Charles Manson Biography

What is a serial killer? Retired Special Agent Robert Ressler, a twenty-two year veteran of the FBI’s Behavioral Sciences Unit in Quantico, Virginia, is responsible for creating the term “serial killer.” He defines this person as “one who commits a series of murders, usually three or more, the victims most often being strangers, and usually with a cooling-off period in between each kill” (Kelleher & Kelleher, 1998; Pearson, 1998; Ressler and Shactman, 1997). This precise definition is necessary to distinguish this type of predator from the mass murderer (who kills many simultaneously), mercenaries, war criminals, or mafia hit men.

As I’ve said previously, the life of Charles Manson revolved around interpersonal violence. From an early age Manson was the victim of child neglect – his mother (Kathleen Maddox) would leave him with neighbors, “for an hour, then disappear for days or weeks,”

He believed that waging a war between races was the right thing to do. Any sane person would be able to tell that waging war is wrong in this aspect. However, due to the Anti-social Personality Disorder, Charles Manson was unable to see the error in his ways. Also, those with Anti-social Personality Disorder then to exploit those around them. In the case of Manson, he manipulated his followers into committing murder for him by using religion. This trait could also be connected to the superiority complex that is often found in those with Anti-social Personality Disorder. Those with this disorder may consider themselves superior to those around them. This was evident in Manson as he claimed to be both the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and Satan. This sense of superiority over his followers allowed Manson to manipulate them as he saw fit and continuously fueled his delusions of grandeur. Manson fit other symptoms that fit this disease as well. Manson undoubtedly has Anti-social Personality Disorder.

Manson started his cult not only on his religious beliefs, but on his belief that society had given him a rough past and Manson wanted payback for the resentment he had gotten in his childhood. Therefore, he created a cult to kill.

Charles Maddox was born November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother was Kathleen Maddox, she was a prostitute and an alcoholic, and only 16 years old when she had him. She later married William Manson, who adopted Charles giving him the Manson last name. It was said that his mother once traded him for a pitcher of beer to a woman that couldn’t have children. His uncle had to go track down the women to get him back. Charles spent time in a boy’s school then on the streets doing petty crimes to survive. By 1952 Manson had spent more time in prison than he had out of prison. In Charles Manson probation reports it described him as, “suffering from a marked degree of rejection, instability, psychic trauma, and constantly striving for status and securing some kind of love. Other descriptions included dangerous, unpredictable, and safe only under supervision.”(Biography Channel 2013.) In August of 1969 Manson gathered his group of most loyal family members to do the massacres. The first murder took place August 9, 1969 on Ceilo Drive in Beverly Hills at the home of Roman Polanski’s, and his wife Sharon Tate. The victims of this crime were Sharon Tate, Wojciech Frykowshi his partner Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring. There was also an 18 year old boy a friend of the gardeners who was walking down the driveway when he saw the

Charles Manson ended up on the streets and this led to his life of crime. By 1952, Charles had spent 17 years, which was half his life, imprisoned. He had 8 assault charges already. While in prison, Charles Manson was known as a model inmate and he even got released against his wishes because he felt he could not adjust to the world. (Rosenberg, 2009) He also fathered two children, one by his ex wife and one by another woman.

Charles Manson became known worldwide after helping commit numerous gruesome murders near Hollywood, California. Although, Manson’s legal troubles did not start from that point, he had been in and out of institutions and prisons since the age of twelve, for many different reasons. “For, let out of prison in 1967, the year of ‘the summer of love,’ he became the most hated and vilified figure in America, a symbol of everything that had gone wrong in the ‘60s” (Smith). Even though his release from prison was short lived, he managed to do a lot of damage during his time of freedom. Manson received a life sentence in May of 1970 for the nine murders he helped execute (Baughman). Charles Manson is a well recognized name across the United States.

At the age of twenty-six Charles Manson was sent to the US penitentiary. By 1959 Charles had been committed of rape, drug use, pimping, stealing, and fraud. Manson was emotionally insecure and was lacking attention.

