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Clark Nagle and Robert Bomse were two young men that were arrested June 22,1968 along with Susan Atkins (Sadie Mae Glutz), Patricia Krenwinkel (Cathran Smith), Stephanie Rowe (Suzanne Scott), Ella Jo Bailey (Ella Beth Cinder), and Mary Brunner.
Bomse was considered an adult at 18 years old so he was named in the article. Clark Nagle was one of the 17 year olds and was not named.
Cielo Drive obtained a number of files relating to the Manson Family from the Los Angeles County Districy Attorney's Office which he has been doling out for the past few months on his Patreon website. Files on Clark Nagle and Robert Bomse are two of those files.
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| Clark Nagle 1967 |
Clark Eugene Nagle, a juvenile at the time of the so called Witches of Mendocino arrests, was a troubled youth. He had a string of arrests and was a runaway from foster care in Mendocino County on June 22, 1968. His parents had washed their hands of him because of his uncontrollable behavior. Clark's file is probably typical of a youth who has lost his way and can see no other way to conduct their life except to drink, use drugs and be a general menace.
The one thing that is interesting about his file is that Roger Smith was asked to enroll Clark in his Amphetamine Research Project. There are a few pages between pages 31 and 43 where Roger Smith is mentioned. There's even a letter signed by Roger Smith explaining a little about what he does. It appears that the project was to be run out of a group home in Bodega Bay (Sonoma County). The project was to be facilitated under the auspices of the University of California at San Francisco, Children's Hospital.
We have little or no documentation about Roger Smith and his project. Dr. David Smith from the Haight-Ashbury clinic does mention Roger Smith and his project in his book "Love Needs Care" but that doesn't equate to documentation. So, it's nice to see a little something and know who sponsored the project.
As for Clark going forward after his Boonville arrest, it appears that Mendocino County kept him in their custody until a couple of weeks before his 18th birthday and then cut him loose. He was no longer their problem. Clark, according to newspaper articles was arrested again for DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. His crimes weren't such that they warranted publication. He found the fortitude to get clean and eventually became a counselor at ABC Recovery Center in Indio CA. He was living in Palm Desert and working for ABC when he died Feb. 18, 1990, at age 39.
Robert Michael Bomse was 18 years old when arrested. He was considered an adult. His file is confined to the the crimes he was arrested for on June 22, 1968. There is no real background other than saying he was from Brooklyn NY and his parents names.
Bomse pled guilty to possession of marijuana and was given a suspended sentence of 120 days in jail and two years probation. He was also ordered to the California State Hospital in Talmage (Mendocino County) for an evaluation.
Robert unlike Clark had a good relationship with his parents. His mother came out from New York soon after he was arrested. Presumably she helped him through the legal end of his arrest. It's what happened after his release that is notable.
Robert had such a good relationship with his parents that his father Dr. Emmanuel Bomse leased land in New Mexico for Robert and some of his New York friends to start the Kingdom of Heaven commune near Guadalupita NM. After a few months the locals took exception to the folks at the commune for applying for food stamps and other government handouts. They felt that the government assistance should go to the local people that really needed it as opposed to a bunch of college kids from out of state.
As a result six local men went to the Kingdom of Heaven commune and attacked. One of the men who came out from New York with Robert Bomse was killed. Bomse was hit in the head with a pistol and shoved in the trunk of a car with two other people. A woman was raped. In the end the locals got off pretty light.
The Hog Farm's New Mexico commune gets a mention in the Aug. 17, 1970 article.
There's not much of a trail on Bomse after the killing in New Mexico. There was a divorce announcement in the Hawaii Tribune Herald saying that Bonnie Bomse of Captain Cook, HI and Robert Bomse of London England had filed for divorce in Dec. 1972.
Robert Bomse died in March 1984 at the age of 35.
16 comments:
So neither lived past 40.
I guess getting back to nature wasn't that healthy after all.
Great post, Deb. Thanks for all the detailed documents.
