Saturday, April 30, 2016

MansonBlog Tour 2016: The Gun Toss And Steven Weiss' House

After the murders on Cielo Drive the killers turned up Benedict Canyon Blvd. to return to Spahn's Movie Ranch. After crossing Mulholland Drive on the crest of the Santa Monica mountains they turned north on to Beverly Glen Blvd. and began their descent into the San Fernando Valley. Soon after starting down the hill Linda Kasabian threw the .22 caliber High Standard Buntline revolver used in the killings out of the car's window. The gun went over the side of a hill and landed on an embankment leading down to the back yard of the Bernard Weiss residence where it was found by son Steven Weiss while he was working on a sprinkler fixture on September 1, 1969. The gun was turned over to police the same day, but no connection was made between the weapon and the murders for over two months.


The former Weiss residence at 3627 Longview Valley Road
in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles

Google Maps view of the Weiss residence 
and Beverly Glen Blvd. behind and above it. 

The road sign in the center of the picture gives a good idea of 
how close to the Weiss house Beverly Glen Blvd. is. 

The hillside behind the Weiss house where 
the gun used in the Cielo Drive murders was found

The property has a very small back yard.

The gun (Photo courtesy CieloDrive.com)

On tour day the house was seemingly vacant and being made ready for repairs, so we were able to explore it completely, even venturing into the back yard. The house practically abutted the hillside behind it, but someone in a car on Beverly Glen at night would likely not have been aware that there was a neighborhood and houses situated so closely to where the gun was tossed out. 






18 comments:

  1. Sounds like y'all are having a fun time on your fact finding tour. Been away for a while. Good to be back.....

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  2. Hi Matt. Please call me when you have a few minutes to catch up. I know you're busy so if I don't hear from you pretty soon I won't let me feel bads get hurt.

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  4. Just THOUGHT: You guys (REAL investigators) should ALL together "drop-by" Parker Center and ask for detective Lou Rivera. Bring a dozen donuts and have a nice talk.

    IF HE does NOT jump-up to greet and meet you, even that will be most telling.

    I'm DEAD serious here !!!

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  7. These back yard pics were a real score, folks. We couldn't believe our luck.

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  9. The backyard pics are great! I hope you get some pics of the yard where the killers washed off the blood.

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  10. I'm amazed they threw the gun, or anything else at all. Why not assume (I know, I know) that you won't get pulled over (via life experiences) and get back to the ranch and bury that little pistol, and burn the clothes at the campfire?

    A cop told me half of the crimes would go unsolved, if not for criminals being such bad drivers.

    So who knows?

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  11. Thanks, Matt. I can hardly remember yesterday. I'll check the archives.

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  12. And you even provided a link, Matt. Thanks again.

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  13. How could Steven Weiss have a normal-kid upbringing with a backyard as a brief as that?

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    1. I've know Steve since 1971. I live in the neighborhood. A yard that size is the norm for as hillside home

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  14. Anyone know how this young man faired in life? Where he is now? Heard Ronnie Howard who Atkins confessed to shared reward with him. She was sadly beaten in a robbery in 1979 and died from injuries.

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