Melcher was not a Welcher

 

 

 

 One theory of the Cielo murders claims that Charlie chose that house to 'put the fear' into Terry Melcher for welching on a promised recording contract:

HS, pg315(paperback)

Much of the time at the Gresham Street house... was spent composing songs for Charlie's album. Charlie worked hard on these songs.   Manson was counting on Terry Melcher to produce this album. According to numerous Family members.  Terry had promised to come and listen to the songs one evening,   Melcher didn't show.  Manson, according to Poston and Watkins, never forgave Terry for this.  "Melcher's word was no good," he said angrily on a number of occasions.

 

But it appears that they were far friendlier to Terry than expected if you believe in that theory.

From Charlie's interview with Rolling Stone magazine of December 5th, 2013:

www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/charles-manson-today-the-final-confessions-of-a-psychopath-20131121
".. Melcher... apparently decided Manson wasn't a talent worth pursuing. Although Manson himself told everyone that a recording contract was imminent.
"Yeah, it was Terry Melcher's house, and he lied to everybody at the ranch, said he was gonna do stuff he didn't do. He got their hopes up, you dig? Terry was a spoiled brat that had seven automobiles and didn't have nothing to worry about. I'd cheated him in a card game and won a house. It was part card game, part con, all devil, heh heh. But I won it. He owed me. So, Terry Melcher was part of it. He did a lot of things that wasn't right. But, no one was mad at Terry Melcher,   Not really. He was just in somebody's mind, and when they went by there, it was a familiar place, and they went into a familiar place. ..."

Feb 25, 1985 - Charles Manson was interviewed at Vacaville Prison by KALX 90.7 Berkeley Radio When asked about Melcher, Manson said, “I like Terry. Terry’s a nice gentle person, he’s a peaceful person, he doesn’t lie, he’s treated me right. He’s, I would consider him a friend. But I think all this madness scared him. I think it scared him to think that I’m somebody that I’m not."

Manson In His Own Words by Nuel Emmons, published in 1986  pg148
"Melcher was all right and I had no bad feelings for him."

Doris Day, Her Own Story by A.E. Hotchner c. 1975  pg240
..I found out at one point that Manson knew I had moved to the Malibu beach house. ... But then why didn't he knock on the door, if he wanted to get in touch with me? None of it made much sense. Susan Atkins, one of the murderers, had told her attorney on tape, "The reason Charlie picked that house was to instill fear into Terry Melcher because Terry had given us his word on a few things and never came through with them." I have no idea to what she was referring. I made no representations to them about anything.

Death to Pigs, by Robert Hendrickson, c.2011  pg303
Watkins claimed Greg Jacobson promised that Terry would be there (at Gresham) to hear their music.
Watkins:  "Terry never said he would be there, Gregg said, Terry would be there."
Brooks:  "Gregg pulled the same one though, a couple of times. Gregg said he'd show up, but he(Melcher) didn't."

https://murdersofaugust69.freeforums.net/thread/1287/terry-melcher-rolling-stone-1974
Tom Nolan, Rolling Stone, 9May1974   

When I was finished, their lawyer, Kanarek, said something like, ‘We want Mr. Melcher to know that the defendants have never borne him any ill will.’