On the morning of August 10, 1969 as law enforcement swarmed over 10050 Cielo Drive they discovered, among other things, a rope that was looped twice around Sharon Tate’s neck. The rope then ran over to the body of Jay Sebring and around his neck. One end trailed off from Jay Sebring on the floor. The other end ran from Sharon Tate over one of the beams in the living room.
Officer Joseph Granado described what he saw when he arrived
at the scene and even drew a diagram of the scene, which became People’s
Exhibit 196.
_____
Bugliosi: I am referring to People’s 194 for identification
and also People’s 41 for identification. What type of rope is it?
A: That is three major strand.
Q: It has three strands?
A: Yes.
Q: What material?
A: I found it to be nylon.
Q: So it is three-strand nylon rope; is that correct?
Q: Now, when that rope was in one piece, and you say it was
43 feet some inches, could you describe the manner in which the rope was tied
around Jay Sebring and Sharon Tate?
A: I brought some rope from the laboratory to try to show
this.
The rope around Sharon Tate was looped a couple of time
around her neck in this manner.
This end here was tied, and it went toward the direction of
Sebring.
This end was over a beam, with the end of the rope just
touching the floor of the residence.
The other part of the rope that went from Sharon Tate to
Sebring went around Sebring’s neck twice, and then wound inward thusly, forming
a type of knot that was holding tight onto the neck of Jay Sebring.
_____
Unfortunately, we do not have the benefit of Granado’s
demonstration or Exhibit 196.
One End of the Rope: Sharon Tate and the Rope
The first homicide report says:
_____
“There was dried blood smeared over the entire body. It
appeared to investigating officers that someone had handled the victim, as in
moving her from one location to another and the blood from the stab wounds had
been smeared over other parts of the body.”
(Tate First Homicide Investigation Progress Report)
_____
This means the collective opinion of decades of police experience
told the detectives viewing the scene that Sharon Tate’s body had moved. There is more then one way that could have happened. One possibility is that after she had passed her body moved, perhaps a result of a rope?
Thomas Naguchi, the coroner to the stars had already made a name for himself in the death of Marilyn Monroe and the assassination of Robert Kennedy. He was present at the scene.
_____
Q : So, part of your opinion that Sharon Marie Polanski was
hanged prior to her death is based on your observations at the scene?
A: Yes.
***
Q: Are you able to answer my question whether or not, in
your opinion, Sharon Polanski was suspended by a rope with her full body weight
before death?
A: I believe I would be able to answer your question.
Q: Would you please? What is your opinion?
A: I would be glad to.
I believe, based on the wound findings on the left side of
the cheek and the way the rope was tied at the scene that I personally
observed, the way the rope was placed over the beam of the living room, I would
form the opinion that Miss Sharon Tate had been suspended, perhaps not too long
a period, but perhaps a partial suspension for a short time.
As to whether or not this was caused after death or before
death—it is of a light reddish, and I believe that the suspension was caused
during the agonal stage.
Q: I didn’t hear that last word.
A: Agonal stage; during the dying process.
Q: All right. Continue, please. Finish if that is not the
conclusion.
A: I might elaborate further.
Q: Would you please?
A: My opinion of a possible short time suspension was based
on the lack of severe constriction of the ligature or rope mark, only a mere
rope burn, and the rope burn was placed in such a manner it shows around the
curvature of the left cheek bone, which gives the impression that the friction
was caused by pulling upward; that is, upward in the sense if the decedent’s
body were placed in a standing position.
_____
[Aside: who do you think asked these questions?]
_____
Q: Do you have a medical opinion as to how these two
rope burns were caused?
A: Yes, I do have an opinion.
Q: What is that opinion?
A: In my opinion, from the appearance of the abrasion, the
decedent must have been—the appearance of the abrasions is totally consistent
with the rope, a contacting the left cheek—and it is my opinion that the rope
was contacted firmly, giving a great deal of traction and it is quite
consistent in my opinion that that the decedent was hanged.
Q: That what was hanged?
Mr. Kanarek: Your Honor, I ask that be stricken because at
this point there is no foundation in the evidence for this particular opinion.
Mr. Bugliosi: Your Honor, he is giving a medical opinion. I
don’t know who else is more qualified than the Coroner.
Mr. Kanarek: Because he said it is consistent. It could be
consistent with other hypotheses. It must be in the record.
Court: Sustained.
_____
[Aside: The second quoted testimony is by Bugliosi on direct examination. When the court rules during Bugliosi’s direct
examination there is no evidence before the jury that Sharon Tate was hung.
