Hollywood's Unhappiest Endings: Legends Never Die Updated

by Les MacDonald

  During the autopsy tissue samples went missing. During the investigation Marilyn's phone records went missing. Marilyn had been found dead with the phone off the hook near her body. When the police arrived at the scene her housekeeper, Eunice Murray, was doing laundry. Odd? Finally, there is no doubt that Marilyn had died as the result of an overdose of barbiturates. Did she decide to end it all after the terrible rejection by the Kennedy's? This seems unlikely as she was in fighting mode and was ready to fight back by calling a press conference. Did the fighting with the studio during the filming of Something's Got to Give trigger a suicide? This also seems unlikely as Marilyn was also fighting back and was on the verge of winning that fight. Could she have been murdered as part of a coverup by agents working for the Kennedy's? Anything is possible but it seems more likely that JFK and RFK were alerted to Marilyn's death, possibly by Peter Lawford, and swept in to rid the house of any possible connections between Marilyn and themselves. Hence, the missing diary. The last possibility is accidental death. To this writer this seems like the most plausible scenario. Marilyn, reeling from the rejection by the Kennedy's, may have simply succumbed to an accidental overdose of pills and booze.

  The official ruling in 1962 was suicide. The case was reopened twenty years later in 1982 with more information coming out about the involvement of the Kennedy's but nothing that would point to murder. The police who first attended the scene were re-interviewed and both said that the scene looked staged. They also said that the housekeeper did not appear to be truthful and that her answers seemed rehearsed. The official ruling was not changed. Nearly fifty years after her death it appears that we will never have the answers that we seek. Whatever happened...Marilyn Monroe was gone...and much too soon.

  On November 22, 1963, just fifteen months after Marilyn's tragic death, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. On June 6, 1968, while campaigning to win the Democratic party nomination for President, Robert Kennedy was gunned down in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles...not all that far from where Marilyn had died six year earlier. Joe DiMaggio had two red roses delivered to Marilyn's grave twice a week for twenty years. He had taken over the funeral arrangements for Marilyn and barred the Kennedy's and many Hollywood celebs from attending. He died in 1999. Marilyn is buried at the Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

  Sharon Tate (1943-1969)

  Charles Manson and Helter Skelter

  Many people have said that the 1960's came to an abrupt, sudden end on the night of August 9, 1969 in the Hollywood Hills, and when you consider the events of that night at 10050 Cielo Drive, it is hard to argue against their point. That was the night that actress Sharon Tate and four others were savagely murdered sending Hollywood and the city of Los Angeles into a state of panic.

  Sharon had wanted to be an actress since her early days. At the age of six months she was named Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas, Texas. Her father, Col. Paul Tate, was an officer in army intelligence and the family was forced to move around frequently. At the age of sixteen Sharon was named Miss Richland, Washington and when the family moved closer to Hollywood (San Pedro) Sharon began to look for work at the studios. While auditioning for a part on the tv show Petticoat Junction she met producer Martin Ransohoff who took her under his wing. Wearing a black wig the pretty blonde landed a continuing role as Janet Trego on the popular sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. She appeared on that show from 1962-65. Several small roles followed and then Ransohoff put her in a film that he was producing called Eye of the Devil. The film featured David Niven and Deborah Kerr. It was during the making of this film that Sharon was introduced to Roman Polanski. That meeting led to Sharon being cast in a role that Polanski was directing and starring in called The Fearless Vampire Killers. During the making of this film Sharon and Roman became lovers. The year was 1967. The summer of love was fast approaching.

  1967 would be an important year for another person also. Charles Milles Manson was being released from prison against his wishes. By March 21, 1967 Manson had already spent seventeen years in prison. He was thirty-two years old and already had a lengthy rap sheet. Armed robbery, auto theft, homosexual rape, forgery and pimping were all part of his resume. When he was due to be released Manson begged the prison authorities to let him remain in prison. More than once he had stated that prison was the only home that he had ever known. He knew he would have trouble adjusting to life outside the prison walls. No one was listening and on the morning of March 21, 1967 Charles Manson was set free. He headed for San Francisco and it was there during the summer of love that The Family was born.

  In the late 1960's there was no act in the world bigger than the Beatles. The summer of love would find them recording one of rock music's most treasured albums Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which they would follow up with a two record set that would come to be known simply as the White Album in 1968.

  Meanwhile, all was right in Sharon's world. She had landed a pretty good role in the film adaptation of Jacqueline Susann's novel Valley of the Dolls. For her work in the film she received a Golden Globe nomination as most promising newcomer. Her relationship with actor/director Roman Polanski had become serious and on January 2, 1968 they were married in London, England. Roman would go on to have a major hit in 1968 directing Mia Farrow in the horror movie Rosemary's Baby. Sharon would make one more movie, The Wrecking Crew, with Dean Martin and Elke Sommer, before becoming pregnant in January, 1969. The young family would need a bigger house and were more than happy to rent 10050 Cielo Drive from Terry Melcher (Doris Day's son) when Melcher needed to get out of his lease.

