The Manson Murders 40 Years Later
HILL: In tonight's "Crime & Punishment" report, Charles Manson and the killing spree that cut deep into America's psyche. Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the so-called Manson family murders. But with his followers now asking for freedom and speculation of even more victims, the story continues to make news today. And we're going to bring it to you over this full week. First, though, Ted Rowlands takes us back to the crime that shocked the nation.</s>TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The psychopath who carved a swastika into his forehead is 74 now. Time has changed his face, but peer into the eyes. They are as dark and penetrating as they were when the world first met Charles Manson. It has been 40 years since the messianic madmen and his disciples slaughtered seven people. (on camera): And it began right here on Cielo Drive, a quiet leafy cul de sac overlooking Beverly Hills. You see this security gate. Behind it there's a mansion, but in the 1960s a much smaller house was at this address. It was home to two rising Hollywood stars: director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. (voice-over): At 26, Tate was young, beautiful. She was also 8 1/2 months pregnant when the killers arrived on August 9, 1969. On Manson's orders, four members of his cult, or the family, as they were called, went on a murder spree at the home. With knives and guns they took the lives of Tate, a young caretaker, and three family friends. Before leaving, they left a message on the front door, scrawled in blood; the word "pig." The scene was horrific, but there would be more to come. (on camera): The next day Manson himself accompanied the group here to the home of supermarket executive Leno La Bianca and his wife. Except for this gate and some remodeling, the house today looks very much the same as it did when the Manson family entered the property and tortured the couple before killing them. (voice-over): Again, more cryptic words in blood, like "rise" and "helter-skelter," a reference to the Beatles song of the same name.</s>BLOOM: I think the Manson murders were the iconic crimes of the 1960s. They incorporated everything from the sexual fascination of Manson with his many women followers, to the Beatles music of the day, the outlandish courtroom circus that the trial became.</s>ROWLANDS: Manson was a 5'2" megalomaniac, a man who spent more than half of his life behind bars before moving to California where he portrayed himself as a hippie and a musician. He attracted the lonely, desperate, and troubled, mostly women, who traveled with him across the state, until they moved into an abandoned building on an old movie set outside of Los Angeles. What was behind the murders?</s>BLOOM: Manson said that he did it to try to start a race war. His theory was that blacks would win in a race war against the whites. They would be unable to govern, and then he would emerge and take over.</s>ROWLANDS: In 1971, Manson and four of his followers were given the death penalty, but the sentences were commuted to life when California abolished capital punishment. Over the years, Manson has turned his parole hearings into a circus filled with wild antics and ramblings. He will likely die in prison, a fate other members of the so-called family want to avoid. Susan Atkins, who has terminal cancer, was denied parole last year but is up again next month. Leslie Van Houten is also longing for freedom. This is what she said in 2004.</s>LESLIE VAN HOUTEN, CONVICTED OF MURDER: I was raised to be a decent human being. I turned into a monster. And I have spent these years going back to a decent human being, and I just don't know what else to say.</s>ROWLANDS: Ted Rowlands, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>HILL: Amazing. Tomorrow "The Manson Killers: the women who followed his orders to murder." 40 years later they say they've changed, as you just heard. You heard them asking for forgiveness. And they also want their freedom. So should they get it? We'll let you decide tomorrow. And for a full timeline of the Manson murders and to see crime-scene photos and more background, log onto our Web site at AC360.com. Just ahead, 70 percent of children in America are in need of an important vitamin. What is it, and what can parents do? Lucky for you we'll have the answer next. Plus, demolition disaster. Find out where this implosion -- keep watching -- went terribly wrong.