Casting Call: My Manson Movie

"I have often thought it was very arrogant to suppose you could  make a film for anybody but yourself."

- Peter Greenaway 

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_dreams.html

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_dreams.html

"The most honest form of filmmaking is to make a film for yourself"

 - Peter Jackson

Imagine trying to make a Manson Family Movie. My Manson Family Movie. Just the sound of it gives me the chills. What an overwhelming thought at first. Impossible right? Of course, the budget would be the biggest obstacle. Yes, this is true. But, there could potentially be ways around that for the right motivated person. Some people make their own breaks in life with the right effort. What if I were to create a film at a reasonable cost, partially by raising private money, and then try to spur a grass roots movement which could create a momentum of its own through; a strong internet presence, word of mouth, and a few guerrilla marketing techniques? 

Does that sound silly? 

Maybe, but it did work for The Blair Witch Project whose creators were a few hours from where I live now in Florida, and also the movie Clerks- which was made about 45 minutes from where I grew up in New Jersey. Naturally, I started looking at those two films for inspiration first.

This was the thought process when making The Blair Witch Project:

"The Blair Witch Project was developed during 1993 by the filmmakers. Myrick and Sanchez came across the idea for the film after realizing that they found Documentaries on paranormal phenomenon scarier than traditional horror films, thus the two decided to create a film that combined the styles" 

Sort of what I was thinking of for My Manson Movie. A movie about the making of a Documentary blended in with flashback sequences where actors accurately play out recreations of the back-stories of the characters involved in the Documentary being filmed. I bet it could work with great writing, and an organized process. The Blair Witch Project was shot in 8 days. It cost between 500 and 750K by most real estimates, although the filmmakers say it was less. It grossed almost 250 Million world wide. The Blair Witch Project is thought to be the first widely released movie marketed primarily by internet. It was well written and extremely well marketed. At a very reasonable cost.

Even smaller scale was Clerks. Kevin Smith made Clerks with one camera, about 75 feet of cable, and almost the entire cost of production went on credit cards. It cost less than 30K to make and did 3 million in box office alone, despite the fact it never showed on more than 50 screens at one time. It became a cult classic on video, and it is one of the most cleverly written movies you will ever see. Go check out the scene where Dante and his girlfriend get into the argument over how many people she had sex with and gave blowjobs to. You will watch that exchange a thousand times, and I laugh like it was the first time you have seen it every time. Great writing can do that.

Remember, we also have recent, subject-related, history to look at as well. I did a review on The Manson Family Vacation movie not too long ago. It is holding steady with a just under 7 rating at Rotten Tomato. They made that movie with very little money and raised some of it on Kick-Starter. 

"284 backers pledged $40,607 to help bring this project to life." (From the Manson Family Vacation Kick-starter page)

How much could the total production costs have been if 40K made a difference in getting this movie made? And they were able to sell it and get it out there.... 

So although I have no real personal experience with anything like this, I have watched a few movies over the years made by those who have been very successful doing it. I know it can been done, because it has been done, and to me that counts for something. I mean, how hard can it be right? It would be almost impossible not to make a better movie about Manson than the garbage they keep putting out over and over.  All the attention this subject gets, what if it started going around various medias, and social networking sights, that there was a "Must-See" out there on the Manson Family story? I think that a very good, honest, and effectively spooky movie, about Manson could be made profitably without having the resources of a major studio or production Company. 

Maybe its worth a try?

My Manson Movie would be based somewhat on the Robert Hendrickson Documentary. It would revolve around The Family AFTER the crimes, so we can see the other players more in focus and learn of all the parallel story-lines going on internally, within The Family, while the killers were in jail. I would recreate several of the memorable scenes as closely as possible to give a true feeling to my audience of what life was really like at the ranches. Both before the crimes, in flashback sequences, and real time.  Demonstrating, through factual recreations, situations which raise questions about why the TLB crimes occurred and sorting out the aftermath would be more the focus than actually trying to re-create the TLB crimes. I have a vision for how to make this come out as realistically as possible. I believe I have a way to tell the story that asks more questions than it tries to give answers. Plus, with accurate information, thoughtful performances, and a fantastic soundtrack. I would mix in original music from Manson, Watkins/Posten and the Family Jams with vintage selections from the time and era. Of course, tossing in a couple of songs from the Beach Boys and Beatles coinciding with certain scenes. Even more fun than picking the music, I would get to give myself a part!  

My Manson Movie would also draw heavily from Restless Souls. I would plan to spend a good deal of time exploring the tragedy from the victims side as well. Putting a larger emphasis on the Tate's also allows me to draw a little attention to my one small part, but we will get to that later. In every movie I ever saw, the more you cared about the characters- the more you believed in, and cared about, the story. I would want to give my audience an authentic story delivered by characters they have had a chance to develop some personal investment in. That, to me, is crucial. Authenticity. The actors in My Manson Movie  not only have to play the part, they will have to live it. And, more important, they should look it as much as possible. Exceptions could be made for having some previous acting experience relevant to the character they shall play, but some similarity in look is essential.

That brings me to the next step. To get an idea of "The Look" of my cast in place, I put together initial notes for myself about who, or what, the ideal cast would look like. I realize there are plenty of issues with some of the choices. But understand, these choices were made for a variety of reasons. none of these people are actually going to be in My Manson Movie. Except me lol  I picked some for uncanny resemblances. I picked others because I have seen them in specific, similar  roles that made me feel they would be great as certain specific characters. More than any of that though, I am trying to form my artistic vision of how I want to represent the characters, and what it would take to bring them to life.  I am aware that the choices I made below will not work out for a variety of practical reasons. I can build around the realities later. But again, this is just an initial "wish -list". I am really just thinking aloud about what the perfect look or previous experience would be for my characters. As each of them has to bring either a look, or certain experience to their parts. One other thing that will become very obvious. My Manson Movie casting ideas are heavily influenced by my lifetime of watching Movies and TV. A sort of "Tribute" to some of my favorite performers. But, as this is My Manson Movie, I decided to trust my own visual, and viewing experiences putting together this group. So, having gotten that out of the way, the initial casting ideas for My Manson Movie looks like this:

The Family

As Charlie I chose John Hawkes. This dude can seriously act. You have seen him in many movies from The Perfect Storm to the more recent Everest. I picked him specifically though for his role as the cult leader in Martha Marcy May Marlene. He nailed it. He has not only the right look for the part, but I have seen his acting chops in a similar role. Charlie would be hard to pull off for anyone, but this guy could do as good of a job as anyone I have ever seen. Check out his character "Teardrop" in the movie Winter's Bone. He plays the character Charlie might have become if he never made it out of the area he grew up.

Picking Charlies right hand man Bruce Davis was one of the easiest choices of the entire casting:

Playing the role of Bruce Davis will be Liev Schreiber. Notice the identical looks of menace they sport. And again, I picked another guy who can act his ass off. Liev has shown the versatility to play criminals ( Ransom), tough guys ( Ray Donovan) as well as even transgender characters ( Taking Woodstock). He has experience with darker movies ( Omen remake). Surely he could pull of the role of the quiet, and sneaky Davis.

