Barbara Beausoleil Art Website

 From Bobby Beausoleil's Facebook Page:

It is my honor to announce the debut of a new website devoted to showcasing the dynamic legacy of my late wife Barbara Beausoleil, whose birthday we celebrate today. 

Barbara, who is also called Mimi by members of her family, was our beloved family matriarch, and is held in high esteem by her many friends and acquaintances. This website has been established as an expression of love in an effort to preserve the memory of this remarkable woman and her many accomplishments, on behalf of all those whose lives she touched. 

 The Website is HERE

Thanks to Ken O. for the tip

A long way from "The Family Jams"

Steve Grogan aka Clem sure has come a long way....musically, at least. Once upon a time, he was a dusty, mixed-up kid who could pick a guitar slightly, while singing about the Manson Family's favorite subject matter: Death! Now, he is an accomplished, professional blues guitarist with a TON OF TALENT. Obviously, he has come a long way, because I found a video of him playing, and SINGING in a Paris, France club! OUI OUI!!

National Lampoon September 1970

For a later edition of a National Lampoon piece on Charles Manson visit Manson's Backporch

Tex Declared for Leslie!

Why did Tex Watson waste an afternoon, or morning on writing, and signing a declaration for Leslie Van Houten's 2007 parole consideration hearing? By doing this, he not only made himself look like he still cares for his fellow co-defendants, but he also got caught fibbing! Uh oh! Jesus freaks aren't supposed to lie, are they? Leslie has said in numerous parole hearings, and interviews that she KNEW that people were going to get killed the night she tagged along with them. Why is Tex saying otherwise? What the hell? Leave it to Deputy District Attorney Sequeira to find these little gems, and bring them up when these assholes are lying to everyone's face during parole hearings! Our little deputy DA had this to say when Tex made his last appearance before the board:

"In 2005, in conjunction with Leslie Van Houten's parole hearing, Tex Watson wrote a declaration and signed under the penalty of perjury, it's a four-page declaration at the request of Leslie Van Houten which was submitted to the Hearing Panel at that time. And in that -- I won't go into the whole declaration, but basically this declaration attempts to minimize and assist Leslie Van Houten to get a parole date, basically saying things such as -- and I'll just take one paragraph. I'm just going to briefly -- basically, he says that Leslie Van Houten didn't know that a murder was going to occur, that she didn't plan a murder, she didn't know a theft was going to occur. It was dated 11/2/2005 and it was executed here at Ione, California. But my point is, is that I don't believe that this inmate has completely severed his ties or his connection with his crime partners. I note that although he has discussed his crime at different times, I also believe that there were many more instances of crimes that he's aware of that may have been committed by other Manson Family members during the course of the time at the Ranch."

 

And, in Leslie's 2007 parole hearing, which this declaration was supposed to be for, she refused to talk about the crime itself, yet in her last parole hearing, which was this past summer (June 2013), she was asked by the presiding commissioner if she was aware of the five murders that took place the night before, and Leslie answers this:

"Yes." "We saw bodies being taken out on gurneys." Plus, she went on to state that Pat Krenwinkel had told her all about the murders they had committed the night before. So......all & all, the declaration Tex wrote was a bunch of horse shit! The Deputy DA seems to think these people still want to keep in contact with one another. What do y'all think? It sure does seem that way to me! Opinions on the matter? Anyone? Anyone? To read the actual parole transcripts for both of these mentirosas, please visit the always-bad-ass site of cielodrive.com!

The Curious Case of Brooks Poston

I had finished editing Manson Family Movies in 1984, minus the soundtrack. I was living in Encino and saw that Brooks & Jane were playing in Venice so naturally I went to see them. I figured I was the only one in the audience who knew who Brooks was in relation to Manson. Between sets we talked and I told him I had made a Manson movie that was in some ways a comedy due mainly to being made with no money. He thought that was a good approach. I also told him I was working on the soundtrack and he said "I recorded some of Charlie's songs you could possibly use." So I got his number. When I tried calling the number a few days later it did not work.

