Charles Milles Manson was born on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He became infamous as the leader of the Manson Family, a cult that committed a series of murders in the late 1960s. Manson's followers carried out a string of killings under his orders, including the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969. Manson's childhood was troubled, marked by neglect and criminal activities. He spent most of his youth in correctional facilities and prisons. In the late 1960s, Manson formed a cult-like group known as the Manson Family, which attracted several young, impressionable followers. Manson believed in an apocalyptic race war he called "Helter Skelter," which he believed would be triggered by the murders he orchestrated. He thought that by framing the Black community for these crimes, he could incite a violent racial conflict.

On August 8-9, 1969, Manson's followers brutally murdered five people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant. The following night, they killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. These gruesome acts shocked the nation and brought Manson and his cult to public attention. Manson and several of his followers were arrested in October 1969. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Although Manson did not physically participate in the killings, he was found guilty based on his role as the mastermind behind the crimes. Manson was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment after California abolished the death penalty in 1972. He spent the rest of his life in prison, becoming a notorious and controversial figure. Charles Manson died on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83, while serving his life sentence at California State Prison, Corcoran. Despite his death, Manson's crimes and the influence he had over his followers continue to captivate public interest and serve as a chilling reminder of the dangers of manipulation and extremism.