Another fairly easy choice was the role of Bobby Beausoleil.

Dave Franco. Of course, the brother of  James. This one does require a little more explanation as he is not a "dead knock off" of Bobby looks-wise. Franco has the "puppy dog cute' good looks that Bobby liked to give himself credit for. Even more than that, what struck me as the perfect way to audition Franco for this role was to watch 21 Jump Street. He plays the "cool" guy in his group of friends who gets caught up in trouble trying to sell drugs to bikers, and winds up desperate. Sound familiar? I think that we have enough of a visual from that performance, and his look, to feel pretty good this is our man to play Bobby.

A more difficult choice of the men at the ranch was Clem.

I decided on Cole Hauser. you have seen him in a couple of the Ben Affleck Boston area movies such as The Town, and Good Will Hunting. However, he always holds a special place in my heart for his role in Dazed and Confused which is my favorite all time movie. In that movie Cole plays a loyal, quiet character who more or less follows around his groups leader ( QB of the football team he plays on). Perfect.

Crispin Glover first caught my eye in the movie The Rivers Edge. He has shown up since then in everything from The Doors to Back To The Future. He has the look and talent to play Paul Watkins. Watkins will be a wild card in my movie. He will be hard to read and the audience should not be sure whose side he is really on.

Mike White will play Brooks Posten. He directs and acts. He played Jack Black's roommate in School of Rock. The shy guy whose girlfriend ( Sara Silverman) walks all over him. He was also in The Good Girl with Jennifer Aniston. He is also a writer, producer and has worked on shows like Dawson's Creek, and Freaks and Geeks. He has the light hair, fair complexion and easy demeanor to do a spot on Poston. Besides, he can help me with all that other stuff I have no idea how to do. An all around good guy to get involved.

Only one man alive could look crazy enough to bring TJ to life. Jack Nicholson. Did you know that his career making performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was given to him despite the protest of Ken Kesey who wrote the book it was based on? Kesey wanted Gene Hackman to play the part. Kesey claimed to have never seen the movie. So, to name a few of my favorites; Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, China Town, The Shining, Terms of Endearment, A Few Good Men, As Good As It Gets, The Departed. The list goes on and on. I am quite sure that none of you need Jack's resume from me.

My ideal Lynette Fromme would be McKenzie Phillips. The tiny frame packed with so much energy. The cute little smile and hint of reddish hair. McKenzie grew up right in the middle of it all. She absolutely gets the times.  If we can keep McKenzie off the blow for long enough to complete the shoot, we would have a dynamic performer playing the role of a dynamic person. In her defining character on One Day At A time- she played the outspoken teenage girl in her family. It fits to me.

 This is my choice for the role of Sandra. Leelee Sobieski. If you are not sure who this is please go watch Here on Earth. She plays a young dying girl torn between her long time boyfriend and a guy she meets who inspires her ( Josh Hartnett and Chris Klein). She delivers a line in this movie that floored me so hard, that It haunts me to this day. This girl has it all. Strength and vulnerability all wrapped up in one. She has also starred in Joy Ride with Paul Walker and appeared in Glass Houses with Dianne Lane.

I know, I know. LILO. But its my first movie. I have to see if all the hype is real. This is a person who is always looking for another chance in movies, and nowadays comes cheap. So this could be an actual fit. As far as look and temperament, she is a natural fit for the part of Nancy Pitman.

Kourtney Kardashian gets to play Ruth- my favorite of the girls. She has no acting experience at all. But, she could easily be made to look like Ruth, and she is the only one in her entire family I can stand. This is one cheesy reality show I do not watch, but my ex does, and she tells me this one is somewhat grounded, very family oriented, and more interested in her children than the spotlight. Hard to believe, but I can give anyone the benefit of the doubt till I know otherwise.

Lisa Loeb is not an actress, but what a voice! And more importantly, she reminds me of a young Barbara Hoyt.  We may need to hire another actress to portray her in the sequel, but Lisa will fit the bill perfectly for what we need in the first installment. Hoyt is a loud-mouthed attention whore in My Manson Movie. I gotta make her a little sympathetic, because at the end of the day she did the right thing by getting out of there and they did try to harm her. But, I will make it very clear that she is wrong all these years about Shorty's death, and is just as interested in self-service and attention as she is helping anyone else. Because that is what I think.

Since we cant use Billie Jean King any longer, To capture the essence of Diane Lake, I thought of Danica Mckellar. Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years. This is a fair representation of an attractive young girl with sad, lost eyes. Small and quiet, this will be a minor part.

How about vintage Joan Baez type to play Catherine Share? This could work aesthetically. For now I am going for a general idea of what will work. This type of look works for me.

Martha Plimpton has the skills to play our Mary Brunner. She was pretty well known back when I was in high school. She was in Goonies. She was also in Running on Empty starring River Pheonix. She also did a turn playing the onscreen brother of his brother- the then "Leaf" now Joaquin in Parenthood. She also did the Mosquito Coast with Harrison Ford. She was once also nominated for a Tony for being in a play. So, she can act. And, she has the looks to be a good Mary.

Country Sue could be portrayed by Ashley Doherty. Ashley was a contestant on this past season (which just ended) of "Married at First Site". This is a cheesy reality show that I do watch. Its a reality show where 3 couples are matched by professionals and then they meet for the first time at their wedding days. They are followed on camera as they honeymoon, movie in together, and then try to live as married couples for 6 weeks. Then they have to decide if they want to stay married or walk. Tonite happens to be the season finale, so I will let you know soon if Ashley is off the market. ( Saint says she dumps the guy)

Update: Ashley dumped him...

Cappy Gillies role will be offered to Tracy Pollan. She is married to Micheal J. Fox. She met him on an episode of Family Ties but it didnt get serious until they met again on the set of Bright Lights, Big City.  She is a fine choice to play the fair skinned and attractive Gillies. We will address the issue of Cappy being a Buffalo Springfield Groupie in My Manson Movie in a quick mention.

Laura Pepron was Donna on That 70's Show. She has done a bunch of TV appearances since, and been in a couple of smaller movies. Kitty was best known for being the girlfriend of Bobby, and "Donna" is best known for being the girlfriend of "Eric" on the show which was her one big hit. I will be calling on her and her TV dad to play roles in My Manson Movie. Laura has the red hair, light complexion, and freckles, to be a fine Kitty Lutsinger.

The TLB Killers:

Tex Watson is the wormiest, scummiest character on the face of the Earth. The Character Jake Gyllenhaal played in Night Crawler is EXACTLY what I need. An emotionless, self serving maniac. The guy next door who you never saw coming. Cold, unattached, calculated, SCARY!! Plus Jake can get into character and look like almost anybody. This is my choice to play the role of Tex.

While I grant you that Fairuza Balk is not a spot on look alike for Susan, can you name me another actress who can come across as bat shit crazy? Loud mouthed, attention starved characters who are willing to shock you into noticing them is what she specializes in. From American History X to The Craft to this girl has been acting her way into a Manson movie for almost her entire career. Sounds like a perfect formula for Sadie to me...