The next time I ran into Nick Bougas I told him the story, and he said he would work on locating Brooks. As it turned out, Nick was living in Burbank and so was Brooks, so Nick told him he was really interested in his music and arranged a meeting. He was able to score one of the audio tapes that Brooks and Jane had put out, but claimed that Brooks was adamant that he never recorded any of Charlie's music, and that he never said he had.

Nick made me a copy of the tape that he got and gave me Brooks' number, so I called him. I told him how we met and reminded him of what he had said, and again he denied ever having said that he recorded any of Charlie's music. I told him that I would like to get a copy of the other tape he put out, so he said to send him like $5 and he would send me one, which he did. Sometime later Nick told me that Brooks and Jane had joined some other cult and fled L.A. because their new cult leader told them that "L.A. would fall in the ocean."  

Many years later Nick moved to Georgia and I talked to him maybe once a year rather than all the time. Several years later I heard a rumor that Paul Watkins was talking to Nick on the phone, who recorded the call, and that Paul said that he had never turned on Charlie and that the Bug told him, as well as many others involved with Manson, that if they did not say in court what he told them to say that he would charge them with accessory to first degree murder. I wanted to hear this call so I called Nick but he denied any knowledge of it. I told him I had heard otherwise. He then said he had a flood in his basement, and since he had so much stuff he may have had it but it most likely got destroyed.

More years went by. I ran into [a prominent TLB scholar] at a flea market and he told me he had paid a lot of money for the original tapes of Brooks and Jane's music, and that Nick's girlfriend told him to not buy from me because I had crappy copies of this music. I had always been good friends with her and Nick, so now what's up? I told this man that Nick got one tape directly from Brooks and I got the other one directly from Brooks, and that Nick had made my copy off of the one that he had, so this "bad quality story" was some sort of con or who knows what.

Even more years pass and it is now close to the present time. Some guy turns up selling CDs of about 15 concerts and studio recordings of a band I never knew existed called Desert Sun comprised of Brooks, Jane, Paul and this other guy. The amazing thing is they HAD recorded a number of Charlie's songs!  It was obvious that this band was into Charlie as they recorded a number of his songs live and in studio. Furthermore Paul did a song explaining his present feelings toward Charlie, basically saying that he was still with him but they had gone different ways.  This band seems to have existed from 1972 on however I'm not sure when it ended.

I have been involved in ways with the Manson case since I first heard of it in 1969 following Altamont in November 1969, which I attended. When the case broke in December 1969 I was all over it. From 1971 and onward for the next several years I was Hitch Hiking on the Road and immediately ran into a number of people and we stayed together for years as a sort of Family. We were quite aware of the parallels with the Manson situation. The reason I mention that is because if I had known of this band's existence back then, I definitely would have gone to their concerts.

Another CD in this collection is called Hello Nick and it is a 40 minute message from Paul to Bougas. I was finally able to hear it recently. This was not the rumored phone call between Nick and Paul regarding Paul's being coerced by the Bug into testifying against Charlie in court. So perhaps the recording of that phone call actually was drowned in Nick's basement? Then again I did hear from someone years ago regarding the gist of the call. So someone somewhere has a copy.

I also found out recently that the mysterious new cult leader that Brooks and Jane fled with was Paul Crockett. It was around 1984 or 1985 as that's when Nick lost track of them and they were no longer living in Burbank. They had all moved to Washington.

Even more recently I heard that Crockett had died so now what is Brooks to do?

Devil's Hole Pupfish: "Species in a bucket"

Patty is finishing up her BS this spring and will finally get to wear a black bathrobe and goofy hat on stage. WOOT!  Before that however, there is the matter of a term paper on the evolutionary topic of her choice. Of course, she has chosen the Devil's Hole pupfish.  Do you know much about them? The story goes like this:

The Death Valley pupfishes consist of two groups of 3 distinct species with a total of 7 subspecies, and are an example of "rapid post-Pleistocene allopatric divergence" that occurred between 10-20,000 years ago. It occurred because Lake Manly, which at one time covered most of Death Valley, receded and left just a few isolated patches of water in its wake. Below is a picture of the dry Lake Manly lake bed from Devil's Hole, today.