  By 1969 Charles Manson had moved his "family" from San Francisco to an old deserted movie set known as Spahn's Movie Ranch just outside the LA suburb of Chatsworth. The family was mostly made up of runaway young girls and drifters. Eighty years old and nearly blind George Spahn was the lone inhabitant of the ranch. Manson and his followers would do odd jobs for George who, in return, let the family stay on the ranch for free. It was right around this time that Manson began to take an interest in the Beatles White album. He played certain songs including Helter Skelter, Sexy Sadie and Piggies over and over again. By now Manson had total control over the family. The runaway teenage girls were happy to have a "father" who cared. They would do anything for him. Manson controlled even the smallest details of their lives. He orchestrated orgies and decided who would have sex together. The family began calling him Jesus Christ and the hardcore members of the family actually believed that Charlie was the Second Coming. It was to this eager audience that Manson would explain what the Beatles were trying to tell him through their music. Charlie believed, and would preach to his followers, that the band was telling him that a major race war pitting the blacks against the whites was about to begin. While this war, which Manson called Helter Skelter was raging, Charlie and the family would hide out in Death Valley. The blacks would be victorious but would need help running things and would turn to Charlie. Helter Skelter would become the bizarre motive behind seven grisly murders. In July 1969 Manson family members Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner (who had a son with Manson) and Susan Atkins went to the residence of Gary Hinman who was a part time musician and a full time drug dealer. They were there looking for money from a drug deal gone bad. Manson had also told his minions that Hinman had recently inherited $20,000. When Hinman refused to give them any money he was tied up and threatened...still nothing. Beausoleil called Manson who promptly arrived at the house and proceeded to separate one of Hinman's ears from his head. Manson then left and Hinman was murdered by Beausoleil and Atkins. On August 5, 1969 Beausoleil was arrested while sleeping in one of Hinman's cars. Mary Brunner was captured a few days later while using stolen credit cards. We never said that they were smart. Mary was just plain lucky that she was in custody because much bigger crimes were in the offing.

  By early August Charlie had become impatient while waiting for the beginning of Helter Skelter and decided that he would have to help things along. He sent ou
t four members of his family with orders to kill some "rich pigs." Charles "Tex" Watson, Susan "Sexy Sadie" Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian were sent out to 10050 Cielo Drive on the night of August 8, 1969. Sharon Tate, who was now eight months pregnant, was at home. Sharon's former lover and internationally known men's hairstylist to the stars, Jay Sebring, was visiting. Even after their breakup and Sharon's subsequent marriage to Roman, Jay had remained close friends with Sharon, her parents and Roman. Another friend of Roman's, Voytek Frykowski, along with his lover Abigail Folger (coffee heiress) had been staying at the house and were preparing to move out but Sharon had convinced them to stay until Roman returned from Europe. A caretaker, William Garretson, lived in a building separate from the main house.

  Eighteen year old Steven Parent was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was on his way to visit the caretaker and was stopped in front of the house by Watson who shot him four times before he could get out of his Rambler. Next the group of killers cut the telephone wires and entered the house. Jay Sebring protested and was shot by Watson and later stabbed. Abigail Folger was stabbed by Krenwinkel and when she made it outside was finished off by Watson. Susan Atkins stabbed Sharon even as she was begging for the life of her unborn child. Voytek Frykowski kept fighting and finally succumbed outside on the front lawn. The carnage was now complete. Sharon had been stabbed sixteen times. Jay Sebring had been shot once and stabbed seven times. Abigail Folger had been stabbed twenty-eight times. Voytek Frykowski had been shot twice, hit on the head with a blunt instrument thirteen times and stabbed once. Susan Atkins wrote the word PIG on the front door in Sharon's blood. When the killers returned to Spahn's Ranch Manson simply asked them why they were home so early.

  The caretaker, William Garretson, claimed to have heard nothing and was quickly arrested and charged with the murder. He was just as quickly released when he passed a polygraph test. Roman Polanski returned home from Europe immediately and also passed the polygraph test.

  Twenty-four hours later the killers would strike once again only this time Manson would accompany his family. When they reached the home of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca Manson went in alone and tied up the couple. When he returned to the car he ordered Watson, Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten (who had not been with the group the night before) to go in and kill them. He told them to paint a picture more gruesome than anyone had ever seen before. Krenwinkel and Van Houten took Rosemary into a bedroom while Watson stayed with Leno. Rosemary would die from forty-one stab wounds. Leno was stabbed twelve times, had fourteen puncture wounds from a fork and was found with a fork stuck in his stomach and a knife in his throat. The word WAR had been carved into his stomach. DEATH TO ALL PIGS and an incorrectly spelled HEALTER SKELTER and RISE were written in blood throughout the house.

  Unbelievably, less than forty-eight hours later the LAPD would release a statement claiming that the Tate-LaBianca murders were not related. This despite all of the similarities between the two crimes such as the writing in blood etc. No wonder that the Black Dahlia killer was never caught. Los Angeles was now a city in fear. Guns were being sold at an alarming rate. Those that could afford it were hiring bodyguards and installing elaborate security systems. Some entertainers went into hiding fearing that they might be next. One week after the murders an event took place that did not receive much attention. The police raided the old Spahn Movie Ranch and arrested twenty-six suspects for auto theft. Meanwhile, friends of Roman Polanski were rallying around him. Actors Peter Sellers and Warren Beatty among others set up a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers. Sharon's father Col. Tate resigned from the army, grew a beard and began hanging around hippie joints on Sunset Strip hoping for any information that may lead him to his daughter's killers.