To be quite honest with you, I am not sure why I brought Kristy Mcnichols into this. She was my first crush. I used to read Tiger Beat just to see if it had her pictures. But, she was on a TV show called Family. She was never considered one of the "Hot" girls of her time. She was more of a tomboy, and had some masculine traits. Check out the character she plays opposite Tatum O'Neill in Little Darlings. Kristy became very quiet and withdrawn from public later in life as a result of awkward  feelings from her youth. Kristy could draw on a lot to play this part. I guess that's why I brought her into this...

Kendall Jenner is LULU. Just look at them. Flip mothers and tell me that either one of these two couldn't have wound up either way? Take the make-up and X off one and put it on the other and tell me the difference? So- yes in this case, I have to bring two of the Kardasholes into the tent. But the mom is not allowed near the set. If Kim or Kanye show up- they are all out!! That is a deal breaker. But, like LILO, this might be one of the more realistic choices- age and look wise. Plus she would be looking for a break out chance to cross over into acting I bet. That family loves attention more than I do.

Did you know that Alison Arngrim gives small private tours around Hollywood called that "Nasty Nellie Tour"? Would you believe she cancelled on me twice, last minute, when I booked both times months in advance? Once to do publicity for a "Little House on the Prairie Anniversary Media Tour" which was dreamed up and announced out of nowhere after she took my reservation. All true! I dont know why I chose her except to tell that story, so lets move on. After all, I shouldn't hold a grudge against someone for screwing with Laura Engalls all these years. She does look the part though doesn't she? That look of- "I got away with it again"



The Victims:

April Bowlby played Candi on the TV sitcom Two and a Half Men. She played the exact role on that show that Sharon was asked to play in almost every role she ever got. April is no Sharon, nor will any woman ever be. But. April has the look and experience to play a hot Hollywood bombshell who men were attracted to as much for her physical attributes as her artistic talent. I felt the first time I ever saw April that she reminded me somewhat of Sharon in the Fearless Vampire shots. Sharon gets nothing but love and respect in My Manson Movie. We will not be showing the actual TLB murders in any scenes. They will have happened. The movie will spook people regardless.

Do you recognize Patrick Fugit? He was the little kid reporter "Star" of Almost Famous. This was Cameron Crowe's movie loosely based on himself also starring Kate Hudson. A film that helped make Kate Hudson a star. The scene where the two of them go back and forth while telling each other how old they are is a classic. Patrick really gets this nod because of his look. He can pull off the Roman "lost in myself" look and puffy hairstyle. Unfortunately for Patrick, Roman is going to take a beating in my movie. Roman sucks!

Tim Matheson was in Animal House and Fletch among others. Two more of my favorite movies seemed to have crept into my decision making. But he plays the part of responsible business/ladies man as well as anyone I have seen. This was the toughest call I had to make, but I simply couldn't find a fit I liked better. Jay will be treated as a Hero for trying to defend Sharon in My Manson Movie, but we will not shy away from his other habits which leave other options for the motive of his murder on the table.

Ellen Page made a movie called Hard Candy. In this movie she got the upper hand on a child predator who intended to do her harm. she outsmarted her attacker and forced him to make a choice between exposing himself and ruining his life for good, or taking his life. The idea of Gibby having a chance to get the best of those animals who went after her, was all the inspiration I needed to pick Ellen Page for the role of Abagail Folger. Ellen can act as well though. She was nominated for an Academy Award for the movie Juno.

Javier Bardem in the role of Voytek makes sense. Strong features, Foreign heritages. I think that Javier could pull this off. A supporting role, and not much dialogue. His job is to be in the background and offer the threat of unknown danger lurking. Did you see him in No Country For Old Men? Check! I liked him in Skyfall as well, which was the best James Bond movie in some time. Voytek as well will be mourned and respected, but his life with be spoken of with brutal honesty. People will be made aware of his darker connections.

Portraying Leno Labianca will be Don Stark. Don has made many TV appearances but you will know him best as Donna's father on the TV sitcom- That 70's show. Don has the look and acting experience to play this small flashback role. Saving time from him to dissect the life of his more interesting wife.

Angelique Boyer. A French born, Mexican actress. She will play Rosemary whose memory would be celebrated in My Manson Movie for all the amazing things this adopted woman was able to accomplish before her life was so senselessly taken away. Although in flashbacks, I would make sure to make the public aware of what a resilient, and brilliant woman this was. I chose a mostly unknown person for this part to represent the fact that I believe Rosemary is an overlooked, or forgotten victim. Due to the names and circumstances at the Cielo home, and her husbands hobbies/connections, most people never paid much attention to how accomplished this determined woman became. After this movie and performance from Angelique- that would change.

Steve Parent is a very small part. But his memory is no less significant. He too will get a bit more than just the obligatory mention. Jonathan Lipnicki can hold this down for us more than adequately. He was the adorable little boy in Jerry Maguire. Stealing scenes from Tom Cruise and Rene Zellweger shows he could hold his own around the rest of my stellar "Dream cast."

Gary will be a bigger role, but shown in flashback sequences as he will have already been killed at the start of my movie. Aaron Ruell is the perfect actor to play this part. Although my favorite work from him is comedy, Reno 911 and Napolean Dynamite, He has the perfect look and personality to play the soft-spoken music teacher. I am waiting on more information, and debating still, to include any references to drugs in regards to Gary in My Manson movie. I am leaning towards not doing so presently, but am still waiting to see the SS video to draw my final conclusions.

Time out: You know, maybe Gary is a separate movie. Val Kilmer once made a movie called Wonderland about the Wonderland Drive Murders involving John Holmes. They retold the chain of events three times in the movie. First from Holmes' view to the cops. Then from one of the victims boyfriends points of view to the cops. Then at the end of the movie- Holmes tells his ex-wife what actually went down. Maybe that's the way to make the Gary Hinman movie. Tell it from the robbery side from one characters narration, then the drug burn from anothers. Add a third neutral voice- like maybe a prosecutor or investigator to include the actual facts, and then let the audience decide....

 Anyway- that can be my next movie or maybe the sequel?

Someone with a look such as Billy Bob Thorton would be a good choice to play Shorty Shea. The character he played in Tombstone shows that he can do the cowboy look with the required level of authenticity. I hear he likes to drink beers too, so it will be nice to have someone on set to party with.




The Attorneys:

Jerry Stiller has been around forever and seen it all! He has the look, and the acting experience to play an attorney who has been around forever and tried it all.

Playing Bugs is much like trying to play Charlie. Its a tough ask to portray a legendary person who feels so strongly about themselves as a legendary person. Joe Pantoliano is just that man. He also has the look. From The Fugitive to The Sopranos- this guy has been popping up in things I like for years. It will take study and hundreds of hours of preparation to take on the role of the dogged prosecutor, but hey that's what we do in this business right?

