Top 10 Facts About Charles Manson's Trial and Imprisonment
Though this notorious American is dead, our morbid fascination with him lives on! From being caught with a cell phone multiple times, to his manic testimony, to his attempted escape with a hot air balloon, these Charles Manson facts will shock you. WatchMojo counts down ten facts about Charles Manson's trial and imprisonment.
Top 10 Facts About Charles Manson’s Trial And Imprisonment
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Though this notorious murderer is dead, our morbid fascination with him lives on! Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Facts About Charles Manson’s Trial And Imprisonment. For this list, we’re looking some of the most interesting facets of Manson’s arrest, conviction and life in prison.
#10: He Was Caught with a Cell Phone Multiple Times
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If prison dramas have taught us anything, it’s that despite a strict no cell phone policy, anybody who’s somebody in prison is totally going to get their hands on one. Considering Manson was arrested 2 years before they were invented, his sentence very well could have meant him never using a cell phone, but in the later years of his incarceration, he was caught in possession of a phone on multiple occasions. The first was in 2009, and he had made calls in the U.S. and Canada. He then got caught repeating the offense in 2011 and 2016. Considering Manson’s specialty was manipulating others to kill for him… it’s terrifying to imagine the conversations.
#9: His Hold Over his “Girls” was STRONG
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It takes a whole lot of charisma to become a cult leader, and based on the enduring dedication Manson inspired, his ability to influence was clearly formidable. Before his arrest, his “girls” acted as his willing servants, even sleeping with other men when he commanded it. He established complete control over them, which he exercised in minor ways (like forbidding them from wearing glasses); and MAJOR ways, like ordering them to commit murder. Even after his arrest, he continued to inspire in the worst possible ways. According to the Washington Post, four followers tried to take full responsibility in order to save Manson from prison. A different follower even tried to poison a witness.
#8: He Delivered a Truly Manic Testimony
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The man sure had a way with words. Like so many cult leaders, Manson expressed himself in a grandiose fashion, often speaking in riddles and delivering biblical-type proclamations. While his words were inspiring to those who believed in him, for the rest of the world, his labyrinthine statements were often more than a little hard to follow. If you read the transcript of his testimony in the Tate-Labianca trial, there are a lot of ellipses there - a grammatical necessity in transcribing his wild, stream of consciousness argument. In short, it places blame for all the crimes at the feet of institutions and society, but the way in which he expresses this… will leave your head spinning.
#7: He Was A Quasi-Environmentalist
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When Manson was moved from San Quentin to Folsom Prison, faithful Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme moved to Sacramento in order to stay close. It was at this time that Manson’s preachings took a distinct environmental focus, under his new “Order of the Rainbow”. As one of his rainbow colored nuns, Squeaky was given the title “Red” and charged with saving the Redwoods. In 1975, as part of her larger environmental mission to preserve Manson’s “ATWA” (Air, Trees, Water, Animals), she made an attempt on the life of President Gerald Ford, who at the time was trying to loosen environmental regulations. Though Manson was never directly implicated in the attempt, his teachings nonetheless almost killed a President.
#6: He Fought The Law(yer)
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Suffice it to say, it did NOT end well for the lawyer. In 1969, Ronald Hughes took Manson’s case. However, reportedly feeling he had better chances defending a follower, he dropped Manson to represent Manson family member Leslie Van Houten. His strategy? Focus on Manson’s influence over his impressionable client. It was a betrayal that Manson naturally took very poorly. During one courtroom appearance, Manson apparently said to Hughes: “I don’t ever want to see you in this courtroom again.” Sure enough, Hughes was found dead shortly afterwards, having disappeared on a camping trip. His death was never solved.
#5: He Wasn’t The Most Popular Guy On the Inside
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Though Manson may have inspired fear in the outside world, in prison, it would seem that his magnetic persona could only take him so far with other criminals. In 1984, in a role reversal, he himself became the victim of a horrific crime when he was doused in paint thinner by a fellow inmate and set ablaze. He had been working in the hobby shop at the time, and the conflict apparently arose from a conflict of religious beliefs - Manson was allegedly intolerant of the other inmate’s Hare Krishna chanting. Though Manson survived the attack, he suffered second and third degree burns on almost 20% of his body, including his face and hands.
#4: His Escape Plan Was Full of Hot Air
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To say that Manson had a lot of unconventional ideas in his lifetime would be an understatement. This is the guy who, in the ‘60s, just showed up at a house owned by a Beach Boy and moved in with his entire posse. But even compared to his own past deeds, Manson’s supposed scheme for escaping from prison was downright absurd in its impracticality. When Manson was found to be in possession of rope and a hot air balloon catalogue in 1982, prison officials had no choice but to assume that Manson was planning a movie-worthy escape. He certainly was one for thinking . . . outside the box.
#3: He Made Dolls
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During his decades in the slammer, Manson wasn’t exactly what you would call a model prisoner. Not only did he use those contraband cell phones and plan outrageous escape attempts, he also reportedly spat hot coffee at guards, got caught with a hacksaw blade and was aggressive towards staff. During the 1980s, it seems that he began making voodoo dolls, a hobby which was later described by now-retired Los Angeles County prosecutor Stephen Kay as Manson’s “main activity”. As the story goes, he liked to chant and stab them with pins to hurt the people they were modeled after - one guard in particular. No word as to whether his voodoo worked out, but we have our doubts.
#2: He Got Love Letters
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Whatever it was about Charles Manson that drew people to him and made them follow his every command, it didn’t lose its effect when he went to jail, nor did it diminish with age. Manson was still reportedly receiving as many as 60,000 letters EACH YEAR. Even if that’s a big exaggeration, conservative estimates put it well into the thousands. He actually got engaged to a 26 year old in 2014, but a wedding never took place - allegedly because the woman in question was only in it so she could put his body on display after he died. Regardless, Manson continued to inspire fascination, often of an adoring, romantic persuasion, until the time of his death. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few (dis)honorable mentions: Keeping Manson Incarcerated for Over 40 Years Cost Approximately $2 million Manson Was Denied Parole 12 Times Manson Threatened "Murder and Bloodshed" If He Got the Death Penalty
#1: It Sounds Crazy, But He Might Not Have Been Crazy
Manson’s apparent lack of mental stability may have been one big elaborate ruse. During his time in custody, he did spend years in a psychiatric facility. However, he was ultimately deemed sane. So what was he playing at this whole time? Well, according to author Jeff Guinn, who penned “Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson,” interviews with followers revealed that Manson only ever acted unpredictably with outsiders. Within his inner circle, he was apparently much more coherent. According to Leslie Van Houten, it was one long performance aimed at securing his freedom - one that he warned his followers about in advance. If true, it clearly didn’t work out.