None. The evidence has been stricken. And Bugliosi never goes back to the
subject in his direct examination.
The detailed questions, first, above, are by Fitzgerald on cross
examination. What was Fitzgerald thinking? One can only imagine the look on
Bugliosi’s face when Fitzgerald headed off down this road and placed squarely
before the jury that Sharon Tate was hung by the defendants and that she was
hung while she was dying.
One might also ask what happened to Kanarek? He obviously
wanted to keep this out on direct examination . Why
isn’t he leaping up to object? How about Shinn? His client was there. Hughes? Fitzgerald just managed to tell the jury his client tried to hang
Sharon Tate as she was dying.]
Naguchi didn’t say this happened when he was before
the Grand Jury.
_____
Q: Doctor, when you first saw the body of the person
depicted in Exhibit 23 did it have that rope around the neck as shown in that
photograph?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you examine that rope to determine the tightness of
the rope?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Did it appear to cause any type of strangulation? Was
there any abrasion about the neck or any scarring from the rope?
A: On the neck there was no indication of strangulation, no,
sir.
_____
Naguchi during his testimony frequently only answers what he
is asked (look at the testimony at the top). He is very careful. He avoids
offering anything. At the Grand Jury he doesn’t answer whether there was an abrasion on Sharon Tate’s
neck. He answers the first question. He also wasn’t asked whether he thought
she had been hung.
Naguchi’s opinion is based upon two things (1.) her
appearance at the scene (including the rope) and (2.) the appearance of the abrasions.
At the Watson trial Naguchi is somewhat clearer in his
testimony but is still relying on the appearance of the abrasions on Sharon
Tate’s neck.
Buglisoi: What is that opinion?
A: In my opinion, since the interrupted dark, red abrasion are
around the left cheekbone and following the curvature of the cheekbone back to
the ear, and the second abrasion was close to the abrasion I explained to you,
II would say that it is totally consistent, these abrasions to be cuased by
constriction and suspension.
Q: You are saying, then, that these two abrasions, these two
rope burns, are consistent with the conclusion that Sharon Tate was, in fact,
suspended in the air—
A: Yes.
Q: --for a period of time?
A: Yes.
*****
Q: But there was a period, in your opinion, when her body
actually left the ground?
A: Oh, yes.
_____
And on cross examination Naguchi stops short of saying the
incident occurred while Sharon Tate was dying.
_____
A: ---I shouldn’t say underneath, but below the cheekbone
and the abrasion is a dark red. That means it occurred while the person was
alive, that the blood oozes out after the scraping of the skin is completed and
the position of the rope is consistent with the abrasions that are shown in the
picture.
_____
Of course, Sharon Tate being hung while she was dying is
contradicted by the eyewitnesses.
_____
Atkins:
ATKINS: *****And I went into Sharon Tate’s room and told
them to go out in the living room. And the three of them were pretty much
terrified by what was going on. And Tex took the rope and tied it to Sebring
and Tate together and put the rope over the —
RICHARD CABALLERO: — beam
*****
PAUL CARUSO: What did he throw over the beam? Did he throw
the rope over the beam and then tie them?
SUSAN ATKINS: No, he tied them up and then pulled it tight,
and then threw it over so they couldn’t move either way.
RICHARD CABALLERO: What did they pull over her head?
SUSAN ATKINS: They didn’t put anything over their heads.
They didn’t have anything over their heads when we left, except Sharon Tate – I
threw a towel over her head.
RICHARD CABALLERO: When you threw the towel over her head,
was her head near Sebring’s?
SUSAN ATKINS: Sebring and Sharon Folger —
RICHARD CABALLERO: Sharon Tate.
SUSAN ATKINS: Sharon Tate was laying curled up near the
couch and Sebring was coming out this way from the fireplace and their heads
were probably close together.
RICHARD CABALLERO: I know the incident about the towel that
you were relating to Mr. Caruso, but what I want to ask you is when you did so
—
SUSAN ATKINS: I didn’t even look – I just threw it.
RICHARD CABALLERO: So, could it have fallen therefore over
Jay Sebring’s head as well?
SUSAN ATKINS: Yes.
(Atkins Interview by Caballero and Caruso, December 1, 1969-
thanks to cielodrive.com)
_______
A: And then he tied up Jay Sebring.
Q: “He” you are talking about….
A: Tex tied up Jay Sebring and Abigail Folger and Sharon
Tate.
Q: What part of the body did he tie?
A: The neck.
Q: What did he tie them up with?