But if we want to pass on acting ability and go strictly by looks and government work related experience- as Matt pointed out to me- Bugs has a doppelganger:

Rudy Guliani. Big city politics. Italian heritage. He had to do some acting to get elected to NYC's highest post. So we can make the choice here between practical experience and acting experience, and get someone with a similar look either way.




The Rest:

Robert Hendrickson could be played by someone like Josh Brolin. He too was in the recent movie Everest among many other movies you made have seen such as the True Grit remake, Milk, American Gangster, and Jonah Hex. He too grew up in the LA area, knows the times, and he certainly has the good looks to play our favorite Documentary maker. We just need to get him up to speed on Mr. H's vocabulary and political beliefs and values.

Mr H. - you were a good looking dude back in the day. Coming off an Academy Award nomination, and with your youth and good looks, you must have actually lived the ultimate male Holywood dream! You need to tell us about walking the Red Carpet and stuff like that. Did you get to do that? The times were hostile and volatile, but they couldn't have been all bad right? How about some of the "Good Ole Days" stories? I promise not to put any of that stuff in My Manson Movie :)

The Lizard King, is no longer available for the part of Mark Ross. Too bad. I still need to work on this one, because Mark Ross is a potential unknown factor in all of this. The wildcard character. I feel like thee is way too much untold anywhere about his involvement with The Family, and his connections to several of the players who remained free after the crimes. In My Manson Movie I will make sure that people understand there are little-known people such as Mark Ross looming around this case who may have some answers as to who knew who, and what really went down in some of the shadier areas of the lesser known Family crimes. If I were in Vegas and there were lines on who people would expect to have inside information about the crimes and inside life of The Family- I bet you Mark Ross would be one of the longest shots on the board. Nobody outside the people who really study this even know his name, or who he is. Is the character Mark Ross listed in the credits of as single Manson movie over the years? There he is with the main players at the courthouse and at the ranch. A family related death occurs at his place, and yet he sails through it all, after all of these years, mostly under the radar somehow. Maybe its because he knows nothing. Maybe he really is along shot. In Vegas this kind of long-shot is my kind of play.

Crazy idea for one possible scenario in My Manson Movie: Mark Ross is a secret plant by the government into the Family, and that is unknown to his friend and collaborator- the Director of the Documentary, and lead character in my film. This would explain why Mark Ross's involvement was able to stay quiet all these years, and his former friend, our Director, has a long lasting distrust of the government.

Hmmm...

Col Paul Tate will be played by me. Saint Circumstance. I will need to do a bit of a makeover, but this is the best way to sneak myself into a small role. I am kinda age appropriate. Make-up and wardrobe will sort the rest out. I feel like I have been a strong defender of Sharon's ( and all of the victims) honor all these years on the blogs, so I felt this was as good a place for me to sneak myself in as any. Plus, most of you know that I always wanted to be The Col  :)

Doris Tate will be done by Edie McClurg. She was the principals secretary in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She also does a lot of voice-overs in movies such as Frozen and The Little Mermaid. Edie is another looks choice. Although, she does have some serious acting chops-which she will need to play the heroin in the first installment of My Manson Movie.

For the part of Patti Tate, we need both beauty and vulnerability. Ever seen Mary McCormack in 1408? She is perfect. It is a horror movie, but she plays a woman who lost a child. Grieving, and still being beautiful is hard to do. Mary can do it. Sadly, we know Patti will spend much time grieving in My Manson Movie. Mary first came on my radar when she played Howard Sterns wife in Private Parts, but she has done much great work since. Mary gives us the great looks and sensitivity we will need in this role. She was last seen on TV's In Plain Sight as a Deputy Marshall.

 

We may need to get different actress' to play Deb in latter installments of my movie franchise as she ages. However, for the years during and immediately after the crimes-  A resemblance to Debra is all we need for the first part of my story when Deb was still very young. A young Susan Dey type could accomplish this. And, I loved Lori in the Partridge Family. All my friends liked Marcia Brady. Not me. I was the only one who liked Lori Partridge better.

Smaller Parts or Cameo Appearances:

Shai LaBeouf to do a couple of scenes as Juan Flynn, and to drink beers with myself and Billy Bob. He was in a great movie called The Company You Keep with Robert Redford, which is the first and only movie I have ever seen which mentions the Brotherhood of Eternal Love. Oh yeah. He was also in those Robot movies... What were they called????  :)

R. Lee Ermey. I would like him to do a few lines as Paul Crockett. He was the Drill Sergeant in Full Metal Jacket. He was also in Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as well. Those are just my favorite two movies he did. He has been in many, many more.

Nick Stabile will do a brief cameo as Dennis Wilson. He has experience in that he has played Dennis already in The Beach Boys: An American Family. I liked him better in Bride of Chucky though.

Gregg Allman will cut his hair a bit do a short scene as Terry Melcher. He is going to play "Im No Angel" for us among other songs during breaks on the set as well.

Hart Bochner will have several key scenes as Gregg Jackobson. Hart has been in movies I liked since the 7'th grade (Breaking Away). When I was in high school he played the part, pictured above, of a cop who is sneaking into a doughnut shop on duty to fool around with Leah Thompson. Her boyfriend in that movie was Eric Stoltz, who lived with Christopher Penn. It was called The Wild Life. Loved it! Although, I guess most of you will remember him as the shit-talking, sales man -coke-head in Die Hard.

Zero will be in a couple of scenes and his death will be explored leaving the audience with more questions. John Cusack is my all-time favorite actor, so I had to include him. I have watched Say Anything, and The Sure Thing, hundreds of times over the years. He had a small parts in 16 Candles, and Class ( with Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy respectively) which is where I first saw him. He was not one of the "Brat Packers" like Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, Rob Lowe, or Michael Hall. They got the best parts for a time, thanks to John Hughes mostly. But, Cusack got to star in a couple of his own Romantic Comedies, and just came across as more likable than any of those other guys. From there he never looked back. You tell me which of those other guys has stayed as relevant and continues to make A-list movies at the level John Cusack does? High Fidelity, The Grifters, Runaway Jury, The Raven, Being John Malkovitch, Pushing Tin, Grosse Pointe Blank, Con Air, The Thin Red Line. Just to name a few.  He made a great TV cowboy movie called Jack Bull with his dad as well. He has really never been in anything I didn't like. I had to find a way to get him in. It was as important to me as getting myself in. Almost :)

Why not?  "Donkey Dan" could be played by somebody also known for having a big ..... Ron Jeremy would do as Danny Decarlo.

Scott Caan can do a brief, but important appearance as Al Springer. Another LA guy who has been in many movies I like such as, Oceans 11, Varsity Blues, and Boiler Room. He is on the updated TV version of Hawaii Five-0, but I do not watch that.

Timothy Hutton as William Garretson. Hutton is an afterthought now in Hollywood, but not back in my day. He starred in some of my earliest favorite movies like Taps, and the Falcon And The Snowman, which featured him over other young actors also in those films with names like Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, and Kevin Bacon among others. He first made a name for himself as a young actor in the movie Ordinary People where he became the youngest actor ever to be nominated for an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor).

