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Manson Family Murders Fast Facts

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Updated 1903 GMT (0303 HKT) March 20, 2018

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It has been more than four decades since the murder of Sharon Tate and four others at the Los Angeles home of Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski. The murders led to the arrest and trial of Charles Manson along with his followers, who physically committed the crimes.
Photos: Manson Family murders
It has been more than four decades since the murder of Sharon Tate and four others at the Los Angeles home of Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski. The murders led to the arrest and trial of Charles Manson along with his followers, who physically committed the crimes.
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Polanski and Tate at their wedding in January 1968. Tate was eight months pregnant at the time of her death.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Polanski and Tate at their wedding in January 1968. Tate was eight months pregnant at the time of her death.
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Writer Wojciech Frykowski, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring and Steven Parent, a friend of the family's gardener, were also killed.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Writer Wojciech Frykowski, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring and Steven Parent, a friend of the family's gardener, were also killed.
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The victims were stabbed, shot and beaten to death.
Photos: Manson Family murders
The victims were stabbed, shot and beaten to death.
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Polanski, who was out of town at the time of the murders, is seen on the porch outside his home, the remnants of the word "pig" can be seen where it was scrawled on the door.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Polanski, who was out of town at the time of the murders, is seen on the porch outside his home, the remnants of the word "pig" can be seen where it was scrawled on the door.
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On the night of August 10, three of Manson's followers killed supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home (pictured). This time Manson accompanied his followers to select the victims, but again did not take part in the killing.
Photos: Manson Family murders
On the night of August 10, three of Manson's followers killed supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their home (pictured). This time Manson accompanied his followers to select the victims, but again did not take part in the killing.
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Manson and his followers were arrested at this remote location, called Barker Ranch, on suspicion of auto theft. Police did not immediately connect them to the murders.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson and his followers were arrested at this remote location, called Barker Ranch, on suspicion of auto theft. Police did not immediately connect them to the murders.
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A break in the case came when Susan Atkins, already in jail, told a fellow inmate about the Tate murders. "Because we wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice," she said.
Photos: Manson Family murders
A break in the case came when Susan Atkins, already in jail, told a fellow inmate about the Tate murders. "Because we wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice," she said.
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Manson, along with five followers, is indicted on December 8, 1969, for the murders.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson, along with five followers, is indicted on December 8, 1969, for the murders.
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From left, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten walk to court to appear for their roles in the murders.
Photos: Manson Family murders
From left, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten walk to court to appear for their roles in the murders.
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Manson is escorted to his arraignment on conspiracy-murder charges related to the murders.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson is escorted to his arraignment on conspiracy-murder charges related to the murders.
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Manson appears with an "X" cut into his forehead when the trial starts on June 16, 1970. It was said to symbolize being crossed out of society. He later altered the scar to become a swastika.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson appears with an "X" cut into his forehead when the trial starts on June 16, 1970. It was said to symbolize being crossed out of society. He later altered the scar to become a swastika.
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After a seven-month trial, all the defendants were found guilty on January 25, 1971. Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten received the death penalty.
Photos: Manson Family murders
After a seven-month trial, all the defendants were found guilty on January 25, 1971. Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten received the death penalty.
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Manson is led, head shaved and beardless, to hear his sentence on March 29, 1971. He received the death penalty as well.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson is led, head shaved and beardless, to hear his sentence on March 29, 1971. He received the death penalty as well.
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Charles "Tex" Watson was tried separately, after fleeing to Texas and fighting extradition to California. He was convicted and also sentenced to death in 1971. All the sentences were commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty in 1972.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Charles "Tex" Watson was tried separately, after fleeing to Texas and fighting extradition to California. He was convicted and also sentenced to death in 1971. All the sentences were commuted to life in prison when California abolished the death penalty in 1972.
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Manson is seen in court in 1986, during a parole hearing. He was denied for the sixth time.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson is seen in court in 1986, during a parole hearing. He was denied for the sixth time.
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Manson was denied parole for the 12th time on April 12, 2012. According to the California Parole Board, he has accrued 108 serious disciplinary violations in prison since 1971 and has shown no remorse for the murders.
Photos: Manson Family murders
Manson was denied parole for the 12th time on April 12, 2012. According to the California Parole Board, he has accrued 108 serious disciplinary violations in prison since 1971 and has shown no remorse for the murders.
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01 manson murderds - RESTRICTED03 manson murders02 manson murders - RESTRICTED04 manson murders05 manson murders - RESTRICTED06 manson murders - RESTRICTED07 manson murders baker ranch - restricted08 manson murders - RESTRICTED09 manson murders10 manson murders - RESTRICTED11 manson - RESTRICTED11 manson murders13 manson murders - RESTRICTED14 manson murders15 manson murders17 manson 1986 - RESTRICTEDCharles Manson mugshot 1 (2011)

(CNN)Here is a look at Charles Manson and the 1969 Manson Family cult killings.

