The 60s murderous cult leader died Sunday of natural causes at 83.
Charles Manson has died at 83.
The infamous cult leader whose murderous 1969 rampage shook Hollywood, and the whole of America, with the bloody slaying of actress Sharon Tate and others died Sunday of natural causes.
Now, despite decades of watching the killer's sick notoriety somehow seem to grow, Tate's sister has said she forgives Manson.
"I’ve processed through all of my hate for him. Hate isn’t health. It won’t bring my sister back," Debra Tate told the New York Daily News after news of Manson's death broke. "One could say I’ve forgiven him, but there’s a difference between forgiving and forgetting."
Tate said she said a prayer, shed a tear, stuck a flower under her cross then "emailed Roman" after she learned the news.
Sharon Tate, who was pregnant and just weeks away from giving birth when Manson's followers stormed her Los Angeles home and brutally murdered her and five others, was married to director Roman Polanski.
Polanski has been a fugitive from U.S. law since he was charged with the statutory rape of a 13-year-old in 1978.
They killed two additional victims the next night a few miles away.
The Manson Family reign of terror continued over the next five weeks after Manson convinced his followers they were destined to start an apocalyptic race war from which they would emerge victorious.
Manson was admitted to state prison from Los Angeles County on April 22, 1971, for seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder for the August 1969 deaths of Tate, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Earl Parent, Jay Sebring, Leno La Bianca and Rosemary La Bianca.
On December 13, 1971, Manson received a first-degree murder conviction from Los Angeles County for the July 25, 1969, death of Gary Hinman and another first-degree murder conviction for the August 1969 death of Donald Shea.
Manson was originally sentenced to death. In 1972, a Superior Court of California decision caused all capital sentences in California to be commuted to life in prison.
Manson’s death sentence was modified to life on February 2, 1977. California did not have the life-without-parole sentence at the time.
Over the years, Manson had been denied parole 12 times. He was not eligible for another parole hearing until 2027.
Manson had been housed in at California State Prison, Corcoran since 1989.
