Vanity Fair and Lynette Fromme's Response

The September 2016 issue of Vanity Fair magazine had a review of two recent books about the Beach Boys, including Good Vibrations by Mike Love.

In its December issue Vanity Fair printed a written rebuttal from Lynette Fromme to one of the contentions Love made in his book.

Beach Boy Mike Love alleges bandmate watched Charles Manson carry out murder

By Nicole Bitette - New York Daily News

 The Beach Boys in 1964. From left, Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Carl Wilson. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

One of the Beach Boys claimed to have witnessed Charles Manson commit a murder.

The group's co-founder Mike Love, 75, revealed in his new memoir "Good Vibrations" that bandmate Dennis Wilson claimed to have witnessed Charles Manson commit a murder in 1969, People reported.

The singer recounted the shocking friendship between convicted killer Manson and Wilson, who allegedly watched the murderer shoot a man right before his eyes, according to a chapter from the book obtained by People.

"I just saw Charlie take his M16 and blow this black cat [man] in half and stuff him down the well," Wilson allegedly told Love.

Charles Manson is escorted to and from Los Angeles Court Dec. 11, 1969 for arraignment on conspiracy murder charges in connection with the slayings of actress Sharon Tate and seven others. (FILE/AP)

The gruesome tale surfaced after Wilson spent some time at Spahn Ranch in the summer of 1969, the property where the Manson and his followers lived. Wilson had shown up to his brother Brian's studio that August appearing "visibly shaken," according to Love.

Manson was a singer-songwriter who knew the Beach Boy's drummer because they ran in a close circle in the L.A. music industry.

A retired Los Angeles County prosecutor who worked on the case denounced the book's claims, noting the Beach Boy's recollection of events don't add up.

"I've prosecuted four Tate-LaBianca murder trials and attended sixty parole hearings [of Manson family members] and I've never heard that story before," Stephen Kay told People. "If it was true, I would have heard it before."

Only one body was ever discovered on the property. Skeletal remains of a ranch hand named Donald "Shorty" Shea was found in 1977.

"I don't remember there actually being a well on the property," Kay told the mag. "And if there was one, I doubt they would have thrown a body down there. They would have buried him like they did Shorty."

VIEW GALLERY

The events left Dennis — who notably abused alcohol and drugs over the years — crippled in fear, according to Love.

"Dennis was too frightened to go to the police," Wilson writes. "I think he was just hoping that Manson and his family would disappear."

 Wilson died in 1983 when he was just 39 years old. He was discovered in the waters off Marina del Rey after drunkenly diving in the frigid surf. Love believed his bandmate was never able to rid of his guilt for being so close to the horrific crimes.

"Dennis carried that guilt with him for the last 14 years of his life," Love said.

Manson was convicted of conspiring to commit seven murders in 1971, including that of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. The 81-year-old is serving nine consecutive life sentences at Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, Ca.

Thanks to Joe Col for the tip!

Susan Atkins broke up Mike Love's marriage

Mike Love, the despised Beach Boy, had an article written about him in the February 25, 2016 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.  He claims in this article that Susan Atkins was the straw that broke the camel's back regarding his marriage.

Love was much married but the wife in question, Suzanne Belcher, was married to him in the right time period although a divorce was not filed for until April 1969.  That seems to be a delayed reaction to his allegation that Susan Atkins broke up his marriage by virtue of babysitting his children at Suzanne's behest while she was having an affair with his cousin Dennis.  Also, there is the little matter of Susan being ensconced in the Mendocino County jail for most of the time that the Family spent at Dennis Wilson's home.  I'm not certain of how much time Susan would have been at Dennis's house but I'm guessing it was not for long and quite early in the encampment.

Mike Love has many children by his six-pack of wives.  There was one child, a daughter Shawn Love, that he did not acknowledge for many years, who the result of an affair he had while he was married to Suzanne.  Shawn Love ended up marrying her father's cousin, Dennis Wilson.