Close Menu
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
  • Home
  • Guns
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • News
  • Videos
  • Community

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tactical, firearms and many more news and updates directly to your inbox.

What's Hot

Mar-a-Lago security incident adds to series of Trump property arrests

Jul 11, 2025 3:11 am

Man on bond chases ICE agents during operation at Texas tire shop

Jul 11, 2025 2:10 am

South Carolina teacher charged for alleged relationship with minor student

Jul 11, 2025 1:10 am
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Friday, July 11, 2025 4:59 am EDT
Trending
  • Mar-a-Lago security incident adds to series of Trump property arrests
  • Man on bond chases ICE agents during operation at Texas tire shop
  • South Carolina teacher charged for alleged relationship with minor student
  • Inside the 'Incel Theory' of Idaho Murders: Did Bryan Kohberger Use Avatar of Mass Killer Online?
  • 5-Year-Old Who Died in Hot Car is 4th Such Death in Texas Within Two Weeks
  • Father beheading suspect claims victim tried to block his Trump-like political aspirations
  • White House defends B-2 bombing on Iran amid new report some uranium survived
  • Authorities urge calm after paddleboarder found murdered in Maine town
  • Privacy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest VKontakte
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
  • Home
  • Guns
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • News
  • Videos
  • Community
Newsletter
Tactical AmericansTactical Americans
Home » How Did Charles Manson Die? Inside the Cult Leader's Life in Prison — and How He Avoided Death Row Despite His Gruesome Crimes
News

How Did Charles Manson Die? Inside the Cult Leader's Life in Prison — and How He Avoided Death Row Despite His Gruesome Crimes

Jack BogartBy Jack BogartMar 7, 2025 11:07 am4 ViewsNo Comments
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp
How Did Charles Manson Die? Inside the Cult Leader's Life in Prison — and How He Avoided Death Row Despite His Gruesome Crimes
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Charles Manson died while serving nine life sentences in 2017 — nearly 50 years after masterminding the 1969 killings of Sharon Tate and eight others in Los Angeles.

The infamous criminal commanded his followers, who were known as the Manson family, to commit a series of horrific murders throughout the hills of L.A. in an effort to start a race war he called “Helter Skelter.”

Manson’s reign of terror began on July 27, 1969, when he orchestrated the death of music teacher Gary Hinman. Less than two weeks later, during the night of Aug. 8, Manson sent four of his followers to kill everyone at a Benedict Canyon home rented by actress Tate, the pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski. The Manson family then killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their Los Feliz home on Aug. 10, followed by former stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea, who was murdered on Aug. 26.

Manson and his followers were eventually arrested and charged in the savage slayings in December 1969. The nation became both fascinated and sickened with the case during the nine-month trial that ensued, which resulted in Manson being sentenced to death in 1971 for conspiracy to commit the grisly murders.

While he was supposed to die at the hands of the state, California abolished the death penalty in 1972 — which resulted in his sentence being commuted to life in prison. Manson died at 83 in November 2017 after spending the majority of his life behind bars.

The viciousness of Manson’s crimes left a lasting mark on American culture and Manson himself achieved a perverse popularity — which has not dissipated in the years since his death. Now — more than seven years after his death — the Netflix documentary Chaos: The Manson Murders examines how Manson convinced his followers to commit such horrific crimes without remorse.

Here’s everything to know about Charles Manson’s death.

How did Charles Manson die?

Though the California Department of Corrections stated that Manson died of natural causes, the notorious cult leader had reportedly been “seriously ill” in the months prior to his death, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In January 2017, Manson was hospitalized for gastrointestinal bleeding related to his colon and deemed too weak to undergo surgery, per The New York Times. However, prison spokespeople declined to comment on his hospitalization and condition, citing privacy issues. A few days later, he returned to Corcoran State Prison in Bakersfield, Calif.

But 10 months later, in November 2017, Manson was back in the hospital, according to the L.A. Times. Though he was reportedly alive when he was admitted to the hospital, Manson was in grave condition, per TMZ. The mass murderer would never return to prison; he died two days after his hospitalization was first reported.

In December 2017, Manson’s death certificate shed more light on his health at the time of his passing. Manson had metastatic colon cancer, which ultimately led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.

When did Charles Manson die?

Charles Manson arrives in court to enter a plea to seven counts of murder and one count of conspiracy.

Manson died on Nov. 19, 2017, at 8:13 p.m. PT.

