Friday, May 22, 2020

The Top 14 Uses of Manson's 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card

Many TLB researchers have noted the curious fact that Charlie continuously got in trouble with the law, but never had his parole revoked and sent back to prison. I count at least 14 of these incidents:

1)  7-28-67   
Charlie arrested in Legget, Ukiah County for interfering with an officer; sentenced to three years probation

2)  4-21-68  
Oxnard arrests, Ventura County; Charlie arrested with others for possessing phony IDs

3)  5-2-68   
Summit Trail house raided; Manson arrested with Dianne Lake and Bruce Davis on pot possession. Ruled 'insufficient evidence to prosecute'

4)  3-23-69
Christine Smith, 16 (aka the "Girl from Reseda") reports being raped by Charlie at Spahn.
"On June 3, Melcher and Jackobson arrived at Spahn and there were two policemen there interrogating Charlie about the rape. On the next day(June 4), it says, Charlie was arrested on that charge and bailed out the next day. "Nothing ever happened with the charge and once again Charlie Manson got away with encroachment."
[Sanders, pg191-2]

5)  3-30-69  
Manson arrested for beating up DeCarlo's wife.  [The Family, pg`150]

6)  5-2-69  
The ex-con on parole and probation illegally purchases two guns.  No consequences.
"It is alleged that on or about July 2, 1969, subject purchased a short barreled rifle and on or about July 14, 1969, purchased a nine millimeter hand gun."

[Box 52 pg162of198]

7)  6-4-69  
Manson arrested and charged with DUI and being on drugs after being pulled over for speeding in the San Fernando Valley at 3:30am.  TJ Walleman, Nancy Pitman, Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins also arrested for being on drugs.  All except Atkins released within 24 hours.  Atkins shipped north to face parole violation charges.
[Chaos, Tom O'Neill, pg274]

8)  7-1-69  
Crowe Shooting
Five witnesses to the attempted murder other than Manson and Crowe, but somehow the police couldn't figure it out.

9)  7-27-69  
Hinman Murder
According to witness Dinwiddie, Hinman and Manson were feuding, but apparently the cops didn't hear about it.

10)  7-28-69  
Spahn mini-Raid
Stolen car of murder victim found at the ranch, but cops couldn't put the clues together.

11)  8-16-69  
Spahn Raid
Stolen credit cards fall from Charlie's pocket while being dragged out, but that's not enough for the cops.

12)  8-23-69  
Outlaw Shacks Pot bust
Stephanie Schram and Charlie arrested for possession of marijuana at Spahn.  The minor with no criminal record is charged, the ex-con on parole and probation skates.

13)  10-1-69 
Filippo Tenerelli, 23, allegedly shot himself in the face with a shotgun
Most probably a murder; victim tied to Mansonoids.  Judged a suicide, no need to investigate further.

14)  10-12-69  Barker Ranch Raid
Even the Barker raids which put Manson behind bars for the final time may have been an accident.
An interview with retired CHP officer Jim Pursell indicates it wasn't supposed to happen:


On the Track of the Death Valley Hippie Gang, Jim Pursell’s Harrowing Arrest of Charles Manson- Aug 6, 2018

At that time, the county sheriff had little law enforcement experience. .. He would not allow his people to become involved in this.  ...
Sheriff of Shoshone, Don Ward, just about lost his job. In the middle of all this, Brooks Poston and Paul Crockett decided things were getting pretty hot for them. There’s a talc mine about halfway between Barker Ranch and Death Valley. They hiked out there and got a ride into Shoshone. Don Ward interviewed them on a wire recorder, that’s before tape recorders came out. He then drove to Independence, so the sheriff there could hear what these witnesses were telling us about the strangeness going on out there. Don told me the sheriff listened for about a minute, jumped up, grabbed the reels off the machine, and threw them across the room. He ordered Don back to his resident post, and that he was not to be involved in this at all. ....
I think it was a total of twenty-eight of them that we dumped off at the Independence sheriff’s jail, and he just went bonkers.  ...
When the higher-ups heard about the Bishop area sending officers out into the boondocks to chase hippies, our (CHP)chief got called to Sacramento and got(his butt) chewed on like it never been chewed in his career. So, he asked Dave, ‘What the hell’s going on with this thing?’  ...


Although Manson was repeatedly arrested, Smith never revoked his parole. In mid-1968, after one arrest made the newspapers, Smith’s supervisor tried to step in—but was overruled by the head office in Washington, DC.

It is thus quite obvious that America's most notorious mass murderer was being 'protected' by higher ups.

*Thread submitted by Starviego.

12 comments:

LynyrdSkynyrdBand said...

Thank You Starviego for your contribution.

katie8753 said...

Thanks Starviego! I've often wondered about this. Manson had so many parole violations that he should have been put back in the slammer for the rest of his life. If his parole officer had been doing his job, none of these people would have been murdered. I'm wondering why nobody sued Smith for his dereliction of duty.

Is having sex with a minor illegal in Cal-i-for-ni-a?

sunset77 said...

Keep in mind Charles Manson was very smart when it came to being a criminal. He knew how to get other people to commit his crimes and if anyone was caught, he would let other people get the blame. He wasn't even present at the Tate murder scene and left the LaBianc murders before the people were actually killed. You learn "tricks" like that being a criminal all your life.

Manson was a nasty, creepy little dude that people didn't want to deal with, probably including police. Jails are full of people like that, I seen many come and go and come again with my own eyes. It was the 60's, California was full of drug users, hippies,war protestors, and other bizarre people. Plus, it's possible the police might have been getting information from Manson or his followers. Back in those days police didn't have things like surveillance cameras, or DNA. They had to ask people they brought in who was selling drugs, stealing cars and engaged in other crimes.

