WHO'S WHO?

Here is an alphabetical listing of people mentioned in various Manson related books.  This list is a work in progress, so will not be complete for quite some time.  Note that birth years are generally approximate based upon statements in books.  Also, many of the major names will be done later since they will require more work (and everyone already knows them pretty well).

Also be sure to check our list of aliases and nicknames.

ALONZA, MARIA:  (aka Crystal) Born around 1952.  Arrested trying to smuggle a switchblade knife into the Stockton jail (where Fromme, Pitman, Monfort, Craig, and Cooper were being held for the murder of Lauren Willet).  Also arrested in March 1974 for allegedly plotting to kidnap a foreign consul general in an attempt to have two prisoners released for LA County Jail.

BAILEY, EDWARD ARTHUR: (aka Ed)  Along with Vern Plumlee, he once told Steve Zabriske and Michael Lloyd Carter (Zabriske's brother-in-law) that a "Charlie" and a "Clem" had committed  the Tate/LaBianca murders.  This conversation took place in Portland, Oregon and Zabriske told Portland police about it on November 2, 1969.  Bailey also said he had seen Charlie shoot a man in the head with a .45 automatic in Death Valley.  Police did not believe Zabriske and did not notify LAPD.  In May 1970, LAPD questioned Bailey but he denied the story.

BAILEY, ELLA JO:  (aka Yellerstone) Joined Family in 1967.  She and Pat Krenwinkel were picked up by Beach Boy Dennis Wilson twice in late spring 1968.  The second time, he took them to his 14400 Sunset Blvd. home where they stayed a couple of hours.  During most of this visit they talked about Charlie.  Wilson returned from a recording session at 3:00 AM to find Manson and nearly a dozen of the Family in his house.  They stayed several months during which they met Tex Watson, Brooks Posten and Paul Watkins.  Bailey left Spahn Ranch before the Tate murders (after learning of the Hinman murder).

BAILEY, LAWRENCE EDWARD: (aka Larry Jones) Born August 1948.  According to books, he was a small ranch hand who always tried to get in good with the Family but Charlie thought he had negroid features and was always putting him down.  He gave Linda Kassabian a knife to take to the Tate house and was present when Manson told Linda "Go with Tex and do whatever Tex tells you to do."  Bailey was arrested at Barker Ranch during the October 12, 1969 police raid.  He also participated in the Western Surplus Store robbery in Hawthorne on August 21, 1971.  The group had also robbed a Covina beer distributorship on August 13, 1971.  The Family supposedly planned to use the weapons from the Hawthorne robbery to hijack a 747 and kill one passenger every hour until all Family members were released from jail.

BARTELL, SUSAN PHYLLIS:  (aka Country Sue) Police raided Barker Ranch on October 12, 1969.  While police were taking the prisoners away, Susan Bartell and Catherine Gillies arrived in a car with groceries and were also arrested.  She was also present at 28 Clubhouse Avenue, Venice, CA on November 5, 1969 when "Zero" supposedly committed suicide while playing Russian roulette.  On November 10, 1969, she visited Susan Atkins at Sybil Brand (jail) and told her about Zero's death.

BEAUSOLEIL, BOBBY:  According to an interview at his web site (Beausoleil Island), Bobby was not particularly tight with the Family.  He seems to have had a bit of a fascination with the motorcycle gangs (and even claims the Hells Angels were among the visitors to Spahn Ranch).  In order to impress them he arranged a drug buy ($1000) from Gary Hinman.  The gang claimed the following day that the drugs were bad and they wanted a refund.  Danny DeCarlo supposedly put a gun in Bobby's hand and instructed him to hit Gary in the head and demand the money back.  As he was leaving the ranch, Atkins and Brunner asked where he was going and he told them (but apparently not about the drug burn).  Upon arriving, Gary denied having the money and Bobby did hit him a couple of times with the gun (which he claims was way out of norm for himself).  Bobby gave Atkins the gun while he searched the house for valuables.  Once out of the room, Atkins called to him for help because Gary had taken the gun from her.  Bobby charged back in and tackled him and they fought for the gun which eventually went off but only struck the sink.  During this time, one of the girls called Spahn Ranch and said Gary had the gun. Bobby and Gary settled down and decided that he would give his two vehicles to even the debt.  All was said and done, when Manson and Davis knocked on the door.  Gary answered and was immediately struck by Manson with a sword, cutting his cheek and ear.  Manson basically told Bobby that that was how a man should handle things.  Manson apparently quickly discovered that he had acted too quickly and that things HAD been settled.  Manson and Davis left while Bobby and the girls tried to stitch up Gary.  Gary was, of course, upset and wanting medical attention.  Bobby didn't want this because it would bring the police in.  Gary would chant to try to calm down but would then get hysterical.  There was a second call to the Ranch in which Bobby basically told Manson that he had settled things before Manson arrived and that it was now Manson's problem.  Manson basically told him "You know what to do."  (which resulted in the claims that Manson ordered the murder). Bobby eventually decided there was no way out and stabbed Gary quickly (no time for a struggle) twice.  Mary witnessed the second stabbing.  Mary ended up cutting a deal to not be charged with the murder by testifying against Bobby.  DeCarlo got in trouble so he cut a deal to testify against Bobby (supposedly falsely claiming that Bobby told him that he killed Gary although Bobby says he never even talked to DeCarlo after the murder).  Today, Bobby records music in prison and has autographed albums for sale on a web site, White Dog Music.  His wife has put up a web site for him called Beausoleil Island.  Click here for a photo.

