When people ask charles manson what did he do, they’re usually looking for a simple answer. They want to know if he pulled the trigger or swung the knife. The truth is a lot messier than a "yes" or "no." Manson was a career criminal, a failed musician, and a cult leader who convinced a group of young, middle-class runaways to do the unthinkable. He didn't just order murders; he tried to ignite a global race war using a Beatles song as a blueprint.
Honestly, it’s wild to think that one man could exert that much control. He spent most of his life behind bars before he even met his "Family." By the time he hit San Francisco in 1967, he was a master manipulator. He used LSD, group sex, and a warped version of the Bible to break people down. He basically turned a group of hippies into a hit squad.
Charles Manson What Did He Do to Start the Terror?
The summer of 1969 was supposed to be about peace and love. Instead, Manson turned it into a bloodbath. He didn't actually kill anyone at the Cielo Drive home of Sharon Tate. That’s a common misconception. He sent his followers—Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian—with a very specific instruction: "totally destroy everyone in [the house], as gruesome as you can."
They did exactly that. On August 9, they murdered Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, along with four others. The brutality was off the charts. We're talking 102 stab wounds in total across the victims. They used the victims' blood to write "PIG" on the front door. Manson was pissed off the next morning because he thought the killings were "too messy." He wanted them to be more "professional."
So, the very next night, he went along. He entered the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca himself. He tied them up. He then left and told his followers to kill them. He wanted to "show them how to do it." It wasn't just about murder; it was about psychological dominance.
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The Helter Skelter Theory
Why would anyone do this? Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi famously argued the "Helter Skelter" motive. Manson was obsessed with the Beatles' White Album. He believed the song "Helter Skelter" was a coded message about an impending race war. He thought that by committing these murders and framing Black activists, he could trigger a conflict that would wipe out most of the population. He and his Family would then emerge from an underground hole in Death Valley to rule the world.
It sounds like a bad B-movie plot. But to his followers, it was gospel.
Life Before the Family
Before the world knew him as a monster, Manson was a "slick" kid from Ohio. His first documented crime was robbing a grocery store at age 13. He spent the 1950s and 60s in a cycle of theft, pimping, and forging checks. In 1952, he even committed a brutal sexual assault while holding a razor to a boy's throat.
By the time he was released from Terminal Island in 1967, he told the guards he didn't want to leave. He knew he didn't fit in the outside world. He headed to the Haight-Ashbury district, where he found exactly what he needed: vulnerable, disillusioned youth looking for a father figure.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Manson
There's this myth that Manson was some kind of genius. He wasn't. He was a narcissist who failed at everything he actually wanted to do. He desperately wanted to be a rock star. He hung out with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys and tried to get a record deal with Terry Melcher. When Melcher turned him down, Manson’s ego shattered.
The house at 10050 Cielo Drive—where the Tate murders happened—was previously rented by Melcher. Manson knew the house. He had been there. Some believe the murders weren't just about Helter Skelter; they were a personal vendetta against the Hollywood establishment that rejected him.
The Aftermath and the Trials
The trial was a circus. Manson carved an "X" into his forehead, which he later turned into a swastika. His followers followed suit, shaving their heads and chanting outside the courthouse. Even though Manson didn't physically kill the victims at the Tate or LaBianca homes, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy. The law recognized that the "overt act" of ordering the killings was just as guilty as the act itself.
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He was originally sentenced to death. However, in 1972, the California Supreme Court briefly abolished the death penalty, and his sentence was commuted to life. He spent the rest of his days as a prison celebrity, receiving more mail than any other inmate in U.S. history.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Enthusiasts
If you’re trying to understand the Manson phenomenon, don’t just look at the gore. Look at the psychology of the "Family." Here is how to approach the history:
- Study the "Copycat" Theory: Some experts, like researcher Tom O'Neill, suggest the murders were actually intended to look like the murder of Gary Hinman. The goal might have been to get Family member Bobby Beausoleil out of jail by making it look like the "real" killer was still out there.
- Analyze the Power of Social Isolation: Manson took his followers to Spahn Ranch, a remote movie set. By removing their access to money, eyeglasses, and clocks, he destroyed their sense of reality.
- Recognize the Warning Signs: Modern cult experts like Steven Hassan use the Manson Family as a case study for the BITE model (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control).
Manson died in 2017, but the questions about charles manson what did he do continue to fascinate and repulse. He remains the ultimate cautionary tale about the darkness that can hide behind a charismatic smile. To truly understand this case, one must look past the "hippie" facade and see the calculating career criminal who knew exactly how to weaponize the vulnerabilities of others.
To dig deeper, start by reading the court transcripts from the 1970 trial or exploring the psychological profiles of Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten. Understanding why "good girls" from stable homes followed him is the real key to the Manson mystery.