Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
American criminal Charles Manson continues to garner attention years after his passing. The cult leader, whose birth name is Charles Milles Maddox, was behind a series of brutal murders that gained nationwide attention. Born on November 12, 1934, to a 16-year-old mother, the serial killer hailed from Cincinnati, Ohio. However, his troubled childhood led to years of notorious crime.
Per A&E, after Charles’ mother was imprisoned, he was constantly moving between relatives. At a young age, he was in and out of juvenile detention centers as he would steal from local shops. After getting put under the legal protection of the state, Charles ran away several times. In between fleeing, he turned to burglary. By the age of 13, Manson was convicted of armed robbery, reported Independent.
Vox noted Manson then moved to San Francisco following his prison release in 1967. There, he bonded with a like-minded community, who would soon turn into his devoted followers. Soon enough, Manson became the leader of the Manson Family.
What did Charles Manson do & what were his last words?
According to Independent, Charles Manson orchestrated a massacre during the summer of 1969. The Manson Family invaded the Hollywood actress Sharon Tate’s house on August 9 and murdered five people. One of the victims, Tate, was eight months pregnant at the time. The rest of the victims were Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Voityck Frykowski, and Steven Parent. The following night, a wealthy grocer, Leno LaBianca, was found slaughtered along with his wife, Rosemary.
However, the confession of the crime came to light when a Manson follower, who was imprisoned three months later on an unrelated charge, shared the details with a fellow inmate. Subsequently, the cult’s leader was arrested after news of the killings reached the authorities.
After serving decades in prison, Manson died on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83. Shortly before his death, Manson was interviewed for a documentary. He told the producer, “I’m the most famous human being not only that is alive, but the most famous human being that ever lived. And I’m not even dead yet. What do you think is going to happen when I die?” The cult leader’s disturbing last words are a reminder of his remorseless stance.
Over the years, multiple films and documentaries have depicted the lives and crimes of the Manson Family.
