MANSON:
LINDA KASABIAN GOES ON RECORD FOR HISTORY CHANNEL SPECIAL
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However, just this past weekend the History Channel aired a 2-hour long drama documentary called MANSON which details the Tate-LaBianca murders committed by Charles Manson and his followers (commonly referred to as “the Manson Family”) in August of 1969. The History Channel’s own description of the show is a little over condensed but not bad:
“This special takes viewers deep inside America in the late 1960s–into a world of hate, fear, sex, and mind-control. It vividly details how Charles Manson transformed a harmless group of hippies–mostly young women from decent families–into a gang of brutal murderers. The two-hour drama-documentary weaves in rare archival footage and on-camera eyewitness testimony to present a spellbinding portrait of a true nightmare in U.S. history. At the center of the film is Linda Kasabian, the star witness for the prosecution, who has emerged from hiding to tell the full story of the murders for the first time in four decades.”
The thing that really does make MANSON such an incredible program to watch is the emergence of Linda Kasabian, after 40 years in hiding, to tell her first hand account of the murders at the Tate and then later the LaBianca residence those 2 fateful and frankly horrific nights in the history of modern American murders.
Linda Kasabian served as the lookout on both murders though has never admitted to actually participating in the killings themselves. In exchange for her testimony against Charles Manson and the “Family” members (“Tex” Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten) who had actually planned and carried out the gruesome murders, Linda Kasabian was offered full immunity from prosecution. Though she later admits that she still feels a sense of guilt and shame that she never received any real punishment for her actions, I’m sure its much easier to say that when you are free than when you are staring down the barrel of life in prison. Speaking of which, every single “Manson Family” member that she testified against…including Charles Manson himself…were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder. All received life sentences and are still alive in prison today.
There’s no 2 ways about it…you have to watch MANSON. It airs again on Sunday (Sept. 13) at 8:00pm on the History Channel.
And don’t forget to check back here every day for our little TV blog. Until tomorrow, keep watching and keep coming back to www.tvchannelsfree.com to watch episodes of all your favorite TV shows for free!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I enjoyed this show and had, coincidentally, just finished a re-read of the 1990’s version of HELTER SKELTER (with a 199_x_ Afterword – 1994?). I am mostly curious about Bugliosi’s opinion about Manson’s REAL motive for the crimes. The Helter Skelter excuse was a good con-job that Manson pushed onto his followers, but inside Manson’s head, he never believed his own con. I think “revenge” against Dennis Wilson & Melcher for being conned BY THEM. I think that’s how he viewed his belief of impending fame & fortune – that they conned him, so he was going to pay them back. It’s also interesting to realize that the LaBiancas were killed because they were neighbors of Manson friend Harold True, who once commented once – a year before – that True’s neighbors complained about True’s hippie parties and loud music. Manson didn’t realize those “neighbors” had long since left and the LaBiancas had bought the house and moved in. Manson must have thought he was paying his friend back for the good parties.
There is little written about Manson’s true motives, though. In the 1981 OUI Magazine interview with Beausoleil, Bobby offers SOME credibility for the “copycat” motive, sure enough, but he also discussing some of the Timing Element. That Manson was losing favor, he had desertions (Paul Watkins et al), the Satans motorcycle gang wasn’t interested, and Manson needed money to keep the family together. And with cutiepie Bobby in jail, if Manson didn’t attempt SOMETHING to get him out, Manson may have been viewed as ‘giving in’ and would have lost face to the Family. Being raised in prison substantially, he might have been considering these factors, but knew he couldn’t use those as excuses to instigate the murders. He had to see if he could continue his con-job on the family.
I watched “manson” last night on the history channel. I have read Helter Skelter many times. I never bought kasabians excuses for not getting to police. Perhaps if she had, the Labiancas might still be alive. In the book it was said that kasabian and the others did not do drugs on the two nights of murder. That is what kasabian told bugliosi. On the documentary, she admits that they took speed on the night of the Tate murders. Having knowingly abandoned her baby girl with a group of psycho killers is proof enough that she is scum. After all these years why has she suddenly come out of the woodwork? She sanitized her version of the murders as she saw it. Bugliosis depicted kasabian as having a conscience, unlike the others. I dont see it. She should have done time.
I seen this for the first time on the second airing and at 2am. There are many contradictions. I read Tex climbed a telephone pole to cut the phone wires. Also I read many times she drove the vehicle, this was not in the History channel interpretation. She contradicts herself several times in the History channels’s program. 40 years is a long time though! Whatever her guilt is;,I firmly believe she could not have participated in the murders. It was essential she get a bargain for immunity from the murders and case regardless of how immoral individuals may think it may be. If it were not for her, the truth would have never came out. She lives with this guilt everyday and it is totally akin to ALbert Speer at Nuremberg, WE NEEDED a witness, PERIOD. Without her, we never would have actually known what had happened. It took her a lot of courage. My god she was only a kid at the time of the crimes, 20 year olds are not noted for brains or common sense. She was brainwashed.