40 YEARS OF HELTER SKELTER: The Trial And Imprisonment Of The Manson ‘Family’
The heinous acts of the Manson family 40 years ago still mesmerize and frighten people all over the world. The murders brought the city of Los Angeles to its knees in terror when seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, were shot and stabbed during two August nights in 1969.
In what came to be known as “the trial of the century,” prosecutors said the Manson family, fueled by sex and drugs, hoped the killings would jumpstart a black-white race war that would erupt as they hide out at Barker Ranch in Death Valley.Stephen Kay, at the time, just 27-years-old and second chair to chief prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, vividly remembers the courtroom atmosphere.”With reporters from all over the world, sometimes I would look around the courtroom and wonder whether I was at a carnival or a trial. It was just bizarre,” recalls Kay.A jury convicted Manson and members of his “family” of the murders and sentenced them to death. But they were then given life sentences after the state supreme court temporarily abolished the death penalty in 1972.
Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten and Charles “Tex” Watson were just kids when they carried out their bloody mission saying they did it “all for Charlie.”
Manson and his followers have grown old in prison. Over the decades, they’ve all had numerous parole hearings. But their freedom was always denied. Over time, Kay became one of their worst enemies.”I know that if any of them got paroled, they would be paying me a visit,” says Kay. “I have no doubt about it. They absolutely hate me.”While Bugliosi gained fame and made millions from writing a book on the case, Kay spent nearly 38 years in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, attending parole hearings and doing everything he could to keep the killers behind bars.”Their hope is they will get paroled because society will not be as interested in these murders. A younger generation won’t know all the facts of the murders, how bad they were. The fact: at the Tate house, the victims suffered 102 stab wounds. That Sharon Tate was hung while she was still alive and that Susan Atkins tasted her blood after stabbing her.”The former Manson disciples have been described as model prisoners. But, after being a part of the Tate-LaBianca murder trials and 60 parole hearings, Kay believes none of them should ever be released.”These poor people, innocent people didn’t hurt anyone, didn’t know their killers. They’ve been dead for 40 years and Charles Manson has been alive in prison where he doesn’t mind being.”When asked if he believes any of them will ever be released, he says, “I know with Manson he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison. He’ll turn 75, he’s not going anywhere.”But even so, Kay says with Manson and a fascination with the murders still very much alive, the cult leader remains a danger.”Most people that get locked up, get the death penalty.. You say ‘good, society’s protected.’ With him, you can’t say that.”