BROWN, KENNETH RICHARD:  (aka Scott Bell Davis)  He was a friend of "Zero" from Ohio.  He was arrested in the Ocotober 12, 1969 Barker Ranch raid.

COMO, KENNETH: (aka Jesse James)  Born around 1938.  He was an escaped convict who helped in the August 21, 1971 Hawthorne robbery and shootout.  Also helped in the August 13, 1971 Covina beer robbery.  On October 20, 1971 he escaped from the 13th floor of the Hall of Justice and was picked up by Sandra Good.  Sandy later wrecked the van and was arrested but Como stayed free an additional seven hours before being captured.  For the Hawthorne robbery, he was sentenced to 15 years to life.  Click here for a photo.

COOPER, PRISCILLA:  Born around 1951.  Arrested with Pitman, Monfort and Craig on November 11, 1972 in Stockton, CA and had an "X" on her forehead.  James T. Willett's car was in front of the house (his decapitated body had been found on November 8).  Lauren Willett was found buried in the basement.  Cooper told the police that Lauren had killed herself playing Russian roulette (note Zero had supposedly done the same thing two years earlier).  Cooper pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the murder of Lauren.

COOPER, SHERRY ANN:  (aka Simi Valley Sherri)  In September 1969, Cooper fled Barker Ranch with Barbara Hoyt.  Manson caught up with them in Ballarat and gave them $20 for bus fare to LA.

COTTAGE, MADELINE JOAN:  (aka Little Patty, Linda Baldwin) Arrested October 10, 1969 in the Barker Ranch raid.  On November 5, 1969 she told police she was lying on the mattress when "Zero" shot himself.  When the others came in the room she told them "Zero shot himself, just like in the movies."

CRAIG, JAMES: Born around 1939.  A member of the Aryan Brotherhood.  Escaped from state prison.  Arrested on November 11, 1969 at 720 West Flora Street in Stockton, CA.  He pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the murders of Lauren and James Willett and also to possession of a sawed-off shotgun.  He was also wanted for several armed robberies.

CRAVENS, LARRY:  A member of the Family.

DeCARLO, DANIEL THOMAS:  (aka Donkey Dan, Daniel Romeo, Richard Allen Smith)  A member of the Straight Satans motorcycle gang who lived with the Family at Spahn.  He gave the police the sword used in the Hinman murder. (This entry will be expanded later).  Click here for a photo.

GILLIES, CATHERINE IRENE:  (aka Capistrano, Cappy, Catherine Meyers, Patricia Anne Burke, Patti Sue Jardin)  Born around 1950.  Her grandmother owned Myers Ranch.  She was also in the house on November 5, 1969 when "Zero" died.  She testified during the Tate/LaBianca trial and claimed the murders were committed in order to free Bobby Beausoliel and said there was never any talk of a race war.  She also testified that she wanted to go with the killers on the night of the LaBianca murders but was told that she wasn't needed.  She also said that she was willing to kill to get a "brother" out of jail but she hadn't yet.  And that the murders had not upset her.  Later, she left the Family and joined a motorcycle gang.  Click here for a photo.

GOUCHER, WILLIAM:  Born around 1949.  Pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder of James Willett and received five years to life.