A: A rope.
Q: This was the rope that was in the car?
A: Yes.
Q: And then after he tied up Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring and
Abigail Folger with the rope around their necks did he do anything with the
rope?
A: Yes, he threw it over a high beam which he pulled which
made Sharon and Abigail stand up so that they wouldn’t be choked to death and
then—
(Susan Atkins’ Grand Jury Testimony from Cielodrive.com)
_____
“Tex took the rope he had brought and tied it around the
necks of all three. He threw the end over one of the living room beams and
pulled it tight, forcing each of them to stand erect or choke.
*****
Suddenly Frykowski, still tied about the neck, but free of
the towel around his hands, grabbed me and we began to struggle. Apparently the
rope over the beam pulled loose and we fell to the floor, rolling and
twisting.”
(Slosser, Bob; Atkins, Susan. Child of Satan, Child of God
(p. 140). Menelorelin Dorenay’s Publishing. Kindle Edition.)
_____
Watson
“I had already tied Frykowski's hands behind him with one
end of the rope we'd brought and now I dragged
the rope over to Sebring and tied him, while Sadie tied a towel around Frykowski's
wrists according to my instructions. I
wrapped the rope around Sebring's neck and then slung it up over one of the rafters that ran across the room and
supported a loft above the fireplace. When I started to tie the rope around Sharon's neck, Sebring struggled
forward in the chair he was seated in beside the fireplace, shouting for me to be careful of her.
(Will You Die For Me by Charles Watson as told to Chaplain
Ray Hoekstra)
_____
Q: Did you carry a rope up the hill or into the house?
A: No, I did not.
Q: Did you tie any people up in that house?
A: No, I did not.
Q: Did you throw a rope over a rafter or anything of
that nature?
A: No, I did not.
(Watson’s trial testimony- of course we know we can’t rely
upon anything he said at the trial, which really renders anything he ever says- suspect.)
_____
In Folger’s autopsy report the following is noted:
_____
“On the right neck about mid-lateral is a series of three
bluish swollen contusions one measuring about 1 inch, one about 1-1/2 inch and
the other about 1-1/4 inches in maximum diameter.”
_____
These appear to be three distinct bruises and not the type
of wound (abrasion) a rope would cause on the right side of her neck. If the
rope went over the beam between them and Abigail was to Sharon’s right facing
the fireplace this might make sense but is inconsistent with Abigail’s
movements when chaos ensued- moving to her left towards the bedrooms, which
would cause her to pass in front of Sharon. And the wound is wrong, meaning it is unlikely this incident, as described by our eyewitnesses is accurate.
Sharon Tate’s autopsy report contains the following
information, which formed the basis for Naguchi’s opinion.
____
“The left side of the face discloses a somewhat linear but
slightly curved interrupted slightly irregular abrasion, associated with
ecchymosis.
Two abrasions are situated in a horizontal fashion. The
upper abrasion measures 2-1/2 inches and the lower 1-1/2 inches. A careful
examination of the abrasions reveal interrupted dark red superficial recent
loss of epidermis. The upper abrasion extends from the left naris to the lower
edge of the zygomatic bone. The abrasion extends slightly upward along the
curvature of the posterior aspect of the zygomatic bone. The lower abrasion is
on a level of the left side of the maxillary. The left side of the neck shows a
faint superficial abrasion, measuring 3 inches across the lateral aspect of the
neck to the occipital area. This abrasion shows minute irregular skin peeling,
suggesting this may be caused by fingernail scraping.”
[Aside: ecchymosis- Bleeding into the skin can occur from
broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can
collect under the tissue in larger flat areas (called purpura), or in a very
large bruised area (called an ecchymosis). A serious wound others have seen as a cut or 'gash' to her face.]
_____
Could Naguchi actually conclude that the injury occurred
during the agonal stage (while Sharon Tate
was dying)?
Was there time? Naguchi testified at the Grand Jury that
Sharon Tate may have survived her fatal wounds by 10-15 minutes. In relation to
other victims he repeated this estimate at the trial. So it could have
occurred.
But could he actually determine the timing?
One think that bothers me is not knowing whether Naguchi was
aware of Susan Atkins’ story. If he wasn’t he could easily conclude that Sharon
Tate had been hung from the injuries and
the crime scene. But that doesn’t answer the ultimate question. This incident
is significant because the claim, repeated at parole hearings is that an
attempt was made to hang Sharon Tate while she was dying.
From the research I have done I believe the answer is ‘No’.