Dilligaf said...

It is always difficult to reflect back on something through a fifty year old (or more) lens. Yes, the Wooly Hophead was on Federal parole, and while he could have faces revocation if the charges were serious enough, things were handled much differently. In 68-69, rape allegations were not taken as serious (unfortunately), victims were not treated the way they are today. If a victim refused to follow through with the criminal complaint, the charge was tossed.

DUI? Handled much different. Weapons possession? The details behind it matter as to why charges were dropped. Even then, an arrest did not equal conviction, and each case then, as it is now, has to be adjudicated on its own. Did the Wooly Hophead have some sort of protection? Highly unlikely, but in life anything is possible. Instead, I believe that the actual crimes alleged involved evidentiary issues, witness reluctance, or the crimes were petty enough to not warrant parole revocation.

beauders said...

Starviego, was the girl from Reseda really named Cheistine Smith or is it an assumed name? Also I believe that not only did Manson beat up DeCarlo's wife I believe he raped her. She dropped her complaint against Manson and DeCarlo because she was scared. Does anyone know what happened to Dennis DeCarlo? There is a picture of RuthAnn Morehouse holding a dark skinned baby. I believe that baby is Dennis DeCarlo and not Susan Atkins son Zezo as many believe.

starviego said...

"...was the girl from Reseda really named Cheistine Smith or is it an assumed name?"

The victim is listed as 'Christine M. Smith' on the police report.

--------------------

"(Barker Ranch Raid)...retired CHP officer Jim Pursell indicates it wasn't supposed to happen"

Is it not curious that it wasn't the LAPD that finally lowered the boom on Charlie's rampage? It wasn't the LASO, nor the FBI, nor the Inyo County Sheriff, nor the California Highway Patrol, nor the parole and probation officers. It was the National Park Service that initiated the investigation that stopped it. At that time no one figured they could be a threat to Charlie, so they were never told to leave the Family alone.

beauders said...

Thanks Starviego

Doug said...

One well-known "Girl from Reseda" who was VERY immersed into the Topanga/Hollywood/music sceneby 1968 was former (current in 1968) GTO member and, self-proclaimed "Super Groupie" Miss Pamela Miller (later to be known as Pamela DesBarres.

Wonder if she knew Christine M. Smith?

Unknown said...

I wouldn't exactly call Manson a smart criminal.
He got busted repeatedly, often doing long stretches for petty crimes

starviego said...


LADA files Box54-3 pg1851 Sam Barrett 'United States Probation and Parole Officer' last saw Manson in June of '69, went to Spahn in Sept '69, went to Spahn 3 or 4 times in total. Barrett did not attempt to interview Manson between June to late Sept '69.

So right when the Family starts going ultra-violent, the PO makes himself scarce. How many of these facts can people ignore?

starviego said...

On page 593 of Helter Skelter, starting on page 592 “On December 24 , 1969, Patricia Krenwinkle had been examined by a Mobile, Alabama, psychiatrist, a Dr. Claude Brown.”

From the notes of that examination:

“…following the murders “she was always fearful that they would be arrested for what they had done, but ‘Charlie said nobody could touch us.'”

[credit to 136or142]

starviego said...


More examples of Charlie's 'Get Out of Jail Free' Card are in the many times Manson was able to escape or anticipate police raids. Sounds had he had a snitch in a high position.

--March(or February) '69 Barker Ranch raid by Shoshone Dep. Sheriff Don Ward, with two or three others. The raid caught Brooks Posten, Paul Watkins, and Juanita Wildbush, but not numerous others who had conveniently decamped the day before.

www.cielodrive.com/updates/brooks-postons-october-3rd-1969-interview-with-james-pursell-in-inyo-county/
Brooks Poston interview by Inyo County Sheriff Don Ward October 3rd, 1969
"... Juanita was the only one left, as they had heard the Sheriff was coming up. And, Charlie sent a truck up to get a – all the people out, that he could – or that he wanted out. And he left Joan Wildbush and myself up there, to face the Sheriff...
.... there was a supply run made to Las Vegas. In which, Joan and the girl named Sherri went. And when they came back, there was a big hurry to get all the people out except Joan and myself. Because, as I was later to find out, the Sheriff was coming."


--July 29, 1969 Spahn mini-raid. Charlie was right out there on Santa Susanna Pass Road to greet the 'surprise' visitors.

Ed Sanders' The Family, pg250:
"He(Manson) had concealed himself and his dune buggy in underbrush near the turnoff from Topanga Canyon Boulevard onto Santa Susanna Pass Road, awaiting the invasion of hostile forces."


--August 16, 1969 Spahn raid. The cops moved it up a day, because they feared Charlie had gotten advance intel on the raid.

Manson's Hinman/Shea trial, Oct '71
LADA files Box54-4 pg603 Testimony of LASO Dep. Preston Guillory
"The raid was supposed to take place on Sunday morning, but it was moved up, because we were told that members of the ranch--or somebody--had knowledge of the raid, and that they may have made efforts to pull out or to fortify further."

But even then, the night before Charlie allegedly told Gypsy that they would be raided in the morning.


--The large-scale Barker Ranch raid of September 30th, 1969. Which didn't find a single Mansonoid.

Desert Shadows, pg73
"Those participating in the September 30 search were disappointed. The net result of all the planning seemed to be two inoperable dune buggies and no suspect. The men wondered if the hippies had somehow learned of their plans, but it was more likely they were spooked because of the visit of Powell and Pursell the previous day. They had vacated Goler Wash."