The following is a re-creation of a letter that was recently sent to a family member of Gary Hinman. Re-creation was necessary because many parts were redacted to eliminate personal information. Bobby's words themselves have not been altered.
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Dear *****
Most of the people who once were associated with Manson have blamed him for their personal predicament. Because I don't blame him for my situation some people may assume I am supportive of him. Nothing could be further from the case I have plenty of reason to resent him for things he has done and instigated, and some of the things that he has said. A man if he is a man holds himself accountable for the things he does in this world. Charlie Manson has yet to own up to betraying the trust of everyone who took a chance on loving him, and to accept the responsibility for the lives he destroyed. I do not sympathize with Manson, nor do I support his philosophy or believe the excuses he makes for the violence he has committed.
Still I won't make excuses for Manson where Gary is concerned. Had he not charged blindly into Gary's house and slashed his face for no reason it's unlikely any further harm would have come to him.
From the moment I made the decision to go to Gary's house and take money from him everything that happened after that was my fault. Even though I had not foreseen that others would unexpectedly get involved and would do things I had no control over. The fact remains that the choice I made initially set all those other thing in motion, so that made me responsible for them as well.
The loss to the world of the gifts Gary brought to it was the worst and most tragic of course. But having to experience again and again the horror of killing him has not been a walk in the park.
Years passed before I could begin to reconcile what I done with the person I thought myself to be and years more before I could fully face myself and accept responsibility for the crime I had committed. Between one point and the other I was dishonest with myself and everyone else about what happened. Most shamefully, I implied or allowed others to infer, that Gary was complicit in the circumstances of his own death. There again was that need to find acceptance in the eyes of others that was a driving factor in how I dealt with what transpired at Gary's house.
It should be clear to you by now that both Gary and I were into some things we would have been wiser to avoid, not least of which was befriending someone as deluded and unscrupulous as Charles Manson. However it would be hypocritical and disingenuous to say that Gary was a drug dealer. The story about the drug burn was just something put into my head by others, and there are plenty of reasons to be suspicious of the story considering its source. Gary wasn't the kind of guy to burn anyone in a drug deal or otherwise. I chose to buy into the story and allowed it to be part of the internal narrative I used to justify my decision to rob him. And later to rationalize some lame reasons for what followed. I deeply regret having taken Gary's life. He did nothing to deserve it.
Sincerely
Bobby
17 comments:
Unburden your heart Bobby, and free your soul.
@ rfoster1 - Nice!
I don't want to sound like a downer, but I think it's BS. His last parole hearing he defended Manson and stuck to his story. This is Hinman's relative and of course he is going to BS them. If he gets an endorsement from relatives that he is rehabilitated, he has a good shot at parole. Bobby changes his story way too often and the board finally called him out on it last hearing. I hope he is being sincere for Hinman's family's sake, but I don't trust Bobby at all.
Is there a transcript of his last parole hearing posted anywhere?
I can't tell ya how many hours I have spent reading heavily redacted documents. I get a headache just looking at that blacked out version.
I think cielodrive.com has them Leary7.
I agree with Ole JC in that the letter sounds like Bobby's finally on the level but who knows if he's really sincere and it's not just more BS that he thinks would be appropriate for Hinman family?
Whether or not Manson came in and slashed Hinman's ear the outcome still wasn't looking promising for Hinman's survival.
Being the optimist I USUALLY am, I'd like to think its sincere. None of the other killers ever have written a letter. Theres a chance this letter could hinder/dissuade the Parole board, because he's held on to the drug burn story for so long.
Does anyone know how recent this was written? The only doubt I have in my mind is that if this was was written recently, Bobby might be looking at his old pal Bruce whose been granted parole and wants to try to get his chance in by doing things to persuade the board.
I May be in the minority here but I think that 40+ years, in some instances, is enough time for penance. If the guy's psych evals and prison records are reasonably clean I think he should be paroled.
I am super curious who this letter is written to. Are we allowed to know? Brother, sister, niece?
Have they not written letters? I thought Leslie did and Debra Tate said Manson has been the only one who contacted her?
I too think he should parole. I think Leslie should parole and I think Bruce should parole. I think all three have done their time. I think all three are rehabilitated and all three at the point in their lives where they are not a danger and they are wise to this. They know going back to prison would be a life sentence.
I agree. I am big supporters of Bobby and Leslie.
I remember Leno Labianca's nephew complaining that Leslie never wrote them a letter to them in the 2002 parole hearing. Maybe since then she did? And MANSON contacted Debra? What did he say?
Lauren,
This particular letter
was written 8-18-2012. I
do believe it is sincere.
After having several
conversations with him.
J.C. who do you want me to
believe? Manson LOL I am not
brainwashed enough to believe
Charlie's bull. Also two
of the other killers have
given me the same story in
Regards to Gary. Bobby isn't
getting an endorsement from
me and he knows that.
However I do trust Bobby at
this point to know he is
being truthful unlike Charlie
and people that write books
on his behalf claiming what
a saint he is and that the
victims are all at fault and
have caused their own deaths.
If this letter is to be taken at face value, then the admission is that after manson cut Hinman, there was no way that Hinman would not go to police. No way for BB to avoid charges of something. So he chose to take Gary's life in order to avoid legal problems brought on by his own actions. Imo there should be no parole for that, for BB or anyone else.
wengr said...
If this letter is to be taken at face value, then the admission is that after manson cut Hinman, there was no way that Hinman would not go to police. No way for BB to avoid charges of something. So he chose to take Gary's life in order to avoid legal problems brought on by his own actions. Imo there should be no parole for that, for BB or anyone else.
BINGO!
@dbryant - "This particular letter was written 8-18-2012. I
do believe it is sincere. After having several conversations with him."
Could you explain your relationship with Bobby to clarify your statement?
Speaking Terms is what I would call it rather than relationship. Meaning I have written to him on
several occasions in regards to Gary and how important his life was to me. Gary really was the true victim in all of this. And I think this has been forgotten by alot of people. Gary was a very kind and generous man. And you don't see many people like him today.
However I think it is important to listen to Bobby if we are ever going to get any truth out of this case. He was at Gary's house and he is the one person who should know the real reason Gary was killed. I don't believe the drug burn motive at all. At least in regards to Gary. I truly believe he went their to rob Gary of his money and property and for no other reason. Still Bobby should of known better and I think he realizes this now. After 43 years I think a person should have remorse and he has shown this to me and that is why I believe him.
My main goal was to get the truth out. Not some made up theory going around in current books about Gary and his life.
I can't thank Liz enough for listening to me. She truly is a very nice and caring person.
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