“If
the wound was obviously inflicted on a living individual, the injured tissues,
mainly
skin, will show the typical inflammatory response as summarized by Legrand du
Saulle
in
the past century (3) (Table 1). Conversely, if the wound was inflicted on a
deceased
individual,
these macroscopic features will be absent due to the absence of a vital
reaction. If the
wound
was inflicted close to the moment of death, it can be difficult to make such a
diagnosis.
It
is well established that there is no exact boundary between life and death. The
period between
life
and cellular death is variable and depends on factors such as the cause of
death, individual
susceptibility,
and duration of pain, among others. Furthermore, different tissues die at
different
rates
depending on their ability to support anoxia. If, during the period between
life and cellular
death,
the body suffers any insult, a vital-like reaction may be seen, although
usually it is of
reduced
intensity. This reaction has been called an "agony reaction" or
"intermediate reaction."
It
is indicative of the lack of precision of the tissue reaction and results in
uncertainty as to the
diagnosis
of wound vitality. For this reason, it is difficult to differentiate between
the vital or
postmortem
origin of injuries sustained close to the moment of death. Tourdes (1-3)
described
an
"uncertainty period" of approximately 6 hours around the time of
death in which it is not
possible
to establish the vital or postmortem origin of a wound.
*****
The
goal of many forensic researchers has been to shorten this period. Many new
techniques
have
been applied during the last century. After using macroscopic methods
exclusively, optic
microscopy
was applied to allow recognition of early vital reaction changes, especially
those
derived
from a cellular response during the acute inflammatory reaction.
*****
These
studies have significantly contributed to reduction of the "uncertainty
period" described
by
Tourdes. Development of immunochemistry, histochemistry, enzymology, and
biochemistry
techniques
and the application of these methods since the 1960s are responsible for the
present
status
of diagnostic ability. The uncertainty period has been reduced to minutes.”
(Hernández-Cueto, Claudio M.D., Ph.D.; Girela, Eloy M.D., Ph.D.; Sweet, David J. D.M.D., Ph.D., Advances in the Diagnosis of Wound Vitality: A Review. American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology, April 2000)
That is why the scientific techniques referenced in the 'Hernandez' article have been developed: because observation is unreliable in dating wounds.
Despite all that what I have learned is that the abrasions to Sharon Tate’s neck and cheek are not
consistent with the eyewitness statements. If Sharon and Abigail were both forced to
stand to avoid being choked they should both have similar marks and they would
not be the more severe abrasion identified by Naguchi- their ability to stand
would have prevented ecchymosis.
Conclusion: There is no reliable evidence that the killers
attempted to hang Sharon Tate 'while she was dying'. There is, however, reliable evidence
and it is highly probable that she was, indeed, suspended off the ground by the rope for some
period of time despite the fact no eyewitness admits this happened, whether this occurred ante or post mortem is unknown.
[Aside: it is interesting that during his 1978 parole
hearing Watson does not refute Kay saying they hung Sharon Tate after she was
dying. He corrects other parts of Kay’s recitation but not that event, an event in a parole hearing, that
is fairly shocking.
The Other End of the Rope: Jay Sebring and the Rope.
In my opinion, the rope around Jay Sebring is one of the more
intriguing aspects of the physical evidence.
As stated I am not going to post crime scene photos of the
victims. However, if you review the one ‘whited out’ in Helter Skelter and the
grainy black and what photo of Sebring with the towel pulled back (taken at the
scene) you will see with your own eyes that the following witnesses are
absolutely correct.
_____
Granado
A: This rope was over a towel which was over his head.
*****
Q : Mr. Sebring’s head had a towel over it?
A: Yes, Covering his face.
Q: And then the rope was on top of the towel?
A: That is correct.
*****
Q: This towel which was around Jay Sebring’s head when you
first arrived on the scene, did it completely cover his face?
A: Yes.
Q: Did it completely cover his head?
A: Yes.
*****
_____
DeRosa
Q: Was a towel around the male’s neck or face when you
arrived at the scene?
A: Yes, it was at the time.
Q: Covering his whole face?
A: Yes, it was, yes.
The Court: May I see that? [People’s Exhibit 107- picture of
Sebring]
_____
The rope was over the towel. The towel was wrapped completely around Jay
Sebring’s head. This could not be an amazing towel toss by Atkins. Someone ‘staged’ this and no witness admits
it. Look at the eyewitness statements above. There is no mention of this
scenario- a rope over the towel around Sebring’s head. For me this fact, which
is not contradicted by anything I have ever seen, conveys three things.