  One of the big breaks in the case came as the result of a jailhouse conversation between cellmates. Susan Atkins, who had been picked up in the police raid at the ranch, shared a cell with Ronny Howard and Virginia Graham. The two would prove to be very attentive listeners as Susan rambled on about Charlie, the family's philosophy, Helter Skelter and then finally a graphic description of the murders. Susan also told her cellmates about a "death list." Hollywood notables such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were said to be at the top of the list. Virginia and Ronny were not sure if Susan was telling them the truth or if it was all just a fantasy. For the moment they decided to keep the story to themselves but several weeks later when Susan went into more grisly detail about the murders Ronny decided to alert the authorities.

  .

  LA prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi would be the man to put it all together. The police were lacking a motive, physical evidence and any hard information on the family itself. Somehow Bugliosi and his team were able to put enough of the pieces together to convince the Grand Jury to hand down the following indictments. Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Charles Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian - seven counts of murder in the first degree and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Leslie Van Houten - two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Charles "Tex" Watson would fight extradition and would be tried later. The prosecution, desperate for a witness that could place the killers at the scene, made a deal with Linda Kasabian. Linda had driven the family to and from the scenes of the murders but did not participate. She was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony against the other defendants. The guilt phase of the trial began on June 15, 1970. The trial would go on to show us how much power and influence Manson did have over all of the family members. When Charlie carved a bloody X into his forehead, so did the girls...not just the defendants but also the ones keeping vigil outside of the courthouse including Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Later when Manson turned the X into a swastika the girls once again followed suit. Manson and the girls would do everything they could to disrupt the trial. Charlie demanded to exercise his right to defend himself and, after much advice to the contrary, was granted his request. Lawyers for the girls were either dumped or told to conduct their defence as per Manson's instructions. By March Judge Keene had seen and heard enough of Manson's ridiculous motions and delay tactics and he withdrew Charlie's right to defend himself. Manson screamed and went crazy and had to be physically removed from the courtroom. That was not the only change. Manson put forth an affidavit of prejudice against Judge Keene. Keene removed himself (probably with glee) and was succeeded by Judge Charles Older.

  On August 4, the headline of the Los Angeles times screamed out MANSON GUILTY NIXON DECLARES. The president had unbelievably told a reporter that he thought that Manson was guilty. Someone, possibly one of the defence lawyers, smuggled a copy of the newspaper into the courtroom. Suddenly Charlie stood up, faced the jury and held up the front page for all to see. Manson and his lawyers were obviously hoping for a mistrial as there was a gag order against any information leaking in to the jury which had been sequestered. However, Judge Older questioned each juror individually asking if they would be influenced in any way by what the president had said. Each juror replied that they would not be influenced by Nixon's comment. No mistrial. Meanwhile the revolving door was in constant use by the defence lawyers. Charles Hollopeter, who replaced Manson as his own attorney, was dismissed and replaced by Ronald Hughes who then went missing. Hughes was then replaced by Irving Kanarek. Hollopeter must have thought he got off lucky. He was only dismissed. Hughes would later turn up as a murder victim. While the family all but admitted the killing no one was ever charged. Finally, on January 25, 1971 the guilt phase of the trial ended. All of the defendants were found guilty as charged on all counts. Manson, who had already threatened Bugliosi and Older during the trial went crazy and once again had to be removed from the courtroom. Outside, on the steps of the courthouse, Bugliosi informed the media that during the penalty phase of the trial the prosecution would be seeking the death penalty against all of the defendants.

  The girls had done absolutely nothing to help themselves
during the trial. Frequently, during vivid testimony about the brutality of the murders, they would be laughing and making faces in front of the jurors. Now, during the penalty phase, they would get one more chance to show remorse. When Susan Atkins was asked if she ever felt sorry she replied that she had no guilt in her. Patricia Krenwinkel was asked if it bothered her at all when Abigail Folger was screaming for her life. She simply replied, No. When Leslie Van Houten was asked the same thing she replied that sorry was just a word and could not bring anyone back. For his part Manson once again threatened the establishment saying that there would be a lot of bloodletting if he received the death penalty. On Monday, March 29, in a tightly secured courtroom, the jury returned with the sentences. However, one more time, Manson would disrupt the proceedings before the sentences could be read. Once again, he railed against the judge for not being allowed to defend himself and, once again, Older had him removed. The first sentence to be read was a death sentence for Charles Manson. The girls all erupted and Older also had them removed from the courtroom. As with their leader the girls all received death sentences for each count of murder. However, on February 18, 1972 the state of California abolished the death penalty in a 6-1 vote by the State Supreme Court. One hundred and seven prisoners on Death Row, including Charles Milles Manson and his followers, had their death sentences automatically reduced to life in prison. The commutation of their sentences meant that each of the killers would be eligible for parole in 1978.