Intriguingly, it is thought that Owens Valley pupfish are related to those in today's Colorado River, while Death Valley pupfish are related to a species found in Chihuahua, Mexico. This data suggests that there were two separate invasions of pupfish into the Lake Manly area that hybridized with each other to form the different subspecies of Cyprinodon.

The Cyprinodon diabolis population in Devil's hole may have once been as large as 800 adults. Conservation efforts began in 1969 when the hole may have appeared much shallower to visitors, like Charlie et al. In recent years, the C. diabolis population has varied from 38-95 adults, representing an increase since they became protected in 1976. The last time water levels were as low as they were in 1976 was 6,000 years ago. 1969-76 were the years with the lowest recorded water levels in years, due to explosive anthropogenic growth in Las Vegas. This growth required that more water be withdrawn from the natural aquifer that runs from Salt Lake City to Death Valley.

Devil’s Hole is also inhabited by 80 species of algae that provide most of C. diabolis' food. Water in the hole has a consistent temperature of 89.6F, is supersaturated with calcium carbonate and is its own little semi-closed system: i.e., "net autotrophic."  Attempts to raise C. diabolis in captivity have had limited success, though those collected in the springtime seem to be most fertile. At right is a diagram of the shape of the hole underground. It exists because the underground aquifer (aka the Amargosa Flood Plain) is forced upwards there, due to bedrock that was also pushed upwards by plate tectonics millions of years ago. This can clearly be seen in the photograph, below.

The Family is known to have repeated native stories about fertile subterranean lands inhabited by redheaded giants, and is likely the reason they were so interested in the Devil's Hole. Countless little habitats like this one were probably feasible human residences at some time in the history of the advancing and receding Lake Manly, but Devil's Hole is one of the most well known. Some scholars have written (albeit dubiously) since 1932 that the redheaded giants of native lore were the dessicated mummies of a taller native people from the North who lived and died in these habitats. The mummies' dark hair turns red due to the chemical composition of the caves, much like the hair on the "bog bodies" of Northern Europe (see below).

Anyhow, Patty contacted the National Park Service to see if they are having any problems with people trying to climb or throw things over the fence there? She thought that perhaps she could get the word out to Manson oriented tourists to "be cool." Patty is pleased to report that Dr. Wilson who is in charge of the fish's wellbeing reports that indeed, park visitors have been very respectful. Here is what he wrote:

"Thank you for your interest in Devils Hole.  I'm currently the Devils Hole Program manager for Death Valley National Park.  My title is an Aquatic Ecologist.  I have a PhD in Zoology from the University of Toronto and did my masters working on energetics of Devils Hole back in 2000-2001. Program staff have recently upgraded the security system and overall site at Devils Hole.  This has reduced vandalism, but some minor events have occurred.  For example, someone threw broken glass down into Devils Hole from the observation deck. Otherwise it has been quiet over the last several years.If you are ever in the area please contact me and we could arrange a more personal tour of Devils Hole.Regards, Kevin"

The desert. It's fucking amazing. If Patty wasn't planning on being in the area anytime soon, well then, she is now!

