Manson family investigated for several cold case murders

>:D
As a little flower child, Charles Manson and family's actions destroyed everything I believed in.  That we are still talking about them still ticks me off.  But here they are again.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Detectives are looking at the possible role of the Manson Family in a dozen unsolved killings from four decades ago, and believe old audio tapes from a bankruptcy case hold a key to the cold cases, a police official said.
The so-called Manson Family cult, a collection of runaways and outcasts known for their high-profile spree of at least nine killings in 1969, was brought together by a charismatic ex-convict, Charles Manson.
The 12 unsolved killings police are looking into had "similar circumstances, the same time period" as those committed by Manson's followers, Los Angeles police spokesman Commander Andrew Smith said.
"We think there's a chance that they may be related to the Manson Family," he added.
In 1969, Manson became one of the 20th century's most infamous U.S. criminals when he incited his mostly young, female followers to murder in what prosecutors said was part of a twisted plan to incite a race war between whites and blacks.
Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969. Manson, now 77, is serving a life sentence.
If police can tie the Manson Family to any unsolved cases, it would confirm longstanding suspicions that they committed more killings.
The revelations about the number of unsolved cases investigators are pursuing comes amid a legal battle between the Los Angeles Police Department and an attorney for Manson follower Charles "Tex" Watson, who is serving a life prison sentence in California.
Los Angeles police, who have gone to court seeking to obtain eight hours of recorded discussions between Watson and his late attorney Bill Boyd, have disclosed few details on the cold cases, including the names of victims or dates of the killings.
The tapes, made more than 40 years ago, have resurfaced as a part of a bankruptcy case involving Boyd's now-defunct Texas law firm. In May, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brenda Rhoades in Texas granted the request for the tapes, but an appeal is pending.
"We're just trying to obtain these tapes to see if they will shed light on these and other cases," Smith said.
Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck had said in a March letter to a U.S. Department of Justice trustee that the LAPD "has information that Mr. Watson discussed additional unsolved murders committed by followers of Charles Manson."
(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Will Dunham)

Hopefully this will bring some closure to the families of those victims, it surely was difficult for them to know that the killers escaped punishment for all those years.

First time I heard about this case I was much younger and I was terrified; the feeling didn't change much. They shouldn't be spared for anything that they might have done.

Incredible that these tapes have not surfaced until now.  I hope the appeal is refused so the families of the lost loved ones can finally get some closure.

blue

They were a sick bunch. The fact that anyone followed him is shocking. Unbelievable that these tapes just appeared after all this time.

I remember the time this was happening like it was yesterday and the horror of it has never left me. That they did many more murders that they were not charged with would not, does not surprise me.

Charles Manson is in a prison very near my home and when I think about that it totally creeps me out. Working with my private investigators at my last job brought me into close contact with that prison and that really creeped me out.

They say that to this day Manson gets letters from women who want to marry him and that he makes money online by selling things like his hair... now that sure extends the circle of sick people...

katt

I know of at least one sick individual who idolizes Charles Manson.  My stomach cramps up and I get very irritated anytime I see this idiot around or hear someone mention his name. 

To live near Manson himself, well, I'd be agitated all the time.  I don't think I could take it.  I will give Charlie some credit for some of his art.  He has some talent.  But I'll be glad when I no longer share the same planet with him.