Personal:
Birth date: November 12, 1934
Death date: November 19, 2017
    Birth place: Cincinnati, Ohio
    Birth name: Charles Milles Maddox
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    Father: Father's name unavailable publicly
    Mother: Kathleen Maddox
    Marriages: Rosalie Jean (Willis) Manson (1955-divorce date unknown); was also married to a woman named Leona in the early 1960s, whose last name is not publicly known.
    Children: At least two: with Rosalie Jean (Willis) Manson: Charles M. Manson Jr. (1956-1993); with a woman whose name is not publicly known: Charles Luther Manson.
    Other Facts:
    Reportedly, during his childhood, Manson's mother sold him for a pitcher of beer to a woman who wanted to have children. His uncle had to find the woman so that he could get his nephew back.
    He later took his stepfather William Manson's last name.
    According to the California Parole Board, Manson had a history of manipulation, controlling behavior and mental illnesses which included schizophrenia and paranoid delusional behavior.
    The killings inspired the best-selling book, "Helter Skelter," written by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi.
    Timeline:
    1947 -     At age 12, Charles Manson is sent to Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Indiana, for stealing. Over the next twenty years, he is in and out of reform schools and prison for various crimes.
    Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    This image of infamous inmate Charles Manson was issued in August 2017. Manson, the cult leader whose followers committed heinous murders almost a half century ago, <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/20/us/charles-manson-dead/index.html" target="_blank">died Sunday</a>, November 19, of natural causes, according to the California Department of Corrections. He was 83.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    This image of infamous inmate Charles Manson was issued in August 2017. Manson, the cult leader whose followers committed heinous murders almost a half century ago, died Sunday, November 19, of natural causes, according to the California Department of Corrections. He was 83.
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    This image of Manson was taken in 2011. He served nine life terms in California prisons and was denied parole 12 times.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    This image of Manson was taken in 2011. He served nine life terms in California prisons and was denied parole 12 times.
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    In this 2009 prison photo, Manson is seen without his trademark long hair.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    In this 2009 prison photo, Manson is seen without his trademark long hair.
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    Manson is seen slightly disheveled in this 2006 prison photo.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    Manson is seen slightly disheveled in this 2006 prison photo.
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    Manson is pictured in a prison photo from 2002.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    Manson is pictured in a prison photo from 2002.
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    Manson in a 1996 prison photo.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    Manson in a 1996 prison photo.
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    Manson smirks at the camera in this 1978 photo.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    Manson smirks at the camera in this 1978 photo.
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    In this 1970 photo, Manson is seen with a swastika tattoo on his forehead.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    In this 1970 photo, Manson is seen with a swastika tattoo on his forehead.
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    This 1969 mugshot shows Manson soon after the murder of actress Sharon Tate.
    Photos: Charles Manson: The infamous inmate
    This 1969 mugshot shows Manson soon after the murder of actress Sharon Tate.
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    02 Charles Manson August 2017 Charles Manson mugshot 1 (2011)Charles Manson mugshot 2 (2009)Charles Manson mugshot 3 (2006)Charles Manson mugshot 4 (2002)Charles Manson mugshot 5 (1996)Charles Manson mugshot 6 (1978)02 Charles Manson mugshot 7 (1970)02 Charles Manson mug 1969
    March 21, 1967 - Manson is released from prison. He tells the prison officials that he doesn't want to be released, "Oh, no, I can't go outside there...I knew that I couldn't adjust to that world, not after all my life had been spent locked up and where my mind was free." After his release, he moves to San Francisco.
    1967-1968 - Manson meets Gary Hinman, a music teacher who introduces him to Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys.
    -- Manson attracts a group of followers. The group moves to the Spahn Ranch, outside of Chatsworth, California.
    -- Dennis Wilson introduces Manson to record producer Terry Melcher, the son of actress Doris Day. After initially showing interest in Manson's music, Melcher declines to work with him further.
    -- Melcher later moves out of his home on Cielo Drive, and the house is then leased to film director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate.
    July 1969 - Gary Hinman is killed by Manson follower Bobby Beausoleil, accompanied by Manson Family members Mary Brunner and Susan Atkins. The murder is committed at the behest of Manson.
    August 8-9, 1969 - At Manson's command, a small group of his most ardent followers brutally murder five people at the Benedict Canyon home of director Roman Polanski, near Hollywood. The victims are Polanski's pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate, writer Wojciech Frykowski, coffee heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring. Also killed is Steven Parent, who was a friend of the family's gardener. The murders are committed by followers Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel. Linda Kasabian accompanies them as a lookout.
    August 9-10, 1969 - Manson, displeased at the sloppiness of the previous night's murders, accompanies a group of followers on a search for victims. In the car are: Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel, Kasabian as well as Leslie van Houten and Steve "Clem" Grogan. After several hours, the group comes upon the house of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. The couple are brutally murdered by Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten.