HAUGHT, JOHN PHILIP:  (aka Zero, Christopher Jesus)  Born around 1947.  Seems to have traveled from Ohio to California with Kenneth Richard Brown.  Danny DeCarlo said the pair did not fit in with the Family very well.  Arrested in Barker Ranch raid on October 12, 1969.  On November 5, 1969, Zero died at 28 Clubhouse Avenue in Venice, CA of a gunshot to the right temple from an eight shot .22 Iver & Johnson revolver.  The house was being rented by Mark Ross who was away at the time of the shooting.  When police arrived, Davis, Cottage, Bartell and Gillies were present.  Cottage claimed that she was in the bedroom when Zero supposedly killed himself while playing Russian roulette (on the first pull of the trigger of the fully loaded gun).  The others then came in the room and Cottage said "Zero shot himself, just like in the movies."  Davis said he picked up the gun and put it back down.  They then called the police who arrived but didn't know they were connected with the Family (they had lived at the house since their release after the Barker Ranch raid).  Police accepted the story and ruled it a suicide although no prints were found on the gun or the leather case that Zero had taken it from.  In mid-October, someone told Jerry Chen of the LA Times that he was present when Zero died.  He claimed 6 or 8 people were in the house smoking hash and one of the girls had shot Zero.  He claimed that afterwards, at another Family gathering, the same girl had stared at him for 3 hours while playing with her knife the entire time.  On November 10, 1969 Bartell visited Susan Atkins and told her about the death.  Susan allegedly told Ronnie Howard that one of the girl's had been holding Zero's hand when the gun went off.  On November 16, 1969 a girl named Sherry was found murdered.  Since she had hung out with the Family and died shortly after Zero, prosecutor Bugliosi suspected that she may have been present  when Zero was shot and she may have been murdered to keep her quite.

HOYT, BARBARA:  Born in 1951.  Lived with Family on and off from April 1969.  Questioned by LAPD on December 2, 1969.  Told police she heard Shorty scream for 5 to 10 minutes one evening about a week after the August 16, 1969 Spahn Ranch raid.  Seemed to come from down the creek and she never saw Shorty again.  Heard Manson make incriminating remarks the next day and in early September at Myers Ranch about Shorty.  At Myers, she heard Atkins tell Moorehouse about murdering Tate and Folger.  She testified in September 1970 that Atkins had called her to the back house at Spahn and asked her to bring three sets of dark clothes to the front ranch on the night of the Tate murders.  When she arrived with them, Manson told her they had already left.  On the day after the Tate murders, she testified that Atkins came in the trailer and told her to switch channels to the news (although they had never watched the news before at Spahn).  Also said they left as soon as the Tate report was finished.  Also claimed to have heard Atkins tell Moorehouse that Sharon had been the last killed because "She had to watch the others die."  She also heard, but wasn't allowed to testify, that after Folger ran out of the house, she had fought so hard with Krenwinkel that she had to call Watson to help.  He ran over and stabbed Folger.  Later, Moorehouse told Hoyt that she knew of ten other murders by the Family "besides Sharon."  Shortly after this, Hoyt and Cooper fled Barker and Myers Ranch to Ballarat.  Manson found them but gave them $20 for bus fare to LA.  Manson allegedly tried to send three people to LA to find the two girls, but it was never proven.  On September 5, 1970, the Family contacted Hoyt and offered her a free trip to Hawaii if she wouldn't testify.  She agreed and spent the night at Spahn Ranch.  On September 6, Grogan drove Hoyt and Moorehouse to a Family house in North Hollywood which was being rented by Dennis Rice.  Rice took the two girls to the airport and bought them tickets.  Also gave them $50 and credit cards.  The two flew to Honolulu under fake names and stayed in the penthouse suite of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel.  Moorehouse told her that Kassabian had no more than six months to live.  Each morning Moorehouse would call a pay phone which was three blocks from Rice's house.  One call is known to have gone to Fromme.  On September 9, Moorehouse said she had to return to California and had made a reservation for a 1:15 flight to LA.  Moorehouse bought Hoyt a hamburger and allegedly laced it with ten tabs of LSD.  Moorehouse left and Hoyt got high and ran until she collapsed.  She was rushed to Queen's  Medical Center and was diagnosed as having acute psychosis, drug-induced.  Her father went to Hawaii and took her back to LA on September 10. That same day, prosecutor Bugliosi told the judge that someone had threatened to kill Hoyt and her family if she testified.  He also said she had left her parent's home after the threat.  Bugliosi asked LAPD to charge Moorehouse and others with attempted murder.  On September 17, Manson spoke to Bugliosi during a recess and said "I just wanted you to know that I didn't have anything to do with the attempted murder of Barbara Hoyt."  On December 18, 1970 the LA grand jury indicted Grogan, Fromme, Moorehouse, Share and Rice for conspiracy to prevent and dissuade a witness from attending a trial.  Conspiracy to commit murder charges were dismissed.  Four of the five served 90 days in the LA County Jail.  Moorehouse had failed to appear for sentencing and the District Attorney decided it was too much trouble to extradite her.  Hoyt returned to high school and graduated and went on to study to become a nurse.