References:
Andersen, M.E. & Deacon, J.E. 2001. Population Size of Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) Correlates with Water Level. Copeia, 2001(1): 224-228. 
Barrett, P.J. (2011) Estimating Devils Hole Pupfish Lifestage Ratios Using the Delphi Method. Fisheries, 34:2, 73-79.
Baugh, T.M. & Deacon, J.E. 1983. Daily and yearly movement of the Devil’s Hole pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis wales in Devil’s Hole, Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist, October 1983, 592-596.
Bernot, M.J. &Wilson, K.P. (2012). Spatial and temporal variation of dissolved oxygen and ecosystem energetics in Devil’s Hole,Nevada. Western North American Naturalist 72(3), pp. 265–275.
Deacon, J.E., Williams, A.E., Deacon Williams, C. & Williams, J.E. 2007. Fueling population growth in Las Vegas: How large-scale groundwater withdrawal could burn regional biodiversity. BioScience, 57(8): 688-697.
Duvernell, D.D. & Turner, B.J. 1998. Evolutionary genetics of Death Valley pupfish populations: mitochondrial DNA sequence variation and population structure. Molecular Ecology 7: 279–288.
Duvernell, D.D. & Turner, B.J. 1999. Variation and Divergence of Death Valley Pupfish Populations at Retrotransposon-Defined Loci. Molecular Biology and Evolution 16(3): 363–371.Echelle, A.A. & A.F. Allozyme Perspective on Mitochondrial DNA Variation and Evolution of the Death Valley Pupfishes (Cyprinodontidae: Cyprinodon). Copeia, 1993(2) pp. 275-287.
Echelle, A.A. & Dowling, T.E. 1992. Mitochondrial DNA Variation and Evolution of the Death Valley Pupfishes. Evolution, 46(1), 193-206.
Lee, B. 1932. Death Valley Men. MacMillan Co., N.Y.
Wilson, K. 2014. Personal Communication via email with Devil’s Hole Program Manager for National Park Service: March 3, 2014.

Judge Older

As we all know Charles H. Older was the judge that presided over the Tate LaBianca trial.  He was assigned to the trial after Manson filed an affidavit of prejudice against Judge William Keene, who was originally assigned, and then removed from hearing the case.

Press Photo      $17.99

Charles Older, born September 29, 1917, was a Los Angeles area native, graduating from Beverly Hills High School where he was student body president.  He then went on to graduate from UCLA with a major in political science.  After college he went to US Navy flight training class and passed first in his class at Pensacola NAS April, 1940.  He served with Marine Fighting Squadron One.  By 1941 he had resigned his commission with the Marines to join the American Volunteer Group (AVG), a private military contractor, which was  hired by the Chinese nationalist government to combat the Japanese invading China before the United States was actively involved in WWII.

Autographed Fighter Pilot Photo       $599.00

The Flying Tigers, as they were known, consisted of three squadrons of 20 planes apiece.  The pilots made about three times as much as what they would have made in the military.  Older was the flight leader of AVG's 3rd Squadron's, the Hell's Angels, whose first battle was on December 23, 1941 where he shot down two Japanese planes, on Christmas day of that same year he shot down three more becoming an Ace with the Flying Tigers.  Before the Flying Tigers were officially disbanded July 4, 1942 he would shoot down five more Japanese planes becoming a double Ace.

Older then joined the Army Air Corps where he served from February 24, 1943 until January 14, 1946 during the US involvement in WWII.  August 10, 1950 he re-enlisted in the Air Force and served in Korea until January 6, 1951.   While serving in these two branches of the military he flew 18 more aerial victories earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, the British Distinguished Flying Cross and several Chinese Air Force Medals.  Between and after his military service he had enrolled in USC Law School and got his law degree in 1952.

Law Degree         $174.99

Older first worked for the law firm Arnold and Zack, from 1952 to 1954.  He was a partner in Keatinge and Older from 1954 until 1962 and in the firm Older, Hanh, Cazier and Hoegh from 1962 until 1968.  Okay, that last firm sounds a little like a take-off on Dewey, Cheatham and Howe!

 

Older was appointed to the bench in 1967 by Ronald Reagan, then governor of California.  He served as a judge until his retirement in 1987.  He died June 17, 2006 after complications from a fall at his West Hollywood home.

The Judge's Robe and Gavel        $650.00



After Older's retirement from the bench he apparently took up painting, which brings us to the point of this post.  Loyal blog reader Trilby clued us into a number of things belonging to Judge Older that were up for bid on Ebay.  I noted that every listing for the judge's things included the statement that he was the presiding judge in the Charles Manson trial.  Not all the items were listed by the same seller, there were multiple sellers.  Imagine all of his time in the military as an ace fighter pilot and 20 years on the bench and it comes down to defining him by one very high profile trial!

