Grand Jury Probes Sharon Tate Slaying
Hippies Know Leader As 'God' and 'Satan'
Associated Press, December 3, 1969
LOS ANGELES - Police prepared a grand jury case against at least seven
persons today in the Sharon Tate slaying, linked by an attorney to cult of
hippies who knew their leader as "God" and "Satan."
A preliminary hearing was also scheduled in Independence, near Death Valley,
for Charles Miles (sic) Manson, 34 described as head of the occult group.
He is charged with possession of stolen property.
Testimony probably would be confined to a raid on a hippie commune last
October in the Death Valley area, said Dist. Atty. Frank Fowles. Deputies
arrested 23, then released all but 10. The latter were held on a variety
of charges including auto theft. They included Manson.
Miss Tate, 26, blonde actress wife of Polish film director Roman Polanski,
was shot and stabbed last Aug. 9 at her plush, rented Bel Air estate. Also
murdered were three of her jet-set friends - Hollywood hair stylist Jay Sebring,
coffee heiress Abigail Folger and Polish playboy Voitcyk Frokowsky (sic) - and
Steven Parent, 18, a friend of the estate's caretaker.
The following morning, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, wealthy owners of a
Hollywood market chain, were slain in what police described as an attempt to
copy the Tate killings.
Under arrest in different areas of the country in the Tate case are Linda
Kasabian, 20, taken into custody in Concord, N.H.; Charles D. Watson, 24, who
surrendered in McKinney, Tex., and Patricia Krenwinkel, 21, apprehended in
Mobile, Ala. Authorities were preparing extradition papers to have them
returned to California.
Police said several members of a nomadic group of hippies, last camped near
Death Valley and including Watson and Misses Krenwinkel and Kasabian, committed
all seven killings. They declined comment on statements by an attorney
linking this group of hippies with Manson's cult.
Chief Edward M. Davis said indictments would be sought from the county grand
jury Friday against the three arrested and "four or five others" whom he
wouldn't name. Davis has said, however, that some of those in custody in
Independence "may be involved."
Richard Caballero, the attorney who connected the slayings with Manson's
group, represents Susan Denise Atkins.
Miss Atkins, 21, is charged with murder in the slaying of musician Gary
Hinman in his Topanga Canyon home last July. Caballero entered a plea of
innocent on Miss Atkin's behalf. He said, however, she was present when
Hinman was slain.
Caballero said Miss Atkins was among several persons whom he said Manson
"hypnotized" and "intrigued" into believing they "belonged to him." He
said most were women.
Caballero said Miss Atkins, known as Sadie Glutz when she was picked up in
the Independence raid, and others among Manson's followers were present at the
Tate and LaBianca slayings.
Caballero said his client "had nothing to do with the murders" as she was
under what he described as Manson's "hypnotic spell."
Caballero said Manson was known as "God," "Jesus" and "Satan" among his
followers.