And finally we have George Spahn. In my wildest dream,  playing George Spahn in a short cameo appearance would be Robert Duvall. He came into my life in The Godfather series. Since then I have sought him out in movies all the way back to Mash which was made before I could even understand what a movie was. I saw movies such Tender Mercies, Apocalypse Now when I was a kid. Colors and and Slingblade when I was a young man. Runaway Jury, and Phenomenon when I was in my 30's. And still he keeps plugging away all through my 40's with movies like Get Low, and The Apostle. Robert Duvall continues to put out great films and give excellent performances. Open Range was a good cowboy movie, and he was great in it,  so I know he will look right at home in the vintage old Western outfits.

And that, old friends, would be my preliminary idea of a "dream" cast as well as a few hints to a potential plot. Obviously, Making my dream a reality will take much work. Fair to say I wont be able to get any of the people above to be in My Manson Movie. I need some money and an actual cast who can act and look like the people in my list above. The mountain to climb will be very high, but I have experience getting things done very high. And, I do have a few things in my favor. I have already personally scouted all the locations. I have access to a top notch research team. I have no balance on any of my credit cards. I have watched enough Manson Movies to know beyond a doubt what will NOT work. And, if that is not enough for you, I have "The Attitude". They say you need AN attitude to survive in Hollywood. Well, I have the Attitude.

To explain The Attitude here is  Robert Romanus as "Mike Damone" in- Fast Times At Ridgemont High (My second favorite movie of all time):

"Yeah, The Attitude. The Attitude dictates that you dont care weather she comes, stays, lays or prays. I mean whatever happens, your toes are still tappin'. 

Now when you got that- you got the Attitude"



                                                        - Your Favorite Saint

Buster has died

Hello Friends,

Tonight at about 5:30 P.M. I had just finished cleaning the horse pens.  Buster was waiting in front of our cabin to play with his tire that was in his mouth.  I threw the tire for him and he took off running to fetch the tire.  About 15 feet away from the tire his legs went out from under him and he collapsed on his right side.  His tongue was hanging out his mouth into the dirt and he was barley breathing.  I was petting him as an cry of anguish came out from deep inside and he died.  It was over in less than 60 seconds.  Buster died doing what he loved.

What an incredible effect that Buster has had on my life.  We have gone all over the world together and it was all because of him and his love of searching.  His alerts on Tarawa are still resulting in recoveries.

Tomorrow I will bury Buster on a hill that overlooks the ranch.  I will bury him with his blue bone and the blanket that Nancy Ekelund made for him.  The blanket and bone have traveled all over the world with Buster.

I wanted to get this Email out to you all while I am still in a state of shock and disbelief and before the grieving process overwhelms me which is starting now.

Feel free to forward to anyone I forgot.

Thanks,

Paul

You can read more about Buster here and here.

---

 A NOTE FROM PAUL:

I would like to thank all of you for the kind words.  If you go to the History Flight Facebook page you can see a lot about Buster.  The first thing you see will be a hanger with rows of flag draped caskets.  There are 36 of them and they contain US Marines from the battle of Tarawa in November 1943.  One of the missing was missing Medal of Honor winner Lt. Alexander Bonnyman.  This recovery was a result of Buster alerting right on top of the trench burial that contained the Marines.

Last Tuesday Buster and I were in Las Vegas with the rest of our History Flight team making presentations at a forensic meeting.  Clay Bonnyman, grandson of Lt. Bonnyman had Emailed me that he wanted a picture of him with Buster.  This was the last photo ever taken of Buster.

Buster has around 250 documented recoveries to his credit, most of them on Tarawa.  In regards to the Barker Ranch, 100% there are bodies buried there.  My friend and colleague Dr. Arpad Vass says the same thing.  Dr. Vass is the leading authority in the world on the chemistry of Human decomposition.  He makes a very definitive statement about the bodies buried at the Barker Ranch in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Qd2nxMC2Y

The Mass Spectrometer chemistry from the graves at the Barker Ranch is the same as the graves on Tarawa where human remains were recovered.

Some of you know about my friend and colleague Tom O'Neill.  Tom is one of the best investigators that I have ever met in my life.  What he has discovered is astounding and I am honored that he has shared so much with me from his incredible investigation.  Someday it will all come out.  No, I don't know when.  I can tell you it will blow you away.

There is a Vet in Bishop that Buster has seen many times in his life.  The Vet told me that he remembers sitting around the dining room table with his parents and Frank Fowles when he was younger.  He told me that Frank knew that there were bodies buried at the Barker Ranch and he was very frustrated that he could not find them.  I knew Frank when he was a defense attorney in Bishop when I was on a multiagency task force.  Frank was hard working, honest advocate for his clients and taught me a few lessons the hard way when I was on the stand.  I wish he had not passed away prior to my interest in the Manson Family in Inyo County.

Buster's first search ever was on February 24th, 2007 at the Barker Ranch.  What he found was history making, only the history has not happened yet.  In the spring of 2014 I brought a friend of mine to the Barker Ranch.  My friend had recently retired from a large law enforcement agency and had a cadaver dog.  Without saying anything more than to search some general areas, the dog alerted at the exact same locations that Buster did 7 years before.

What I do know is that two boys are buried near the ranch house just on the other side of the fence to the south.  There is a girl buried half way between the Barker and Myers Ranch.  The other sites I don't know.  I believe that the two boys is what Robert Hendrickson smelled in the spring of 1970 when he was sitting on the front porch of the Barker Ranch House.  For the record, not everyone from the family is in jail for the murders that took place at the Barker Ranch.  Some are still free.

Some of you may recall a statement attributed to Susan Atkins, “There are two boys and a girl buried eight feet deep behind the Barker Ranch”.

I did ask Manson to help me and Buster out and tell about the bodies buried at the Barker Ranch.  I will send an audio file to Matt as to what he said when he called me at home with his answer.  I will send it out in a few weeks.

My wife Jeri and I have a deep hole in our hearts from not having Buster in our lives any longer.  We will be getting a lab puppy soon and if he can do half of what Buster has done I would be very happy.

Someday, somehow, Buster will be proven right at the Barker Ranch.  I don’t know how yet.  I am honored to have been his friend and driver.  Paul

Pre-Arrest Tabloid Article Eerily Accurate

Below is an article from the November 16, 1969 issue of The National Enquirer. The Enquirer is nothing normally to be considered (except for chuckles on the checkout line), but take a look at the description of the killer by psychiatrist Dr. Jean B Rosenbaum:

The killer of actress Sharon Tate and four others is a cold, calculating psychotic who was  well organized and in complete control of himself during the orgy of death…

He approached his gruesome task in a state of high tension and excitement comparable to that of a football player awaiting the kickoff or a prize fighter ready for the bell…

He was motivated. not by envy, jealousy or money but by raw revenge, based on imagined wrongs and on prejudices stemming from a very deep inferiority complex…

He is riot a “wild” madman, a drug addict or an alcoholic -  but an ordinary, looking person whose mild, polite manner masks a seething rage against people he considers evil...