Where did Charles Manson die?

New photos of killer and cult leader Charles Manson have been released. The image shows Manson looking older and with a longer beard. But the 77-year-old's stare is just as intense.The new mug shot was released by the California Department of Corrections the week before an upcoming parole hearing.They were taken at the state prison in Corcoran, Calif., in June 2011. Manson is pictured with unruly gray hair, a beard and a faded swastika tattoo on his forehead. Photos of inmates are routinely taken when they are transferred or when their appearance changes. Previous photos of Manson from three years ago and showed him with a shaved head and a shortly trimmed beard. Manson was convicted of seven counts of first degree murder for a 1969 killing spree in Los Angeles. The killings included the fatal stabbing of five people in the home of actress Sharon Tate and the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson was sentenced to death when he was found guilty, but the sentence was modified n 1977 to "life in prison with the possibility of parole after a 1972 ruling by the California Supreme Court that determined the state's death penalty statute at the time was unconstitutional," according to the California Department of Corrections. Ref: SPL378225 050412 Picture by: Splash News Splash News and Pictures Los Angeles:310-821-2666 New York: 212-619-2666 London: 870-934-2666 photodesk@splashnews.com Splash News and Picture Agency does not claim any Copyright or License in the attached material. Any downloading fees charged by Splash are for Splash's services only, and do not, nor are they intended to, convey to the user any Copyright or License in the material. By publishing this material , the user expressly agrees to indemnify and to hold Splash harmless from any claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or connected in any way with user's publication of the material.

Though Manson had spent the majority of his life in prison, he did not technically die behind bars. Instead, the infamous murderer died in a Kern County hospital north of L.A., per the California Department of Corrections.

Prison officials did not confirm the specific hospital where Manson died, but reporters spotted a prison department van parked outside of Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield the week before his death, according to the L.A. Times.

At the time of his death, Manson had been in Corcoran State Prison — a California prison located between San Francisco and Los Angeles — since 1989. He was serving nine life sentences and was known as a “nasty prisoner,” with dozens of infractions (including threatening prison staff, possession of a weapon and assault) on his prison record.

“He has had over 100 violations since he was incarcerated, which has been a very long time,” Kristina Khokhobashvili, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told PEOPLE in January 2017.

Manson, who was denied parole 12 times, was reportedly unfazed by spending the rest of his life in prison — despite being only 37 years old when he was sentenced to San Quentin’s death row. (His sentence was later changed to life in prison after California abolished the death penalty in 1972, per the L.A. Times.)

“Prison is my home,” he said in an interview (via the LA Times). “The only home I ever had.”

How old was Charles Manson when he died?

Charles Manson at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, circa 1984.

Manson turned 83 years old one week before his death on Nov. 19, 2017.

Prior to his 2017 hospitalizations, his relatives reported that he had been in good health up until that point.

“I think at age 82, he’s in pretty good shape,” his grandson Jason Freeman told the L.A. Times after Manson’s January 2017 hospitalization. “For being 82 and locked up, he’s kept himself together well physically.”

Freeman did acknowledge, though, that Manson was advancing in age and, most likely, nearing the end of his life.

“Old age is setting in,” he added. “Nature is taking its course. There will be a day where he doesn’t wake up again.”

What were Charles Manson’s last words?

Charles Manson reads a statement at his parole hearing in San Quentin.

While Manson’s final spoken words before his death are unknown, the cult killer participated in interviews with author and television producer James Buddy Day throughout the last year of his life.

Day, who went on to write the 2019 book Hippie Cult Leader: The Last Words of Charles Manson, is the last person known to interview Mansion at length, TIME reported.

According to Day, Manson maintained his innocence in the 1969 murders of nine individuals up until his death.

“I didn’t have nothing to do with killing those people,” Manson told Day in a phone call, according to TIME. “They knew I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

What was the public’s reaction to Charles Manson’s death?

Charles Manson in Court

Manson’s death was met with strong reactions from the family members of his victims, who were contacted by prison officials informing them of the mass murderer’s passing.

Charlotte Hood, a cousin of the Manson family’s first official victim, Gary Hinman, told PEOPLE that it was “about time” Manson died and that she and her family “believe in the death penalty.”

“I think the state kept him alive too damn long,” Hood said after news of Manson’s death broke, adding that she hoped he was “headed where there are a few people poking at him with pitchforks that are kind of hot.”

Anthony DiMaria, the nephew of Manson victim Jay Sebring, shared that Manson’s death brought no comfort or closure to the victims’ families.

