Netflix has just released Errol Morris’ CHAOS: The Manson Murders, revisiting one of the most infamous crime sprees in American history.
With widespread public intrigue surrounding the cult, its drug use, and Charles Manson's role in the killings, the documentary delves not only into the horrifying murders committed by Charles and his followers but also into the cultural, conspiratorial, and psychological factors surrounding these events.
Inspired by Tom O’Neill’s book CHAOS: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties, The Manson Murders takes a different approach—exploring the facts, conspiracy theories, and the connections between the Manson Family, Charles’ music career, drugs, mind control, and the CIA. However, amid these themes, the victims can sometimes get lost in the mix.
For starters, the Manson Family was a commune-style cult led by Charles Manson in late 1960s California. Comprised mainly of young women, his followers were radicalized through his apocalyptic teachings.
Charles taught them about an impending race war called “Helter Skelter” and manipulated his followers into committing heinous crimes. What began as petty offenses soon escalated to murder, fueled by drugs and Charles’ psychological control.
With at least nine confirmed victims—though the true number may be higher—here’s a look at every person who was killed, according to The Manson Murders.
Gary Hinman
Gary Hinman, a 34-year-old music teacher, was the first known victim of the Manson Family. He was killed by Charles’ follower named Bobby Beausoleil after the infamous American criminal believed he was healthy and wanted him to be a part of the cult to have his assets.
Hinman’s death was far from quick or painless. He was tortured for days before he was ultimately stabbed to death in July 1969.
The phrase “Political Piggy” was scrawled on his wall in Hinman’s blood to make it appear as though the Black Panthers were behind the crime.
Sharon Tate and 4 Others
On August 9, 1969, Charles Manson ordered Family member Tex Watson and three others to go to 10050 Cielo Drive in Los Angeles and kill everyone inside. The home was rented by actress Sharon Tate and her husband, director Roman Polanski, who was in Europe working on The Day of the Dolphin.
The four killers brutally murdered five people: Tate, who was eight and a half months pregnant (stabbed 16 times and hung); her guests Jay Sebring (shot and stabbed seven times), Abigail Folger (stabbed 28 times), and Wojciech Frykowski (stabbed 51 times, shot twice, and beaten with a gun 13 times); and Steven Parent, a visitor of the caretaker (shot four times).
Beyond the sheer brutality of the crime, another Family member, Susan Atkins, used Tate’s blood to write “Pig” on the front door. These murders shocked the nation and became a cultural sensation.
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca
On August 9, 1969, seven Manson Family members, including Charles Manson, drove to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.
They tied up the couple and covered their heads with pillowcases. Rosemary was taken to the bedroom while Leno was repeatedly stabbed with a bayonet in the living room, ultimately dying from 12 stab wounds.
The attackers then took turns stabbing Rosemary, who suffered 41 stab wounds before she died.
The cult used the couple’s blood to write “Rise” and “Death to Pigs” on the walls, while “Healter Skelter” was scrawled on the refrigerator door.
Donald “Shorty” Shea
Donald “Shorty” Shea was a stuntman and horse wrangler at Spahn Ranch, where the Manson Family lived.
He was believed to have been killed around 10 days after a sheriff raided the ranch on August 16, 1969. Charles suspected Shea had helped orchestrate the raid, believing he was trying to remove the Family from the property.
There was also speculation that Manson targeted Shea because he considered it a “sin” for a white man to marry a Black woman.
Shea was brutally tortured and stabbed to death. While many believed he had been dismembered and buried in multiple locations, his body was discovered intact eight years later.
It may have been decades after these horrific events happened but the murders Charles and the Manson Family members committed remain among the most infamous crimes in American history.
Though The Manson Murders raises provocative questions about potential conspiracies surrounding Charles’ influence, viewers are urged to reconsider these events from new angles.
CHAOS: The Manson Murders is now streaming on Netflix.