Manson dies

The Herald reports:

Charles Manson – one of America’s most notorious killers and cult leaders – has died at the age of 83.

Manson was connected to the brutal slayings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, the wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, and other Hollywood residents, but was never found guilty of committing the murders himself. …

Manson and his followers, often referred to as the Manson Family, committed a series of nine murders at four locations over five weeks in the summer of 1969. In 1971, he was found guilty of conspiracy to commit the murders of seven people.

The most heinous killing is arguably that of Sharon Tate, who despite pleading for the life of her eight-month-old unborn child, was mercilessly stabbed in the stomach by Manson family member Susan Atkins.

She was one of four people who died on August 9, 1969, at Polanski’s home in Benedict Canyon.

It is thought they may have killed in fact up to 35 people. There are few pure evil people around but Manson was one of them.