What makes a murderer? The mind of someone who commits such heinous crimes has never really been diagnosed. The chromosomal patterns have yet to be determined. So what causes someone to kill? Are serial killers and mass murderers more of a product of their own upbringing and environment or of delusional thoughts from a chemical imbalance? Someone who kills is an obsessed individual who lacks a conscience and who has no remorse. All the known characteristics of someone who kills point to something beyond our comprehension. Ted Bundy and Charles Manson are both infamous in the world of criminal history. Not all killers are the same: they may have grown up differently, used certain killing methods, and had a unique pool of victims.

A serial killer is someone who has murdered at least three people on at least three different occasions with a break between the murders (Egger, 2002; Hickey, 2002). … It is likely that they kill during a time of stress and after it is done, they feel temporarily

In the late sixties and early seventies, California was haunted by dozens of unsolved murders. The offender remains unknown to this day. The murderer, who referred to himself as "the Zodiac," made contact with the police and area newspapers throughout his reign of terror through a series of menacing notes. Although the police were never able to apprehend Zodiac, they were able to gather information about him via the letters. Zodiac boasted of killing up to forty victims, however, police estimated he may have killed over 50.

These are some of the most infamous names in the history of murder, but they hid in plain sight, and Manson did not even commit murder. He was so manipulative he could convince others to do his bidding for him. How is that even possible? Surely one would be able to recognize someone who is such a dangerous threat or would they? One of the reasons these killers can be so successful is their ability to blend into their surroundings and at times even be considered a stand up member of the communities they live in, but what is going on inside their brains?

For example, Steven Tuomi, who was killed in November of 1978, Dahmer smashed in his chest and then tried to rip out his heart. Ernest Miller's skin was bleached and then kept in Dahmer's closet and his bicep was kept frozen to eat later. Jeffrey Dahmer also experimented with his unfortunate victims. The first was a 14 year old named Konerak Sinthasomphone. Dahmer drilled holes in the back of his head and then injected hydrochloric acid into his brain while he was still alive in an attempt to create a zombie. Dahmer also tried this with 23 year old Jeremiah Weinberger, who was killed in July 1991. After he killed his victims he would keep some of their body parts as “trophies”. To dispose of the remains with some he would smash the bones with a sledgehammer and then scatter in his backyard and with others he would dissolve in

Marilyn Manson’s persona is an oxymoron of two pop icons from the 1960’s: Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson. “I thought those two – positive/negative, male/female, good/evil, beauty/ugliness – created the perfect dichotomy of everything I wanted to represent.” (Baddeley, 2008) Born Brian Hugh Warner, January 5th, 1969 in small town Canton, Ohio. He was an only child; whose parents were extremely close with him. His mother was so close to him, it often seemed off to him. He thought she was always close to him because he was always in the hospital sick. Later, it was discovered that his mother suffered from the mental illness Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. Brian’s father was not around much growing up and his mother expected him to take his place, often times even calling Brian by his father’s name. Manson stated he just wanted a way to escape.

The Manson family was a cult in 1960 that where mostly not violent. But in 1969 was when eh Manson family started their killing spree. Manson thought that the apocalypse was going to happen in the form of a race war. (Webb, S. (2017, June 23). Who is Charles Manson? American mass murderer and cult leader - here's what we know. Retrieved July 23, 2017, from https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2532498/charles-manson-murders-cult-leader-patricia-krenwinkel/). This cult was responsible for 7 murders and they were all arrested in October 1969. Steven parent was the first victim of the Manson family shot while driving to a friend’s driving away from the Tate house where most of the murders took place. “Eight-months-pregnant Sharon Tate, who, despite pleading for the life of her unborn child, was mercilessly stabbed in the stomach” ( Charles Manson. (2017, July 19). Retrieved July 23, 2017, from https://www.biography.com/people/charles-manson-9397912). All of the manson family is in prison except for Linda Kasabian who was Granted immunity in exchange for testimony. (News, M. (2017, February 02). The Charles Manson family: Where are they now? Retrieved July 23, 2017, from