KNOLL, GEORGE:  (aka 86 George)  President of the Straight Satans motorcycle gang.  A few weeks after Danny DeCarlo moved to Spahn Ranch, Knoll visited him.  Manson liked the club sword (15" long blade) that Knoll had and said he'd pay a $20 traffic ticket of Knoll's in exchange for the sword.  Knoll agreed and Manson kept it next to the steering wheel in his dune buggie.  The sword was used in the Hinman murder and was taken along the night of the LaBianca murders.  The Straight Satans went to Spahn on the night of August 15  to get DeCarlo.  They also took the sword back.  When they found it had been used in a crime they broke it into two pieces which DeCarlo later gave to the police.

LAKE, DIANNE ELIZABETH:  (aka Snake, Dianne Bluestein)  Born around 1953.  Said that her parents became hippies when she was a child.  By the age of 13, she was a member of the Hog Farm commune and had tried group sex and LSD.  Just before her 14th birthday she joined the Family with her parent's approval.  She later told police that Manson had beat her several times.  She said about a month before the Tate murders (she thought July) Manson told the Family "I'm going to have to start the revolution."  She said many times during June, July and August 1969 that Manson told the Family "We have to be willing to kill pigs in order to help the black man start Helter Skelter."  She also said Watson had told her that Manson had ordered the murders and that he had stabbed Tate.  She said one morning about a week or two before the August 16 raid, that Van Houten had come to the back house at Spahn with a purse, rope and a bag of coins and hid them.  A short time later, a man knocked on the door and Van Houten hid.  The man left and Van Houten came out.  Van Houten told her that the man had given her a ride from Griffith Park (which was near the LaBianca house) and she didn't want to be seen by him.  Lake and Van Houten counted the money (about $8 in change) and it was split up to buy food.  She said she believed it was divided between her, Cottage and Good.  Good was in jail the morning after the LaBianca murders, though.  So, Lake testified that Good "might not have been there."  This cast doubt on whether this happened on August 10.  She also had told the grand jury that she was in Inyo County on August 8 and 9 rather than at Spahn Ranch.  At trial she testified that Manson asked her to lie, though.  Said she did because she was afraid for her life.  When asked if there were any foreign coins, she said "Canada."  In one statement she said the coins were in the purse but testified they were in a plastic bag.  Van Houten built a fire and burned the purse, credit cards and rope.  Burnt her clothes, too, but Lake didn't notice any blood on them.  In late August or early September, Van Houten told her that she had stabbed someone who was already dead (near Griffith Park near Las Feliz).  Van Houten said someone had written something in blood on the refrigerator and that she had wiped everything clean of fingerprints, even things they hadn't touched.  Said they took a carton of chocolate milk.  Described a boat outside.  Said she wasn't at Tate murder.  Van Houten also told her she had been reluctant to stab but after she'd done it, it became fun.  The more she stabbed, the more she enjoyed it.  At Willow Springs, Krenwinkel told her she'd dragged Folger from the bedroom into the living room.  Krenwinkel also told Lake that Watson had told Leslie to stab Rosemary LaBianca and to wipe fingerprints off everything they had touched but Lake was not allowed to testify to this.  Lake suffered emotional problems and had LSD flashbacks.  Said she loved Manson but feared him.  She was arrested in October 12, 1969 Barker Ranch raid.  On November 26, 1969 she was questioned by police but gave no answers.  On December 8, 1969 she testified before the grand jury and denied any knowledge of the Tate/LaBianca murders.  In late December she did finally talk to police.  Manson testified that Lake wanted attention and would cause trouble and accidents to get it.  He said she wanted a father to punish her and he obliged to keep her from burning down the ranch.  In January 1970, Inyo County court sent her (at age 16) to Patton State Hospital because of her emotional problems.  The staff psychiatrist called her schizophrenic but said her problems were emotional instead of mental. Said they were behavioral disorders of adolescence and possibly drug related.  In early June, she was still in Patton but making straight A's in school.  After her release from Patton, detective Jack Gardiner and his wife were appointed as her foster parents and she lived with them until graduating high school.

