A guilty verdict Manson Family members (from left to right) Susan Denise Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten laughing after receiving the death sentence for their part in the Tate-LaBianca killings at the order of cult leader Charles Manson. (more) Manson Family cult and criminal organization Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manson-Family Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Crime Museum - Charles Manson and the Manson Family Ask the Chatbot a Question Written by Michael Kenny Professor, Queen Mary, University of London. Currently on leave as a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellow (September 2012 to August 2014) to pursue a research project examining 'The Politics of English... Michael Kenny Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Nov. 14, 2025 •History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Manson Family, cult and criminal organization active in California, U.S., in the late 1960s, led by Charles Manson. The Manson Family was made famous by the Tate-LaBianca murders, a series of gruesome killings carried out by several followers under orders from Manson. The Family—who practiced free love, lived communally, consumed large amounts of recreational drugs, and subscribed to Manson’s idiosyncratic philosophy—would become one of the major symbols of the excesses of the hippie movement of...

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