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01
He misinterpreted The Beatles’ songs Helter Skelter and Blackbird to have hidden messages of an impending race war that would destroy the world and leave Manson and his Family to inherit the earth; in reality, Helter Skelter referred to a fairground ride.
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02
Never blinked when speaking; this mannerism was used by Anthony Hopkins in his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter after watching videos of Manson being interviewed.
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03
His mother Kathleen Maddox was 15 years old when he was born; his father is believed to be Colonel Scott, possibly a light-skinned African American. Kathleen won a child support order but collected almost no money.
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04
Though only charged with two murders, he claimed to have committed 35, and some authorities think even that may have been an understatement.
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05
He was a failed folk singer and songwriter. Several recordings of his works are commercially available, most recorded in prison. As a convicted felon, he received no money from these recordings, with royalties paid into a victims’ rights fund.
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06
Met record producer Terry Melcher through Dennis Wilson; Melcher recorded Manson once in a studio and once at Spahn Ranch with a mobile unit, considered signing him, but lost interest after seeing him lose his temper. Manson sent Family members to murder residents at Melcher’s former house on Cielo Drive to send a message.
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07
Was present at the Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca murder scene the night after Sharon Tate’s death, but left before the murders were committed; he was charged with masterminding them.
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08
Found to have an IQ of 121 above average/superior while at McNeil Island Penitentiary; a previous test measured 109 average/above average.
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09
When he was nine he was caught stealing and sent to reform school; at age 12 he was caught again and sent to the Gibault School for Boys in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1947, where he claimed repeated beatings, abuse, and rape by both staff and inmates. He spent nearly a decade in prison from 1958 to 1966.
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10
During the trial, President Richard Nixon publicly called Manson obviously guilty; Manson held the paper up in front of the jury hoping it would necessitate a retrial, but it did not.
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11
Despite being one of the most famous convicted murderers in history, there is no evidence he ever actually killed anyone himself.
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12
His mother was an alcoholic and sometime prostitute who once left him with a barmaid for a pitcher of beer.
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13
When Brian Warner became a rock star, he adopted the stage name Marilyn Manson by combining the first name of actress Marilyn Monroe with Manson’s last name; ironically, both were aliases Manson’s real name Charles Maddox, Monroe’s Norma Jean Mortensen.
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14
Had a son, Valentine Michael Manson nicknamed Pooh Bear, with Manson Family member Mary Brunner, born circa 1969; the child was placed with an adoptive family upon Manson’s arrest and raised by Brunner’s parents.
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15
Did not audition for a role on The Monkees in 1965, despite stories to the contrary; he was in prison serving a ten-year sentence for forgery and mail theft in 1965, not paroled until 1967.
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16
Was denied parole a total of twelve times; his last hearing was in 2012.
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17
Created the Land Armada, a fleet of armored dune buggies meant to protect his Family at Spahn Ranch during the race war he tried to instigate, Helter Skelter.
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18
Two of his songs were recorded by other artists: Cease to Exist retitled Never Learn Not to Love by The Beach Boys on their album 20/20; and Look At Your Game, Girl on Guns N’ Roses’ The Spaghetti Incident.
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19
Started an organization called ATWA Air, Trees, Water, Animals; not an environmental conservation society.
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20
Convicted in 1971 of seven murders committed in late summer 1969. Included were eight-month-pregnant actress Sharon Tate, wife of director Roman Polanski, and friends Voytek Frykowski, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Steve Parent. Tate’s unborn baby was buried as Paul Richard Polanski.
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21
In July 1969 he was convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of musician Gary Hinman and Donald Jerome Shorty Shea.
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22
By age 32, he had served more than half his life either in reform school or prison; altogether he spent almost 60 of his 83 years behind bars.
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23
Was taught how to play guitar by Alvin Karpis while both were in prison.
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24
Received his surname from William Manson, briefly married to his mother Kathleen Maddox.
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25
Buried in a cemetery in Porterville, California, between Fresno and Bakersfield; the state intended to bury him at Corcoran State Prison but his son successfully sued to bury him in Porterville.
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26
It is theorized that much of his behavior was a defense mechanism developed during youth to ward off physical altercations where his smaller size 5′2″ would put him at disadvantage.
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27
Portrayed by Steve Railsback in Helter Skelter 1976, Jeremy Davies in Helter Skelter 2004, Ryan Kiser in House of Manson 2014, and Damon Herriman in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019.
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28
Other artists recording or quoting Manson compositions include GG Allin Garbage Dump, Scramblehead The Fires Are Burning, The Lemonheads Home Is Where You’re Happy, and Marilyn Manson My Monkey.
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29
Portrayed twice by Damon Herriman in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2019 and Mindhunter 2017-2019.
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30
His Family has rubbed shoulders with the Church of Satan, the Process Church of Final Judgment, the Circe Order of Dog Blood, and the Foue Pi Movement.
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31
Portrayed by Matt Smith in Charlie Says 2018.