Oil Painting untitled        $650.00

Watercolor "The Foundry"        $99.50

 

Sharon Photos

Cannes International Film Festival, 1968

Photo credit to Roddy McDowell

Valley of The Dolls promo shot

 

For Venus and CarolMR:

Contributed by William Marshall

Outsight Radio: The Lost Vacaville Tapes with Ben Gurecki interview

Outsight Radio Hours / 2 February 2014 / This freeform episode features new & non-mainstream music featuring Charles Manson plus an interview with Mason associate Ben Gurecki. Programmed for this episode are Buckwheat Zydeco, Quincy Jones, The Beach Boys, and more.

Listen to the Gurecki interview HERE

Long Time Blog Reader has a Theory on The Steve Parent Clock Radio

Here is my clock radio theory; not that it matters much, but nobody has ever accepted the reason given:

Parent wasn't going there to sell it; he was going there to pick it up. He left it with Garretson the first time he drove him home, which is why he knew how to get back there. First ride home he offered him the radio and Garretson wasn't sure he wanted it. So, they went back to the guesthouse and Steve showed him how it worked and told him to hang on to it, try it for a few weeks, and if he likes it he could pay then or just give it back. If he really was gay, he was also setting up another meeting with a guy who lived with rich movie stars and maybe he could get to know him better. Leaving the clock was his "in", guaranteeing another meeting.

That's why he had the gall to show up so late, and knew the way back there - he probably couldn't get a hold of Garretson and was going to either get his money or the clock back. Also kinda explains why Garretson said he made a phone call to find out the time: the clock he had now gotten used to wasn't there so he (being not exactly the brightest candle in the menorah) decided to call.

In the Bug’s book Helter Skelter he says that a phone call was made from Cielo at around 11:45 and that a friend of Parent’s ended up coming forward that it was to him. Parent was gonna stop by to help him design or decide on a stereo system. The Bug actually says that during that phone call, Parent asked him the time, and that’s probably when he set the clock radio he was showing Garretson. Well, that makes zero sense because Garretson did not want the radio, and Parent was wearing a watch as we know, because Watson cut it off of his wrist. So could he have been comparing the times on his watch to the clock radio because it was off from his last visit (and was wondering what one was off)? Or, was the Bug just seeing more into it? Simply a conversation like we all have:

    Q: "what time you think you will be here"?
    A: "not sure, what time is it now?"

One thing we do know is, Garretson NEEDED a clock or he wouldn’t have said he tried to call to check the time later. Either, he left Bill the clock on the first visit so he could try it out, or it came up in conversation and he promised to bring one by when he got one. Whatever clock was there in that room, Rudy probably took with him. But it wasn’t out of the blue, it WAS something that Garretson needed.

When originally talking to the cops he explained Steve was there to sell a clock radio but didn't explain he already had it, Steve was just getting it back and since it didn't matter, he never corrected it.

    Police: "Why did Steve come to your house that night?"
    Bill: "to sell me a clock radio."
    Police: "what time did he arrive?"

The Bug could have known it but by then it wouldn't have mattered anyway, so why correct it and make police look dumb if it’s what really took place? They already looked dumb on several points.

Think of all the things Steve had to do: drive up there, find the button, know where to park, where the path is, where the guesthouse is. Makes no sense he would do that out of the blue like that unless he had been back there before and had a legitimate reason to return.

Also explains why the time was set. He wouldn't plug it in to show Garretson how it works if he didn't want it. And setting the time makes no sense anyways just to show someone it works, unless you stay for a day to see it keep proper time you would just show that the numbers roll over. Why set it?

He unplugged it and the time was set because it was being used for a week or weeks already. "Time to go, better grab my clock" - unplugs it at the precise moment he left, he didn't set it. It was already set and in use for weeks.

This just hit me one day when a friend did the same thing with me with a tablet. He said, "Just keep and try it a few weeks. If you don't like it just give it back" and it was like lightning stuck me.