He planned the crime with methodical cunning and executed it with symbolic trappings that showed not only his revulsion against the victims but also an obsession to purge them of heir evil…

The doctor describes one Charles Denton Watson to a tee. Wouldn't you agree?

Gary Hinman's Bus -- Again

There are two basic versions of the events that led up the murder of Gary Hinman at his home on Old Topanga Canyon Road on July 25-27, 1969. The first version is that Charles Manson believed that Hinman had come into an inheritance and sent Bobby Beausoleil, Susan Atkins, and Mary Brunner over to Hinman's house to get that inheritance from him, by violent means if necessary.

The second version is that Hinman sold some mescaline to Beausoleil who in turn sold it to the Straight Satans Motorcycle Club. When the Satans claimed that the mescaline was bad and demanded their money back, Beausoleil went to Hinman's house to get a refund on the transaction and events escalated into his murder. 

It is worth looking at these two motive versions in some detail, but before we do this we should understand why discerning the correct motive is important.

Gary Hinman's house at 964 Old Topanga Canyon Road

(Photo courtesy of Cielodrive.com)

Why does it matter? 

If the first motive version (the strong-arm robbery gone bad scenario) is true, it reinforces the perception of Charles Manson and the people around him as being violently murderous sociopaths who would stop at nothing in order to further their own interests. If the second motive version (a drug deal gone bad) is true it reinforces an alternative perception of those same persons being caught up in unfortunate criminal circumstances that spiraled out of control and culminated in murder. 

The determination of motive is also important because if a preponderance of evidence supports the drug deal scenario it also reinforces that idea that Charles Manson was not the originating force behind the incident, which further reinforces  the viewpoint that Manson was not the impetus behind all of the illegal activity that emanated from Spahn's Movie Ranch in the summer of 1969.

Looking at the two versions --

The first motive version is the one presented by the prosecution at the various Hinman murder trials. It has also been reiterated in numerous books and media statements regarding the crime. The reason for this is obvious --  it was the only scenario that demonstrated any criminal intent for any of the defendants besides Bobby Beausoleil. But what real evidence is there that Hinman was killed during an attempt to obtain his money and belongings?

Several people (Bruce Davis at his parole hearings, and Kitty Lutesinger and Danny DeCarlo at Bobby Beausoleil's second murder trial) said that Beausoleil, Mary Brunner, and Susan Atkins were going to Hinman's "to get money." This "get money" reason has been advanced to show that the Hinman homicide was the result of a strong-arm robbery gone bad. Maybe so, but yet there is nothing in the general  contention that people went to Hinman's "to get money" that doesn't also jibe with the idea that people went to Hinman's "to get money" as a refund for the Satans on their dope deal. (There are variations in the amount of money people were supposed to "get." Danny DeCarlo has said both $20,000 and $10,000.  Mary Brunner was not sure, saying either $3,000 or $30,000. Susan Atkins, in her book Child of Satan, Child of God, said $12,000. Bobby Beausoleil and Charles Manson say that the amount was $1,000.) Also, although there has been much contention that Manson sent Beausoleil to Hinman's to get a supposed inheritance (or, as Ella Jo Bailey testified at Beausoleil's first trial (which ended with a hung jury) because it was thought that he owned his house and stocks and bonds) this aspect of "get money" was not introduced at Beausoleil's second trial where he was successfully convicted. Was it not mentioned because the prosecution knew that it was nebulous? Remember, trials are where contentions might have to be supported by actual evidence, as opposed to books, media statements, or even statements to police, where no rules of evidence are in effect.

There is no corroborating evidence that supports the "get Gary's inheritance" scenario. And this is not surprising, because there was no inheritance. As to the witness statements that allegedly support the inheritance theory, let's be serious: Any cop or prosecutor will tell you that eyewitness testimony, although sometimes effective on the stand, is actually the worst kind of evidence that you can take into a criminal proceeding. Why? Because there's simply too much opportunity for the witness to be mistaken, or to intentionally lie out of animus towards the defendant, or for other reasons such as being offered deals regarding charges pending against them (See DeCarlo, Ella Jo Bailey) in exchange for what the prosecution believes to be "truthful testimony" (i.e., testimony damaging to the defendant). And as we have seen, there was no introduction of the "get the inheritance" motive at the second and successful prosecution of Bobby Beausoleil. 

So, the only evidence that supports the "strong-arm robbery gone wrong" motive theory is eyewitness testimony from questionable witnesses. There is nothing else to corroborate it. 

To date, most of the "drug deal gone bad" motive has come from two of the persons convicted of murdering Hinman, Bobby Beausoleil and Charles Manson.  Beausoleil has given several versions of the crime at his various parole hearings, but for his past several sessions with the parole board he has stuck with one version, and it is worth going into some detail here. A good synopsis can be found in Beausoleil's 2003 parole hearing, where he explained the particulars of the drug deal scenario thusly: 

"Well, it was a couple of days before Gary was killed…. [The Straight Satans Motorcycle Club], I was looking up to these guys. I kind of – I was kind of romanticized that their lifestyle was something that I liked. I kind of thought they were cool. I was young, and these guys were 10 – 15 years older than me. And I wanted to impress them, and they were going to have a party at Venice Beach. I wanted them to invite me. I wanted to go along on the party. They said that they wanted to – it was like a ten-year anniversary party for the, you know, for their ten-year motorcycle club anniversary, or something like that. And they wanted to score something different, some psychedelics for their party. And I thought that I might be able to impress them to, you know, to kind of get in with them if I were to set up a deal for them. I knew someone in Topanga Canyon who made mescaline out of peyote cactus buds. That was Gary Hinman. I’d known Gary for a couple of years, and I saw an opportunity to sort of ingratiate myself in these – with these people. So I set up a deal. It was 1,000 tabs or capsules of homemade mescaline for 1,000 dollars. [But] the next day [after the mescaline was delivered to the club], [they] came back to the Spahn Ranch and essentially [they] kind of beat me up. You know. They hit me in the stomach and, you know, pushed me around and held a knife up to my throat and said they wanted the money back because I had sold them bunk. They said that they had gotten sick on the drugs, and they wanted their money back. So I told them I would do everything I could to get the money back."

Some people have decried the description of Gary Hinman as a "drug dealer" as a libel against a dead person unable to defend himself, but it is worth noting that the term "drug dealer" can be used to describe a wide variety of individuals, from the stereotypical image of the shady character peddling narcotics on the schoolyard to someone who is merely a friend who can get you drugs. Hinman likelier fit more into the latter category. (In the 2009 HIstory Channel "docudrama" Manson Tate-LaBianca prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi said that Hinman "furnished drugs to the Family." The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office referred to Hinman's involvement with illegal drugs in a letter mentioned at Bobby Beausoleil's 1985 parole hearing. And finally, from the August 22, 1969 police report on the investigation into HInman's murder comes this: "A home made scale was observed in a kitchen cupboard containing a white powder on one pan. The pan and powder was taken for examination…. The white material in the balance pan was negative for narcotics." 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigative report on the 

finding of a scale at Gary Hinman's residence

In 1969 there was no test in routine use by law enforcement agencies that would have identified a suspect substance as mescaline, which, when processed from peyote buds, is in the form of a white powder. 