Notice that it is Sebring and Tate that were together on the
rope. As far as any one of the murderers knew those two were ‘together’. They
were sitting together in a fairly intimate setting (on the bed, Sharon less
then fully clothed) talking together when they were discovered. And Sebring
sought to defend Sharon. Is it a stretch to conclude the killers would tie them
together and then, perhaps try to hang them from the rafters?
Bugliosi thought so and Danny DeCarlo said so and testified to it.
“One question remained unanswered. Why, on the night of the
Tate murders, did the killers bring along 43 feet 8 inches of rope? To tie up
the victims? Manson accomplished this the next night with a single leather
thong. I obtained a glimpse of a possible answer during one of my interviews
with DeCarlo. According to Danny, in late July of 1969, Manson had told him
that the establishment pigs “ought to have their throats cut and be hung up by
their feet.” This would really throw the fear into people, Manson said. The
logical inference, I felt, was that the killers brought along the rope
intending to hang their victims. It was only a guess, but I suspected it was
correct.”
Bugliosi, Vincent; Curt Gentry. Helter Skelter: The True
Story of the Manson Murders (p. 329). W. W. Norton & Company. Kindle
Edition.
Second, to me it is obvious, the killers spent more time ‘staging the scene’
then they admit. I am aware some will argue ‘Manson came back to the scene’. My
response is three-fold (1.) there wasn’t time (that has been covered elsewhere)
(2.) why would Manson connect Tate with Sebring? He wasn’t there during the
murders and (3.) Manson’s explanation of the glasses is scientifically
impossible and is key to his explanation.
The glasses are usually an integral part of the ‘Manson
returned’ storyline because Manson said somewhere that his ‘partner’ had some
glasses they used to start fires at the ranch and they left them there. The
problem, Charlie, is that it’s the wrong kind of glasses.
There are two main types of corrective lenses: Converging
lenses and diverging lenses. Diverging lenses, which are used to correct
nearsightedness, bend the light further away from the focal point, while
converging lenses, which correct farsightedness, bend the light towards the
focal point.
As a result, if you are
nearsighted, your glasses won't help you start a fire, because they are
actually dispersing the light instead of focusing it.
“On 9-4-69, officers also contacted the Los
Angeles County Optometric Society, 2411 West 8th Street, Doctor Wayne W. Hoeft,
president (Office 5554 Santa Monica Boulevard). Doctor Hoeft gave permission
for investigators to send him approximately 1300 Los Angeles Police Department
bulletins describing the physical makeup and description of the glasses found
at the crime scene. Additionally, he personally examined these glasses and
verified investigators' earlier information as to the type of lens and frame of
the glasses. He stated he personally felt, because of the curve of the ear
pieces, that the owner of the glasses had a small round head and probably the
left ear was approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch higher on the head than the right
ear. The doctor further stated that the concerned individual was myopic and
very definitely needed the glasses in his possession to see normally.”
(Second
(Tate) Homicide Investigation Progress Report)
‘Myopic’ means ‘nearsighted’. Sorry Charlie.
Third, I believe the staging of Sebring shoots a pretty fatal hole in
the copycat and drug burn motives. Ask yourself: under which
motive would staging a hanging or even staging Sebring make sense regardless of
who did it?
Why bring 43 feet of rope? Why not cut it into 5 foot sections if you want to tie someone up? Even if you don’t know how many people are in the house how does one strand of 43 feet help you? And notice, they didn’t tie anyone up with the rope, they used towels. So what was the rope for? I believe Bugliosi is correct, the rope was intended to be a ‘prop’ and used precisely how it was used- to stage hangings- and that to me says Helter Skelter.
Why bring 43 feet of rope? Why not cut it into 5 foot sections if you want to tie someone up? Even if you don’t know how many people are in the house how does one strand of 43 feet help you? And notice, they didn’t tie anyone up with the rope, they used towels. So what was the rope for? I believe Bugliosi is correct, the rope was intended to be a ‘prop’ and used precisely how it was used- to stage hangings- and that to me says Helter Skelter.
Drug burn: well, someone who follows this one will have to
explain how putting the rope around Sebring’s neck, over the towel can have
any connection to a drug burn because I can’t imagine one especially if my two
‘dealers’ are Sebring and Frykowski: why include Sharon? Why set it up like a
hood and then wrap the rope around the towel?
Answer: Helter Skelter and hanging 'pigs' from the rafters.
Answer: Helter Skelter and hanging 'pigs' from the rafters.
Pax Vobiscum
Dreath
