Charles Manson, the notorious cult leader responsible for orchestrating the Manson Family murders in 1969, died on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83. He passed away from natural causes at a hospital in Bakersfield, California, while serving a life sentence at Corcoran State Prison. Manson had suffered from several health issues leading up to his death, including gastrointestinal bleeding, which led to multiple hospitalizations.
Charles Manson’s Family and Parents
Charles Manson was born on November 12, 1934, to Kathleen Maddox, a 16-year-old unmarried girl from Ohio. His biological father, Colonel Walker Scott, was not involved in Manson’s life. Manson’s mother, Kathleen, struggled with alcohol and criminal behavior, and she spent time in prison when Manson was a child. His upbringing was unstable, marked by neglect and stints in juvenile detention centers. This early life of dysfunction and abandonment contributed to the disturbed personality that would later lead Manson down the path of infamy.
How Did Charles Manson Die?
Charles Manson, infamous for leading a cult that committed several murders, died on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83. Earlier that year, on January 1, 2017, he was hospitalized due to severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Despite being seriously ill, he was returned to prison within a few days, and it was unclear if he received any treatment. By November 15, 2017, Manson was once again admitted to a hospital in Bakersfield, where his condition worsened. He ultimately died from cardiac arrest and respiratory failure, complications caused by colorectal cancer that had spread throughout his body. Manson’s body was cremated on March 20, 2018.
How Charles Manson Gained Infamy
Charles Manson became infamous when his followers, known as the “Manson Family,” committed a series of brutal murders in the late 1960s. The most shocking of these was the murder of actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, along with four others in her Los Angeles home on August 8, 1969. This was followed by the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the next night. Manson’s influence over his followers and his belief in an upcoming race war, which he called “Helter Skelter,” led to these gruesome killings, cementing his place as one of America’s most notorious criminals.
Charles Manson’s Early Life
Charles Manson was born as Charles Maddox in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 12, 1934. His mother, Kathleen Maddox, was a 16-year-old who was unmarried at the time. Later, Charles took the last name of his stepfather, William Manson.
Manson’s childhood was troubled. At the age of 12, he was sent to the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana after being caught stealing. For the next 20 years, Manson was in and out of reform schools and prisons for various crimes. In a 1987 interview from prison, he explained that he spent most of his life in correctional institutions because he had no one to guide him.
Manson’s Time in California and the Creation of His Cult
After being released from prison in 1967, at the age of 32, Manson moved to California, settling in Berkeley after spending some time in San Francisco. He quickly established himself as a spiritual “guru” during the Summer of Love, attracting a group of followers, mostly young women, with whom he lived.
By 1968, Manson became convinced that society was on the brink of collapse. He believed a race war was coming, and he referred to it as “Helter Skelter,” a term he took from a Beatles song. His paranoid beliefs and influence over his followers eventually led to the infamous Manson Family murders, which shocked the world and made him a symbol of violence and chaos.
Charles’s Wife and Children
Charles Manson had two marriages, both of which ended before his rise to infamy.
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Rosalie Jean Willis (m. 1955–1958):
Manson’s first wife was Rosalie Jean Willis, a hospital waitress. They married in 1955 when Manson was 20 years old. Shortly after their marriage, Manson was imprisoned for car theft, and while he was in prison, Rosalie gave birth to their first child, Charles Manson Jr. Their marriage dissolved in 1958, mainly due to Manson’s incarceration and criminal activities. - Candy Stevens (m. 1959–1963):
After his divorce from Rosalie, Manson married his second wife, Candy Stevens, whose real name was Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens. She was a prostitute, and Manson reportedly convinced her to marry him to avoid legal trouble. Together, they had a son, Charles Luther Manson. The marriage ended in divorce in 1963, also due to Manson’s ongoing criminal activities.
Charles Manson had three known children from his relationships:
- Charles Manson Jr.:
Born in 1956 to Manson and his first wife, Rosalie Jean Willis, Charles Manson Jr. had a troubled life due to the legacy of his father’s notoriety. He changed his name to Jay White in an attempt to distance himself from the infamous Manson name. Tragically, he committed suicide in 1993, unable to cope with the stigma of being Charles Manson’s son. - Charles Luther Manson:
Born during Manson’s marriage to Candy Stevens, Charles Luther Manson has largely stayed out of the public eye. Very little is known about him, and he has reportedly changed his name and lived a private life away from the shadow of his father’s criminal legacy. - Valentine Michael Manson:
Valentine Michael Manson, nicknamed “Pooh Bear,” was born in 1968 to Manson and Mary Brunner, one of the first followers of the Manson Family cult. Valentine was raised away from Manson’s criminal influence after Mary Brunner distanced herself from the group. He was eventually adopted and raised by other family members under a new name to protect him from the stigma attached to his father’s actions.
Relationships and Legacy:
Though Manson had other relationships, including a highly publicized engagement to a woman named Afton Burton (who went by the name “Star”), there were no more known children. Manson’s marriages and family life were overshadowed by his criminal activities and the cult-like influence he had over his followers, which led to one of the most infamous murder sprees in American history. Despite his attempts to form relationships, Manson’s legacy remains defined by the violence and manipulation that characterized his later years.