiple times.
Susan Atkins died in prison from brain cancer on Sept. 24, 2009. Patricia Krenwinkel, meanwhile, remains incarcerated. She has likewise been denied parole multiple times.
Leslie Van Houten, on the other hand, was released on parole in 2023 after spending more than five decades in prison. Linda Kasabian passed away on Jan. 21, 2023, having never served time. She was granted immunity for testifying against the other members of the Manson Family. She spent much of her life living quietly under an assumed name.
The same can be said for Mary Brunner, who was paroled in 1977 after being imprisoned for an armed robbery, after which she stayed out of the public eye. Kitty Lutesinger also left the Manson Family and has lived a private life ever since.
ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock PhotoLynette "Squeaky" Fromme being arrested by Secret Service after she attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975.
Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme was released from prison in 2009 after serving 34 years behind bars for the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford. She published a memoir in 2018, but she otherwise lives a low-profile life.
Paul Watkins died of leukemia on Aug. 3, 1990, at the age of 40. Before his death, he distanced himself from other Manson Family members and spoke out about the psychology of cults. Bobby Beausoleil, meanwhile, is still serving his life sentence for the murder of Gary Hinman.
From the lesser-known followers to the man behind "Helter Skelter" himself, each of these people played a key role in the Manson Family —and the short-lived cult had a dramatic impact on the rest of their lives.
After learning about the members of the Manson Family, go inside the tragic life of Charles Manson Jr. Or, read about the notorious cult leader's other son, Valentine Michael Manson.
