August 1969 wasn't just another month in Los Angeles history. It was a fracture. People who lived through it talk about the "Summer of Love" curdling overnight into something unrecognizable and jagged. We all know the name Sharon Tate. Her face, framed by blonde hair and captured in those iconic 1960s film stills, has become the shorthand for a tragedy that feels like it belongs in a dark fairy tale. But when the Manson Family descended on the secluded estate at 10050 Cielo Drive, she wasn't alone. In fact, four other people lost their lives in that house, and their stories are often overshadowed by the sheer magnitude of Tate’s celebrity.
It’s kinda weird how history filters things. We remember the famous actress, the pregnant wife of Roman Polanski, but the details about who was killed with Sharon Tate often get blurred into the background. These weren't just "guests" or "associates." They were a celebrated hairstylist, a wealthy heiress, an aspiring writer, and a teenager who just happened to be in the wrong place at the worst possible moment.
The night was hot. Stifling. The air in Benedict Canyon was thick with the scent of jasmine and the low hum of crickets, right until the moment the screaming started.
The Youngest Victim: Steven Parent
Honestly, Steven Parent is the person who breaks my heart the most in this whole mess. He wasn't even supposed to be there. He wasn't part of the "Hollywood set." He was 18 years old, a recent high school graduate from El Monte who was working two jobs to save up for college. He loved electronics. He was a tech geek before that was a cool thing to be.
That night, Steven had driven to the Cielo Drive property to see the caretaker, William Garretson. He was hoping to sell a Sony AM/FM clock radio. That's it. A simple transaction. As he was driving his father's white Rambler down the long driveway to leave, he encountered Charles "Tex" Watson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel.
Parent saw the wires had been cut. He saw armed strangers. He begged for his life, saying, "I give you my word, I won't say anything." Watson didn't care. He shot the boy four times through the car window and slashed him with a knife. Steven Parent died behind the wheel of a car he didn't even own, at a house where he didn't know the owners, because he happened to be leaving at the exact second a death cult arrived.
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Jay Sebring: The Man Who Created the "Celebrity Stylist"
If you've ever walked into a high-end salon and seen a man getting a precision haircut, you're looking at Jay Sebring's legacy. Before Jay, men's hair was mostly about barber shops and flat-tops. Sebring changed that. He was the most famous hairstylist in the world at the time, charging $50 a cut when the average was about $2. His clients included Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen, and Bruce Lee.
Jay was also Sharon Tate's former lover. They had a deep, complicated bond. Even after she married Roman Polanski, Jay remained her closest confidant and protector. He was at the house that night to keep her company while Polanski was away in London filming The Day of the Dolphin.
When the killers entered the living room and rounded everyone up, Jay was the first to try and intervene. He was a small man, but he was incredibly brave. When Watson ordered the victims to lie on their stomachs, Jay protested, pointing out Sharon's advanced pregnancy and asking them to let her sit down. For his trouble, he was shot in the chest. As he lay bleeding on the floor, Watson kicked him in the face so hard it broke his nose and then stabbed him repeatedly. He died trying to protect a woman he still loved.
Abigail Folger and the Burden of Fortune
Abigail Folger wasn't just a "socialite," though that's the label the papers gave her. People called her "Gibby." She was the heiress to the Folgers Coffee fortune, but she spent a massive chunk of her time working as a volunteer social worker in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. She was someone who felt the weight of her privilege and desperately wanted to do something meaningful with it.
Gibby was at the house with her boyfriend, Wojciech Frykowski. They had been staying at Cielo Drive to house-sit for the Polanskis. By all accounts, her relationship with Frykowski was volatile and she was planning on leaving him. She was tired of the drug scene and the hangers-on.
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The horror she endured is difficult to even process. After being corralled in the living room, she managed to break away and run toward the back bedroom. She was chased onto the lawn by Patricia Krenwinkel. According to the killers' later testimony, Folger looked at her attacker and simply said, "I give up, you've got me." She was stabbed 28 times. When police found her the next morning, her white nightgown was so soaked in blood it appeared red.
Wojciech Frykowski: An Outsider in the Canyon
Wojciech (often called Voityck) Frykowski was a Polish aspiring scriptwriter and a long-time friend of Roman Polanski from their days in Lodz. He was the one who had technically provided the "muscle" for Polanski's early films. In the 1960s L.A. scene, he was seen as a bit of an enigma—a man with a thick accent who was often high on MDA or cocaine.
Frykowski was asleep on the living room sofa when the Manson followers entered. He woke up to Tex Watson kicking him in the head. When Frykowski asked who they were, Watson uttered the chilling line: "I'm the devil, and I'm here to do the devil's business."
Wojciech didn't go down without a fight. In fact, he fought harder than anyone else in the house. He managed to struggle free and get out the front door, screaming for help. He was shot, hit over the head with a gun butt so hard the grip broke, and stabbed 51 times. He collapsed on the porch, just steps away from safety.
Why the Identity of the Victims Matters Today
Knowing who was killed with Sharon Tate isn't just about true crime trivia. It’s about restoring humanity to people who have been reduced to footnotes. When we only talk about Sharon, we accidentally validate the "celebrity" obsession that Manson himself was trying to exploit.
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The victims weren't "the establishment." They were young people. The oldest person in that house was Jay Sebring, and he was only 35. They were artists, volunteers, and kids with clock radios.
The Aftermath of 10050 Cielo Drive
The impact of these five deaths changed the culture of Los Angeles forever. Before August 9, 1969, people in the canyons left their doors unlocked. They picked up hitchhikers. They trusted that the "good vibes" of the era would protect them. After that night, the hardware stores sold out of bolts and locks. Security guards became the new must-have accessory. The dream died.
Misconceptions and Rumors
For years, tabloid rumors swirled that the murders were a "drug deal gone wrong" because of the presence of Frykowski and Folger. These rumors were incredibly hurtful to the families. Real evidence from the trial—specifically the testimony of Linda Kasabian—proved that the victims were chosen entirely at random. Manson didn't even know who was living in the house; he just knew it was the former residence of Terry Melcher, a record producer who had rejected Manson's music. The victims were killed for the "sin" of being in a house that represented the success Manson craved.
How to Respectfully Explore This History
If you’re looking to understand the full scope of this tragedy beyond the headlines, there are a few ways to dig deeper into the lives of the five people lost that night.
- Read "Restless Souls" by Alisa Statman and Brie Tate. This book was written with the cooperation of the Tate family and provides a much more intimate look at Sharon and her friends than the sensationalized accounts.
- Research the Jay Sebring Legacy. Look into the documentary Sebring, which details how he revolutionized the grooming industry. It helps you see him as a pioneer rather than just a victim.
- Visit the Memorials (Virtually). Many fans maintain digital memorials for Steven Parent and Abigail Folger to ensure their names aren't lost to time.
- Support Victim Advocacy. The Tate family, particularly Sharon’s mother Doris and sister Patti, became champions for victims' rights, helping to change laws so that victims could speak at parole hearings. Supporting organizations like the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) is a great way to honor that legacy.
Understanding the human element of this story makes it much harder to romanticize the "Manson myth." It reminds us that behind every "true crime" headline, there are families who never got to see their children grow up.
Next time someone asks about that night in August, remember the names: Steven, Jay, Abigail, and Wojciech. They were more than just the people who were killed with Sharon Tate. They were lives interrupted.
Key Takeaway for Researching Historical Crimes:
Always look for primary sources and biographies written by family members rather than "shock" journalism. It provides a more accurate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) perspective that respects the deceased while satisfying your curiosity about the facts.