On 9 December 1969, ITN's Robert Hargreaves reported from the now-infamous Spahn Ranch in Los Angeles. The ranch was home to the hippie commune and cult known as the Manson Family led by Charles Manson, who had been arrested and indicted days before for the murder of actress Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, and six other people. This report also features footage of 10050 Cielo Drive, Tate and Polanski's home in the Hollywood hills where the murders took place.
Leslie Van Houten, convicted murderer and member of the infamous Manson Family, has been released on parole after serving a sentence of 53 years. Having been arrested and charged in relation to the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, in January 1971 Van Houten was found guilty of their murders along with group leader Charles Manson and fellow followers Patricia Kiemwinkel and Susan Atkins. Originally given the death sentence, Van Houten was the youngest woman ever condemned to death in California. Her sentence was, along with those of her fellow convicts, later commuted to life in prison with eligibility for parole after seven years. Van Houten would be the subject of more than 23 parole hearings before her release five decades later.
The Manson Family and the murders they committed continue to grip the popular imagination and remain a macabre fascination for journalists, writers, and filmmakers alike. Leslie Van Houten has been the subject of a number of dramatic portrayals, most recently being played by Victoria Pedretti in Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Spahn Ranch features prominently as a setting in the film.
10 comments:
Speaking of Juan Flynn....
LADA files Box14 vol3076 pg74of302 Sandra Good
Juan was always up in arms. We have a movie of him, "Going to get those pigs," and just raving and screaming. If you want to look at the movie, you can watch Mr. Flynn in action.
LADA files Box 6 Vol176 pg68of164
Fromme: "Mr. Flynn is on film. We have a film of him. ... There are a lot of things that you won't let come out."
What a mess inside the buildings. Can't believe they lived like that.
I sorta doubt that they did live like that. To me, it always seemed more likely that the cops (or random curiosity-seekers) trashed the place when they raided it. That was actually pretty common back in the day. The footage of Hendrikson's from when they were living there never looked liked that.
The didn’t live like that. All of the photo’s and footage such as this were done after the raid.
HEADS UP- The criminally stupid book CHAOS is getting a Netflix documentary from Errol Morris the idiot who wrote a book trying to explain away the TONS of evidence against child killer Jeffrey MacDonald. We're gonna have a lot of newbie idiots talking about massively powerful parole officers and the connection to Son of Sam coming by to learn us. NEXT MONTH
Assuming he did those things--big assumption if we go on what Good/Fromme say, until we actually *see* the film--even so, how would that change anything about the case?
*insert eye roll*
The damage to the case has been done by that particular book.
Lynette Fromme includes a contribution from Gypsy in Reflexion (p 455), who wrote that while everyone was handcuffed outside during the raid, the police systematically demolished each room. There were TV cameras there too, and that is likely where the photos and film came from.
I really doubt Charlie would accept a regular lack of housekeeping with all those girls around to do women's work.
No doubt the exposure will create a new wave of conspiracy acolytes, but Errol Morris is good at documentaries. He give his subjects enough space to expose themselves through their own words. I see CHAOS as a descent into obsessive behavior more than a book about Charles Manson. If Morris feels the same, this could be a great film.
Thanks for posting Matt. I've always imagined Juan as a dumb lug from Hendricks movies and other books. This video portrays him as rather petite and timid. I dont mind new docs or new conspiracies. Even if they come from questionable research, those docs now and the ones to come keep the case in public eye. I admit to being frustrated when a broadcaster on a recent doc (YouTube or Netflix...can't remember which) "uncovered" the real killer, Tex Watson. (UgH). But then my arrogance reminded me that all this stuff (and the reason for the blog) is to keep this case fresh and open to the eyes, ears, and brains of new people....not neceessarily us OGs who've been kicking ideas around on this site for over a decade..but to new frames of reference. Those 9 will always be stuck in time and maybe, just maybe, one of these new motives, docs or armchair TLB'ers will hit gold and give new voices to those gone. When is the next Manson tour?
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