LANE, ROBERT IVAN:  (aka Soupspoon)  Arrested in October 10, 1969 Barker Ranch raid.  He was found on a hill overlooking the ranch.  He was supposedly a lookout but had fallen asleep.

LOVETT, CHARLES ALLEN:  Born around 1952.  Involved in Hawthorne shootout.  He got away during the gunfight but was later arrested.  Click here for a photo.

LUTESINGER, KATHRYN:  (aka Kitty) Born around 1952.  Girlfriend of Bobby Beausoleil.  She and Schram ran away from Barker Ranch on October 9, 1969 (the night before the raid).  During the raid, they stepped out of hiding on a road several miles from the ranch and asked police for protection and said they were running away from the Family.  She was arrested and five months pregnant with Beausoleil's child.  Questioned on October 12.  When Beasoleil disappeared, the Family wouldn't tell her where he was.  Several weeks later she found out he'd been charged with murdering Hinman.  Told police she had heard about Hinman's death.  Said Manson had sent Beausoleil and Atkins to Hinmans' house to get money.  There was a fight and Hinman was killed.  She didn't remember who told her but that it was the talk around the ranch.  She said Atkins had told her and others that she had been in a fight with a man who pulled her hair and she stabbed him 3 or 4 times.  Note that Frykowski had been stabbed in the legs, but not Hinman.  Lutesinger told police that while the Family was living at Spahn that Manson tried to get the Straight Satans to join the Family as his bodyguard.  The bikers had laughed at him but DeCarlo had stayed for several months.  After Atkins found out that Kitty had told of Atkins involvement in the Hinman murder, she told Virginia Graham that Kitty's "life's not worth anything" and she wasn't worried.  Kitty told police that Manson, Grogan, Davis and maybe Watson had killed Shorty Shea and that some Family girls had helped cover up the murder.  On February 11, 1970 she gave birth to Beausoleil's child.  She was an unwilling witness by this time and wouldn't give much information.  She later returned to the Family, left it and returned again.  Due to this, prosecutor Bugliosi decided not to call her as a witness.  On October 20, 1971, Como escaped from jail.  Lutesinger and other Family members were arrested for aiding and abetting the escape but were released due to lack of proof.

MONFORT, MICHAEL:  Born around 1948.  He was a prison escapee and had "AB" tattooed on his left breast.  This stood for "Aryan Brotherhood" which was a racist group of prison inmates.  On November 11, 1972 he was arrested at 720 West Flora Street in Stockton, California in connection with the murders of James T. Willett and his wife Lauren Willett.  On April 2, 1973 he pleaded guilty to the murder of Lauren Willett and was sentenced to seven years to life in state prison.  Monfort later pled guilty to the second degree murder of James Willett and was sentenced to five years to life.  Married Nancy Pitman.

MOOREHOUSE, DEAN:  Father of Family member Ruth Ann Moorehouse.  Sometimes a Manson follower himself.  After Melcher moved out of 10050 Cielo Drive, but before the Polanskis moved in, Gregg Jakobson arranged for Moorehouse to live there.  Tex Watson visited him there at least three times and possibly six times.  Prosecutor Bugliosi did not introduce this as evidence during Manson's trial because it would have emphasized Watson's link to the house instead of Manson's.

