14: The Manson Family: Finding the Followers of Charles Manson

In the final year of his life, I spoke with Charles Manson on the phone multiple times. Those conversations became the foundation of a decade-long investigation into the people who once called themselves the Manson Family.

In this episode, I track down the surviving members of the Manson Family — speaking with former followers, examining trial records, and revisiting the places where the group formed, radicalized, and ultimately collapsed.

What emerges is a story far more complicated than the word “cult.” The Manson Family began as a loose commune of runaways and outsiders drifting through the counterculture of the late 1960s. Over time, isolation, fear, and loyalty transformed that group into something far more dangerous.

Through interviews with former members, firsthand witnesses, and people who knew Charles Manson personally, we examine how the Family formed, why people followed him, and what became of them after the murders.

The research behind this episode comes from years of interviews with members of the Manson Family — including Charles Manson himself. I document that investigation in my book Charles Manson: The Last Words.

Read it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ6QRVQ7

For those who want to examine the Manson material directly, complete phone calls and documents are available inside UNMARKED: Case Files, our research portal, along with ad-free episodes.

Join here:
https://www.patreon.com/Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast

Follow UNMARKED for additional case material, updates, and short-form analysis:
• YouTube: @Unmarked_Podcast
• Instagram: @unmarked_podcast
• TikTok: @unmarkedpodcast
• Patreon: /Unmarked_TrueCrimePodcast

UNMARKED: A True Crime Podcast is hosted by Audioboom.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(39)

38: The Green River Killer: Conversations with Gary Ridgway

What does one of America's most prolific serial killers say when he's spent more than two decades behind bars?For years, author Maria DiLorenzo has corresponded with Gary Ridgway—the Green River Kille...

5 Aug 58min

39: Did Bryan Kohberger Have an Accomplice? | Case Notes

In this episode of Case Notes, I'm joined by bestselling author and investigative journalist Howard Blum to discuss one of the most controversial theories to emerge from the Idaho murders investigatio...

2 Aug 21min

40: The Idaho Murders: A Psychological Autopsy of Bryan Kohberger

Why did the Idaho murders happen?Bryan Kohberger has pleaded guilty to the murders of four University of Idaho students. But his plea answered only one question: who committed the crime. It told us al...

29 Jul 44min

36: The Fantasy Behind Serial Murder | Case Notes

What role does fantasy play in serial murder?In this episode of Case Notes, I sit down with bestselling investigative journalist and true crime author M. William Phelps to explore one of the most misu...

26 Jul 22min

35: Robert Shulman: The Forgotten Long Island Serial Killer

Why did Long Island produce so many serial killers?From Richard Cottingham and Joel Rifkin to Robert Shulman and Rex Heuermann, Long Island has been home to one of the greatest concentrations of seria...

22 Jul 52min

34: Defendants Have Tried to Kill Me — A Forensic Psychologist Explains the Job | Case Notes

What does it really take to become a forensic psychologist?In this episode of Case Notes, I sit down with Dr. N.G. Berill, a forensic psychologist with more than three decades of experience evaluating...

19 Jul 33min

33: Emilia Carr: Did Florida Sentence the Right Person to Death?

Why was Emilia Carr the youngest woman on death row in America?When I first received a letter from Emilia Carr in 2010, she was awaiting execution on Florida's death row. Years later, I traveled to Oc...

15 Jul 46min

31: Why Almost Everyone Gets the Insanity Defense Wrong | Case Notes

Why do so many people misunderstand the insanity defense?It's one of the most debated concepts in criminal law, yet also one of the least understood. Popular culture has created the impression that de...

12 Jul 21min