“We derive no joy or comfort from the passing of Mr. Manson,” DiMaria told PEOPLE. “Nor is there closure because nothing will bring back Jay, or any of the victims sent to their graves 48 years ago. For us, our hearts and thoughts are with them.”

Sharon Tate’s sister Debra also spoke out in the wake of Manson’s death, telling PEOPLE that she “said a prayer for his soul.” Debra, who worked tirelessly to ensure Manson was never paroled while he was alive, also revealed that she believed God would take care of Manson’s spirit.

“I hope that he gets some kind of mercy,” Sharon said in her full statement following Manson’s death, according to ABC. “He didn’t show that to any of our victims, but I try to come from a higher place and I hope he gets some mercy.”

What happened to Charles Manson’s body after he died?

Charles Manson.

Following Manson’s death, a months-long court battle ensued over the rights to the serial killer’s remains.

At one point, as many as three individuals — including Manson’s grandson, Jason Freeman; Manson’s son, Michael Brunner; and a prison pen pal of Manson’s, Michael Channel — were attempting to take possession of Manson’s body, CNN reported.

In March 2018, four months after Manson’s death, a judge ruled in favor of Freeman. Commissioner Alisa R. Knight, a court commissioner of Kern County, ultimately ruled that Freeman was “determined to be the surviving competent adult next of kind of the decedent,” Bakersfield.com reported. As a result, Freeman was responsible for Manson’s funeral and burial.

On March 17, 2018, a private Christian funeral was held for Manson in Porterville, Calif., according to CNN. Following the funeral, his remains were cremated and scattered on a California hillside.

What shows and movies are based on Charles Manson?

American criminal and cult leader Charles Manson (1934 - 2017) traveling on a police van to the Santa Monica Courthouse to appear in court for a hearing regarding the murder of music teacher Gary Hinman, Los Angeles,

Throughout his life, Manson and his heinous crimes spurred ideas for movies, television shows, books and music — and this remained true after he died.

The same year of his death in 2017, he was the subject of Netflix’s Mindhunter and season 7 of FX’s American Horror Story, aptly titled Cult. The Manson murders also serve as the backdrop for Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.

Acclaimed documentary director Errol Morris is the latest to tackle the topic of Manson and his murders with the Netflix documentary Chaos: The Manson Murders. The project, which premiered on March 7, questions the official accounts of the Manson family’s killing spree and examines newly revealed links between the CIA, LSD and Manson.

But while Manson and his crimes have been immortalized in the media, his victims’ families have worked tirelessly to ensure their lives are just as remembered.

“The people that we lost in this historical event were real, and they had lives and families,” she told PEOPLE in September 2014. “They’re sorely missed.”

Read the full article here

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Mar-a-Lago security incident adds to series of Trump property arrests

Man on bond chases ICE agents during operation at Texas tire shop

South Carolina teacher charged for alleged relationship with minor student

Inside the 'Incel Theory' of Idaho Murders: Did Bryan Kohberger Use Avatar of Mass Killer Online?

5-Year-Old Who Died in Hot Car is 4th Such Death in Texas Within Two Weeks

Father beheading suspect claims victim tried to block his Trump-like political aspirations

White House defends B-2 bombing on Iran amid new report some uranium survived

Authorities urge calm after paddleboarder found murdered in Maine town

Missing Woman Found Murdered After She Went Paddleboarding in Maine Pond

Add A Comment
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Editors Picks

Man on bond chases ICE agents during operation at Texas tire shop

Jul 11, 2025 2:10 am

South Carolina teacher charged for alleged relationship with minor student

Jul 11, 2025 1:10 am

Inside the 'Incel Theory' of Idaho Murders: Did Bryan Kohberger Use Avatar of Mass Killer Online?

Jul 11, 2025 1:02 am

5-Year-Old Who Died in Hot Car is 4th Such Death in Texas Within Two Weeks

Jul 11, 2025 12:00 am

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest tactical, firearms and many more news and updates directly to your inbox.

Latest News

Father beheading suspect claims victim tried to block his Trump-like political aspirations

By Jack Bogart

White House defends B-2 bombing on Iran amid new report some uranium survived

By Jack Bogart

Authorities urge calm after paddleboarder found murdered in Maine town

By Jack Bogart
Tactical Americans
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press Release
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Copyright © 2025 Tactical Americans. Created by Sawah Solutions.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.