Powdered mescaline processed from peyote buds

It has been asked why, if Gary Hinman was manufacturing mescaline at his house, no drug-making paraphernalia was found at his residence by law enforcement officers investigating his murder. The answer to that question is simple: Because one doesn't need specialized equipment to manufacture mescaline out of peyote. Everyday items such as pots and pans, a candy thermometer, and straining cloths do the job nicely (and could easily be missed by cops investigating a homicide and thus not necessarily looking for subtle evidence of drug brewing). The procedure is not particularly difficult, but it does require concentration, and there are numerous steps involved, any one of which if done incorrectly could result in a bad batch. (See http://www.clearwhitelight.org/hatter/extract.htm)

Of great interest to me regarding the Gary Hinman homicide has been the question of what became of Gary Hinman's 1958 VW bus? The answer to this seemingly ancillary query is actually quite important. Bobby Beausoleil claims that he took both of Hinman's vehicles in order to settle the debt he owed to the Straight Satans because of the botched mescaline deal. And if the bus was indeed given to the Satans that would be strong circumstantial evidence in support of Beausoleil's contention that the entire Hinman affair was an effort to satisfy a debt owed to the motorcycle club and not a general "get his money at any cost" scheme. According to Beausoleil and Manson, the bus was taken from Hinman's residence after his murder to give to the Straight Satans as payment for the money they had lost in the mescaline deal. As Beausoleil recalled at his 2003 parole hearing, "….[Hinman] had a couple of old cars, and he offered to sign these over to -- as something that I could take to the bike club that might be worth $1,000."

And that is exactly what seems to have happened to it. 

Let's look at these entries from police investigative reports into the Gary Hinman homicide that touch upon the fate of Hinman's bus after it was taken from his residence following his murder (reports courtesy of the excellent researchers and archivists at Cielodrive.com).

From the supplementary report to the Hinman murder investigation dated January 20, 1970: 

"MR. PUTTEK states that he purchased the 1958 Volkswagen van, that formerly belonged to GARY HINMAN from MARK AARONSON. He described MARK AARONSON as having his front teeth missing, wavy brown hair, 125-130 pounds, 29 years of age, the tattoo on one of his forearms approximately three inches in length. MR. PUTTEK states that he met MARK AARONSON through MARK ROTH…..

"MR. PUTTEK stated that he was told after his arrest on October 8, 1969 [Puttek was arrested and charged with murder after having been pulled over while driving a murder victim's vehicle.], that MARK AARONSON had been given the bus on the ranch by CHARLIE MANSON. He stated that he never worried about title to the bus because he was given the pink slip, and it was signed and dated by GARY HINMAN. He stated that he altered the date to avoid paying penalties to the Department of Motor Vehicles…. (Emphasis added)

"

MR. PUTTEK was asked if he recalled the names of any of the other people who might have been at the ranch or that he met who frequented the ranch. He stated that he remembers the name JOE SHOMMACHER. He describes JOE as 27 years of age, 6 feet 4 inches, brown wavy hair with a mustache and beard. He stated that JOE had a Chopper Harley Davidson Bike and frequently drove a dunebuggy…. He stated that JOE went with MARY ROMMICH two or three weeks after she and MR. PUTTEK broke up. 

"He was then asked to view pictures of people associated with the ranch and CHARLIE MANSON. He states that he saw a picture of HAROLD TRUE and thought possibly MARK ROTH had it. He states that the picture of THOMAS ALDEN [Walleman?] aka TJ appeared familiar. He identified the picture of MARK BLOODWORTH DAMIAN as the person he knew as MARK AARONSON,  and the individual who sold him the 1958 Volkswagen Van belonging to GARY HINMAN.  He stated that the picture of ELLA BAILEY seems familiar but he does not recall why…. He also indicated that the picture of BRUCE MC GREGAR DAVIS appeared familiar as did the picture of MARK WALTZ."

From the February 20, 1970 supplementary report to the Hinman murder investigation: 

"On 7-31-69, Gary A. Hinman was found at 964 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga Canyon, the victim of a homicide. Investigation revealed that two or the victim's cars were taken from location and the victim was forced to sign the pink slips over.

"On 10-8-6, LOUIS JOHN PUHECK was arrested driving the victim's 1958 Volkswagen bus, [license number] PGE 388, Mr. Puheck was advised of his Constitutional rights, which he waived. He stated in the middle of August, 1969, he met a Mark Bloodworth (a.k.a MARK AARONSON) and paid him $350 in cash for the above vehicle. Mr. Puheck further related S/Aaronson gave him the pink slip signed by the victim and told him he hadn't changed the registration."

From the supplementary report to the Hinman murder investigation dated March 17, 1970: 

 "…. a week prior to the Hinman murder, in the late part of July, Charles Manson stated to [Danny] De Carlo, 'We're going to Gary's house and get $10,000 one way or another.'

"On 3-12-70 Mark Arneson, **** Hawthorne, was arrested by LAPD Officer [name deleted], #11951, Venice Division, at 83rd Street and Fordham in Los Angeles, pursuant to Division 64 Warrant #A059953 charging A96 PC. Arneson was subsequently transferred to West Hollywood Station and interviewed by Deputy Charles Guenther. 

"Arneson stated he went to the Spahn Ranch in July or August, 1969 and had a conversation with Charles Manson in the accompaniment of Robert Beausoleil in the salon [sic] building. He stated that Manson asked him if he would like to have a car and he replied 'Yes.' Manson and Beausoleil and himself got into a 1965 white station wagon with the engine sticking out of the front (Beausoleil driving) and went to the rear of Spahn Ranch where a 1956 Volkswagen Micro-bus, red and white in color, with a large eagle painted on the sides, which was parked among the trees. 

"Manson got out of the station wagon and showed Arneson how to hot-wire the car and started it. Manson started the vehicle and drove it back to the saloon building and gave Arneson the pink slip to the vehicle. Manson stated to Arneson, 'If you get stopped by the cops, tell them you bought the vehicle from Gary HInman, who is a Negro wearing a black beret and black jacket.'

"Arneson stated a few weeks later, he sold the vehicle to Louis Pubeck. The vehicle was subsequently recovered and the registered and legal owner is Gary Hinman."