MOOREHOUSE, RUTH ANN: (aka Ouisch, Rachel Susan Morse)  Born around 1952.  Daughter of Dean Moorehouse (see previous entry) who lived at 10050 Cielo Drive shortly before the Polanskis.  Manson was arrested in Mendocino County on July 28, 1967 and charged with interfering with the questioning of a suspected runaway juvenile (which was Moorehouse).  He was given 30 days, suspended, and placed on three years probation.  Around September 1, 1969 (age 17) she told Danny DeCarlo "I can hardly wait to get my first pig."  At Myers Ranch in September 1969 Hoyt heard Atkins tell Moorehouse about the murders of Tate and Folger.  Later Moorehouse told Hoyt that she knew of ten people the Family had killed besides Sharon.  Arrested in October 10, 1969 Myers Ranch raid.  On November 26, 1969 she told police she knew nothing about the murders even after threatened with the gas chamber and offered complete immunity.  She said she'd only been at Spahn for about a month and hadn't even heard of Shorty, Hinman or Katie.  Once Moorehouse said "Just before we got busted in the desert, there was twelve of us apostles and Charlie."  She, along with Fromme, Share and Grogan, convinced Hoyt not to testify and offered her a free vacation to Hawaii, which she accepted.  Moorehouse went with Hoyt to Honolulu where they stayed in the penthouse suite of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel.  Each morning she made a call to a pay phone near Dennis Rice's house in California.  On September 9, 1970, Moorehouse allegedly put ten tabs of LSD in a hamburger which Hoyt ate.  Moorehouse flew back to LA and Hoyt got high and ran through the streets until she collapsed.  On December 18, the LA grand jury indicted Moorehouse, Grogan, Fromme, Share, and Rice on charges of conspiracy to prevent and dissuade a witness (Hoyt) from attending a trial.  Moorehouse was released on her own recognizance because she was nearly nine months pregnant.  She then fled the state.  She failed to appear for her sentencing on April 16, 1971.  A bench warrant was issued for her arrest but it was decided it was too much trouble to extradite her (she was living in Carson City, Nevada).  At the Tate trial, Moorehouse testified "Charlie was no leader." and "The rattlesnakes liked him, he could play with them." and "He could change old men into young men."  She also said Beausoleil was the father of Kassabian's second child and "I could not take a life."  Her entire testimony was stricken because she would not answer questions about the Hoyt case.  Click here for a photo.

PITMAN, NANCY LAURA: (aka Brenda McCann, Brindle, Cydette Perell) Born around 1951.  Married Michael Monfort.  (this entry will be expanded later)  Click here for a photo.

POSTON, BROOKS:  Poston met Manson at Dennis Wilson's house and joined the Family in June 1968.  He and Juanita Wildebush were, likely, the first Family members to live at Barker Ranch.  He worked for Paul Crockett (a miner in the Barker Ranch area).  Crockett is credited with de-programming Poston, Paul Watkins and Juan Flynn.  Poston and Crockett were questioned at Barker Ranch on September 29, 1969 by Powell and Pursell.  Poston and Crockett left Barker Ranch during the night and walked twenty miles to Warmsprings and caught a ride to Independence.  Both were re-interviewed on October 3, 1969 in Independence by Deputy Sheriff Don Ward.  They were interviewed again in late December in Shoshone but detectives thought it was a waste of time since the duo knew nothing of the Tate/LaBianca murders.  This may have been the interview (along with Watkins) on December 19 by Highway Patrol Officer Dave Steuber, who was investigating a stolen auto report.  This was recorded and lasted nine hours.  LAPD received the tapes on December 29 but lost them.  Bugliosi didn't find out about the interview for nine months.

During police interviews, the pair told of the Family's drug usage and sex orgies.  He said Manson implied that he was Jesus Christ but never stated so.  Poston also believed Manson was Jesus.  Claimed that Manson said the Family members were the reincarnated original Christians.  Poston said the source of Manson's philosophy was Scientology, the Bible and the Beatles.  He also stated that Manson said "Hitler was a tuned-in guy who had leveled the karma of the Jews." 

Poston said that Manson once suggested he should take a knife to Shoshone and kill the sheriff but Poston refused.  When Manson testified in November 1970, he said "I don't know the sheriff of Shoshone.  I am not saying that I didn't say it, but if I said it, at the time I may have thought it was a good idea."

Poston and Watkins testified about the Helter Skelter theory.  Among Poston's testimony was "No, I don't think that Charlie had a hypnotic spell."  and "I felt he was Jesus Christ.  That is power enough for me." and "I learned a lot from Charlie, but it doesn't seem that he was making all those people free."

Poston also testified that in February 1969 Manson told him and other Family members (including Atkins, Van Houten and Krenwinkel):  "He said a group of real blacks would come out of the ghettos and do an atrocious crime in the richer sections of Los Angeles and other cities.  They would do an atrocious murder with stabbing, killing, cutting bodies to pieces, smearing flood on the walls, writing 'pigs' on the walls."

After the trials, Poston and Watkins formed a music group and played at clubs in the Inyo County area under the name "Desert Sun."  Their songs were used as background music in Robert Hendrickson's film "Manson."    Recordings have circulated of him performing with Jane Boltinghouse.  Vincent Bugliosi wrote that Poston is rumored to be part of a cult in New Orleans.  A friend reports to CharlieManson.Com that Bugliosi is incorrect.  Actually, Poston lives a simple life (nowhere near Louisiana) and plays music.

More to come...

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