So I really think all these years of speculation on what a crazy and unbelievable thing it was for a guy to show up out of the blue with a clock radio to sell to someone he barely knew might not be so crazy after all. He sold and serviced radios and stereos. Garretson needed one. Could be no more complicated as either, "try this out and if you don’t like I will just take it back", or " I will keep my eyes out, when a clock radio comes available I will bring it by your place".  I think he left it there the first time he was up there, because finding his way back late on a Friday night would be very nervy and kinda hard to do. So either way, he really must have been at the guesthouse before. He probably hadn’t heard from Bill and just wanted his clock or his money.

Bruce Davis Wins Parole Again

I just received an email from Michael Beckman, Bruce's attorney, saying that Bruce was granted parole.  No details as of yet but Debra Tate and Barbara Hoyt were there.

Finally.... a news story!

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Manson-Associate-Bruce-Davis-Granted-Parole-249978221.html

A new mug shot

To Be Or Not To Be: Bruce Davis's 28th hearing!

Well, it looks like the time has come once again for Bruce Davis to attend another parole hearing, which will be held Wednesday, March 12th at 8:30 AM PST. This will be his 28th parole consideration hearing! WOW! So, who all thinks it is time for Bruce to pack up & go home? How many are in favor of him staying indefinitely at California Men's Colony? As long as we're asking questions, how many of you out there in MansonBlogland think Bruce & company are responsible for more deaths? In my honest opinion, I don't think Bruce Davis, if released would be a danger to society, but.....has the punishment really fit the crime? Remember, a lot of people back then ended up 6 feet under while in the vicinity of the Manson Family. Why is that? I find it too much of a coincidence, don't you? Now, if this man can convince the parole board, especially after they listen to Deputy DA Patrick Sequeira sounding off, and to letters that will be read aloud from victim's next-of-kin-representative Debra Tate, and Manson-Family expert Barbara Hoyt, it will be a miracle! Please, let us know what you think? Will Bruce be burrowing back into his bottom rack, or boarding a bus to Freedomland?

The Fugly 3: Manson murderesses 1st prison mugshots from 1971

Oh the humanity! Feast your eyes upon some of the most creepiest, ugliest mugshots of Susan "Sexy Sadie" Atkins, Patricia "Katie" Krenwinkel, and Leslie "LuLu" Van Houten. These mugshots were supposedly taken when they FIRST arrived at the California Institute for Women in Corona, California in 1971. Clearly, these girls were nowhere near sane. What was it, folks that turned them so evil? What made these young women go from being regular, suburbanite, bouffant-headed, middle-class youths to glassy-eyed, snickering, coconut-headed, bloodthirsty maniacs with psycho eyes & shit-eating grins? Who the hell smiles on their first day of prison? I am at a loss for words. I am especially at a loss for words when my eyes saw mutton chops growing in on Pat Krenwinkel's face. Like I said earlier, "oh the humanity!"

Rob Zombie, Bret Easton Ellis team on Manson Family Series

In something of a curious pairing, director/musician Rob Zombie will team with AMERICAN PSYCHO author Bret Easton Ellis on an upcoming series exploring the infamous Manson Family and their vicious crimes in 1969.

Variety is reporting that the two creators, who both specialize in folks clearly out of their mind (albeit with very different aesthetics), are in early development at Fox on the series which “aims to tell converging stories of people and events leading up to and after the murders, from shifting points of view.”

Manson, of course is notorious for leading a sort of commune and forming the Manson Family, which turned murderous in 1969 and resulted in the deaths of seven people, actress Sharon Tate included. Since the arrests and convictions, his story has endlessly attracted fascination and inspired a host of art. Perhaps unsurprisingly (his HALLOWEEN II has quite the large image of Manson on a wall) Zombie counts himself among the intrigued. He says, “I have been obsessed with this insane story since I was a kid, so obviously I jumped at the chance to be involved in this incredible project. After speaking with Bret, I immediately realized that we shared the same vision for this epic madness.”

The Ellis/Zombie Manson series is still quite a ways off. Keep an eye on Fango for more as it develops.