Robert J. DeBry’s Wrongful Death Serial Series — Charles Manson
Robert J. DeBry and Associates has recently researched a few cases of infamous serial killers who could have or have been involved in wrongful death cases. They have published a series of videos, social media posts, and blog posts about the various serial killers. With all the popularity surrounding serial killers right now, it is interesting to investigate the justice or court side of some of the most infamous cases. Many people know about serial killers, but don’t know what happens after the fact. It is interesting to learn about some of the logistics of these huge cases.
Charles Manson
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One of the most infamous serial killers Robert J. DeBry wrote about is Charles Manson and his “family.” Charles Manson was an American cult leader whose followers carried out several murders in the 1960s.
In his adolescence, Charles lived on the streets and participated in some petty crimes. He spent time in and out of prison until 1967 and eventually attracted a group of loyal followers. He moved with his group of followers to Spahn Ranch outside of Chatsworth, California. Manson’s group of around 100 followers were known and called his “family.” They habitually used hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and mushrooms. Many of the followers even thought Manson was Jesus.
The Manson family was known to have carried out around 35 killings. One of the most gruesome murders was at the home of Roman Polanski, who was a famous movie director. Five high-status celebrities were murdered, including Polanski’s 8-month pregnant wife, Sharon Tate. Tate begged for her and her child’s life, but she was mercilessly stabbed multiple times. They then used Tate’s blood to write the word “pig” on the front door.
The Manson family started committing murders in July 1969 and continued until their capture in October 1969. In a confession, one Manson family member said that “[they] had a list of Hollywood stars they were going to kill.” The list included Elizabeth Taylor, her husband Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, Steve McQueen and Tom Jones. They said they wanted to kill celebrities to, “shock the world and make people take notice.”
On January 25, 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Manson’s sentence was changed to life in prison in 1977 (only because California’s Supreme Court invalidated all death sentences prior to 1972). Manson’s family members who were involved in the murders were also sentenced to life in prison. Manson died November 19, 2017, due to natural causes. He was 83 years old. To our knowledge, one of the victim’s children sued the “Manson family” for wrongful death. But there possibly could have been many more cases filed for wrongful death.