    October 1969 - Manson and his followers are arrested at another remote location, called Barker Ranch, on suspicion of auto theft.
    November 6, 1969 - Manson Family member Susan Atkins, already charged in the murder of Gary Hinman, tells inmate Virginia Castro that she killed Sharon Tate, "Because we wanted to do a crime that would shock the world, that the world would have to stand up and take notice."
    November 12, 1969 - The LA Sheriff's detectives interview Al Springer, motorcycle gang member who had some association with Manson. Springer tells them that Manson told him about killing people days after the Tate murders.
    November 16, 1969 - The LAPD interviews inmate Ronnie Howard about her conversation with Susan Atkins concerning the Tate/LaBianca murders.
    November 18, 1969 - Deputy District Attorney Vincent T. Bugliosi is assigned the case.
    November 30, 1969 - Watson is apprehended in Texas. His lawyers fight extradition to California for nine months.
    December 8, 1969 - Manson, Watson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Kasabian are indicted for the murders of Sharon Tate and her friends. The grand jury also indicts the five, plus Van Houten, for the LaBianca murders.
    June 16, 1970 - Trial begins for Manson, Atkins, Krenwinkel and Van Houten.
    -- Manson appears in court with an "X" carved into his forehead.
    -- He defends himself in court with the help from attorney Irving Kanarek.
    August 1970 - Kasabian is given immunity in exchange for her testimony against Manson and the others.
    January 15, 1971 - After a seven-month trial, jury deliberations begin. The jury finds all the defendants guilty on January 25.
    March 29, 1971 - Manson, Krenwinkel, Atkins and Van Houten receive the death penalty.
    1971 - Charles "Tex" Watson is found guilty of the murders of seven people and is sentenced to death.
    1972 - The death penalty is abolished in California. The sentences for all Manson Family members are commuted to life in prison.
    April 11, 2012 - Manson is denied parole for the 12th time. According to the California Parole Board, he has accrued 108 serious disciplinary violations in prison since 1971 and has shown no remorse for the murders. Manson's next parole hearing is set for 2027, when he will be 92.
    November 20, 2013 - A 25-year-old pen pal, who calls herself "Star," tells Rolling Stone magazine that she considers Manson her husband. The imprisoned cult leader says, however, that Star's story is "garbage." She began sending letters to Manson when she was in high school.
    November 18, 2014 - Sources tell CNN that Manson and Star have, in fact, obtained a marriage license.
    February 2015 - The wedding is called off, according to tabloid reports.
    June 6, 2015 - Manson prosecutor and author of "Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders" Vincent Bugliosi dies in California.
    November 19, 2017 - Two days after being transported to the hospital, Manson, 83, dies of natural causes.
    March 13, 2018 - After a four month fight over Manson's remains, a Kern County judge rules in favor of Jason Freeman who claims he is Manson's grandson.
    Major Players ("Manson Family"):
    Susan "Sadie" Denise Atkins:
    September 24, 2009 - Dies in prison.
    Bobby Beausoleil:
    1969 -     Convicted of the murder of Gary Hinman. He is serving a life sentence.
    October 14, 2016 - Beausoleil is denied parole for the 18th time.
    Bruce Davis:
    April 21, 1972 -     Convicted of the murders of Gary Hinman and stuntman Donald "Shorty" Shea. He is serving a life sentence.
    February 1, 2017 - Is recommended for parole.
    June 23, 2017 - Governor Brown denies parole for Davis. This is the fifth time a California governor has refused to release Davis.
    Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme:
    1975 - Attempts to shoot President Gerald Ford.
    August 14, 2009 - Is released on parole after serving 34 years.
    Steven "Clem" Grogan:
    1986 -     Grogan is released on parole after revealing the location of the body of ranch-hand Donald "Shorty" Shea, killed in 1969.
    Patricia "Katie" Krenwinkel:
    2014 - Krenwinkel provides an interview for the documentary "Life After Manson," her first on-camera appearance since 1994.
    December 2016 - California parole board members delay their decision on freeing Krenwinkel after her attorney raises claims of abuse by Manson, or another member of the cult. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issues a statement that the information presented at the hearing does elicit cause for an investigation.
    June 22, 2017 - Krenwinkel is denied parole for the 14th time. She will be eligible again for consideration in five years.
    Leslie Van Houten:
    April 14, 2016 - A parole board panel recommends Van Houten's release, and the full Board of Parole Hearings will review the decision over the next four months.
    September 6, 2017 - A two-person state commission panel grants Van Houten parole for the second time. The decision will go through a 120-day legal review before Governor Brown will have 30-days to decide whether Van Houten will be granted parole and released.
    January 19, 2018 - Governor Brown denies parole for Van Houten, citing the horrific nature of the murders, Van Houten's eager participation, and his belief that she minimizes her role in the murders. She will be eligible for parole again in March 2019.
    Charles D. "Tex" Watson:
    October 27, 2016 -     Watson is denied parole for the 17th time.