One year and a $500 fine for murder, gang rape, kidnapping and assault. Wow! As Lenny Bruce said "In the Halls of Justice, the only justice is in the halls".
Thanks, Deb (as always).
What do you think their relationship was with the Witches of Mendocino? Were they customers or part of the drug operation?
I see Mendicino, I hear the song by the Sir Douglas Quintet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3V2BGQKAk
Medium Patty, the girls were sent up to Mendocino to recruit and they did attract quite a few young men in the short time they were there. I think the young men were looking to party, perhaps have a place to stay for the night and get laid!
What was Roger Smith doing operating or promoting a group home? Was it part of his research with the Amphetamine Research Project? How did he get Nagle's name? One is tempted to think Smith got it because he was keeping tabs on Charlie's girls. But why would he care? He's getting out of the parole officer game by this time.
Starviego, I think that the group home was part of the research project. It was probably where he put his research subjects to keep tabs on them.
Smith did agree to foster Michael so would have been in contact with the Mendocino authorities. He may have looked at the police report and decided that Nagle would make a good subject for his research. So far, we only have Nagle and Bomse's files. There were a few other boys that were arrested. Perhaps they were invited to the research project, too.
I'm not sure how Smith knew about the girls arrests. I assume that at least one of the girls contacted Manson and Manson contacted Smith asking him to help the girls out. One thing that stands out to me is that the research project was sponsored by the Children's Hospital at UCSF. I doubt that the project was intended for a man in his 30's. So, why was Manson involved with Smith in the first place?
We seem to have misplaced our resident Nagel. Michael H. are you there?
This article states:
“After a few months the locals took exception to the folks at the commune for applying for food stamps and other government handouts.”
Related to this statement - is there any reliable documentation that Manson, and/or his so-called family, received any welfare or food stamp support before the Barker arrests?
After the Barker arrests was Sandy receiving welfare assistance in 1969?
In 1975 were Sandy and Lyn receiving welfare assistance?
Back to the article, I think those boys were on the wrong track and would have found themselves in trouble even if they never met the witches.
TabOrFresca, I've never seen any documentation that anyone in the Family received government assistance. They guarded their true identities with all of those aliases much of the time. To get government assistance they would have had to show ID, had a permanent address and show a need with rent and utility etc. receipts so, I kind of doubt it.
TabOrFresca, I was wrong! Cielodrive just pointed out to me in an email that the Family did at least apply for welfare. The information was located in the Renne Memo at Cielodrive's Patreon website. This memo is in regard to the Mendocino County arrests.
Here is the pertinent paragraph:
"It is interesting to note that when arrested, Cathran Patricia Smith (Krenwinkel) first claimed to be the mother of the child, and she signed an application for welfare aid for the child, first using as her name Smith, then Krenwinkel. The baby, too, was first designated Michael Smith. I understand from Duncan James that the Welfare Department files contain extensive information about Manson and the “family.” Under current policy, however, I understand that these files are unavailable. I know that Mr. Rudy Michaels, chief counsel for the Department of Social Welfare in Sacramento at 445-3136, is a source of information with respect to these rules."
Thanks DebS and cielodrive.com. While I had previously read the “Renne Memo”, I don’t think it really sunk in.
"..the Welfare Department files contain extensive information about Manson and the “family.” "
This of course implies some degree of contact between the "Welfare Department" and the Family. Did the Family seek out the Welfare Department, or did the Welfare Department seek out the Family? Was there a link to Melba Cronkrite, who was described by Lynette in her book(pg197) as
"now working in an executive position for a government social service, which enabled her to bring home surplus foods that she gave to us.... ."
Note that Melba sought out the Family. They did not come to her.
Check this short film about the Speed Scene in San Francisco. Lots of familiar faces for folks like us
https://youtu.be/AXZ4Wr_26cQ?si=Rm0FYUZ6dcYQtU9Y
Thanks Doug!
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