What do all of these reports tell us other than the fact that LAPD and LASO officers had trouble recording the correct names of individuals they interviewed? (Misters Puttek, Puheck, and Pubeck are obviously the same person, as are Misters Aaronson and Arneson.) They tell us that Gary Hinman's VW bus was given to Mark Aaronson at Spahn's Ranch around the end of July or early August of 1969 by Charles Manson in the company of Bobby Beausoleil. And who is Mark Aaronson? According to the January 20, 1970 police report, he was an associate of  Joe Schumacher. Now although Joe Schumacher was not a member of the Straight Satans, his brother John was. And the description of Joe ("He describes JOE as 27 years of age, 6 feet 4 inches, brown wavy hair with a mustache and beard. He stated that JOE had a Chopper Harley Davidson Bike and frequently drove a dune buggy…. ") suggests that he at least had a passing familiarity with the biker lifestyle (as does the description of Mark Aaronson, "having his front teeth missing, wavy brown hair, 125-130 pounds, 29 years of age, the tattoo on one of his forearms approximately three inches in length.") And how well acquainted was Louis Puheck (his actual name) with the Joe Schumacher? He knew him well enough to know his correct age and well enough that his girlfriend Mary Rommich started going with Schumacher after she broke up with him. 

Joe Schumacher was well enough acquainted with Spahn's Ranch and the people who lived there that one of his addresses listed for him in Police Lieutenant Earl Deemer's list of "The Family" and related characters is that of the ranch. The list also notes that Schumacher was "FIR'd" (interviewed briefly for law enforcement for a field interrogation report) while he was associating with "Family members." (Mark Aaronson also had a lengthy familiarity with "the Family," having been arrested with them as early as April 21, 1968 during a bust in Oxnard, California.)

In sum, Gary Hinman's bus was given to a known close associate of the Straight Satans motorcycle club. 

That's Gary Hinman's bus behind the exhibit tag

Whenever there is a discrepancy in the testimonies of individuals a person can choose to believe whichever version fits the scenario they want to believe. Thus, people who want to believe that the Hinman murder was the fatal end result of a strong-arm robbery can believe the statements and testimonies of Danny DeCarlo, Ella Jo Bailey, etc. A person who wants to believe the drug deal scenario can believe the statements of Bobby Beausoleil and Charles Manson. To the extent that one relies on witness statement to bolster a case it seems here to be a classic "they said/they said" situation. But in this case the latter "they said" version is supported by the physical evidence of the fact that Gary Hinman's VW bus was indeed given to very close associates of the Straight Satans by Charles Manson and Bobby Beausoleil. There is no corroborating evidence for the strong-arm robbery theory. Gary Hinman had no inheritance, and in fact he had very little material possessions of any value at all. 

Conclusion --

To stick with the strong-arm robbery theory, one would have to be willing to believe that Charles Manson thought Gary Hinman had an inheritance and ordered Bobby Beausoleil to get it from him no matter what it took. When Hinman wouldn't turn over the money that he didn't have, things escalated to the point where he was injured and eventually killed. Manson, apparently desperate enough for Hinman's possessions that he was willing to order murder in order to obtain them, then gave away those possessions. Even assuming Charles Manson's alleged craziness, does that make sense? Why would anyone be so intent on gaining another person's property that he would commit murder to get it, only to give that property away? The answer to that question is the obvious one: He wouldn't. (You can't say that he wanted to get rid of the bus because he thought it was too hot after the murder, because if that was the case why not simply abandon it somewhere? Why give it to persons who could later testify that you had it? Or why take the vehicles at all? Why not just leave them at Hinman's house?)

Unless someone can come up with a credible and evidence-supported reason for the "strong-arm robbery gone wrong" theory to be correct, the only reasonable alternative reason for the murder is the one advanced by Bobby Beausoleil and Charles Manson -- that he was killed as the result of a drug deal gone wrong. And if Gary Hinman was killed as the result of a drug deal gone bad, that not only goes against the stereotype of Charles Manson being an orderer of murders, but it also supports the theory of the chain of events that led to the "get brother out of jail" motive that was the true reason for the Tate-LaBianca murders. 

What could turn the previously carefree and non-violent Bobby Beausoleil into someone who could bludgeon and stab another person to death? Ruling out a sudden and inexplicable metamorphosis into a sociopathic hit man, a likelier explanation is that he had recently had such violence visited upon himself -- as he recalled in his 2003 parole hearing, "[The Straight Satans] came back to the Spahn Ranch and essentially [they] kind of beat me up. You know. They hit me in the stomach and, you know, pushed me around and held a knife up to my throat and said they wanted the money back because I had sold them bunk."

So Beausoleil decided to take care of the problem himself, and he did it with ill advice from other persons. And that was a tragic mistake. Because the Straight Satans just wanted their money back.They didn't care if the money came from Hinman or from the man in the moon. If Bobby Beausoleil had called his mother and said, "Mom, I'm in a jam. Can you wire me $1,000" and she did, the Satans would have been satisfied with that money. And none of the murders that now so interest us would ever even have happened.

Charles Manson???

While looking up things for a post on the blog, every so often stuff pops up that seems like it might be an unearthed treasure.  Upon further reading it turns out that what was found has nothing to do with the Manson Saga.  These are a few of the things I've run across that have made me do a double take, then chuckle or shake my head when reality set in.

Ed Sanders and Maury Terry really missed an opportunity with this first article.  Just think of the conspiracy theories they could have come up with had they stumbled on this one!

WOW!  Charles Manson was murdered.  The timing was right, July 1967, Charlie was out of prison.  The location was right, Oakland CA, right next door to Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area.  The age is certainly in the ballpark, about 34 years old.  What could be wrong?

I was curious enough about this one that I located a relative of this Charles Manson and sent her a message through Ancestry.com.   She was a cousin and young at the time of the murder.  Her mom and aunt had given her just the bare facts and she had some unanswered questions.  I was able to email her the article, which she had never seen, and in turn she sent me pictures of her cousin.



This next one is more humorous than anything else.  The mind plays tricks, seeing what you want to see and not necessarily what is really there.

From the Ukiah newspaper.  Was the Manson Family doing an LSD musical production in Mendocino County in 1968? 

What do you want to bet that there was never a revival of this production after 1969!

Then I came upon something that was purported to be an actual photo of the Manson Family.  The photo appeared in the April 1970 issue of Men's Digest accompanying an article titled "MODERN WITCHCRAFT Part 20- Charles Manson and his cult of Black Magic."

The article was predictable and rehashed the many rehashed stories about the Family written up until that time.  But the photo, OMG, had I found the Holy Grail of Family images?  A picture of the Family at Dennis Wilson's home with Dennis in the picture.  Okay, so the caption doesn't say they are at Wilson's home nor is Dennis mentioned but the home is very nice looking, well furnished and it certainly is not Spahn or Barker.  And, there is a resemblance between the guy sitting in the wing chair in the upper right and Dennis.  The caption begins, Charles Manson, sitting on a rug in the foreground......

I contacted Jon Aes-Nihil to ask about this amazing find.  He had never seen the picture, so he fired up the Helter Skelter Telegraph.  A frenzy of emails and phone calls ensued.  Comparisons were made of the people in the photo, that could be so and so, this could be such and such, shouldn't  a tattoo be here or there.  We were flummoxed and wanted to believe it could be true.  Then one of the Skelter-ites asked, "Is there a photo credit?"  Brilliant!  

There was no credit on or around the photo itself so I went looking through the magazine.  I found what I was looking for.  Right there on the index page down in the lower left corner buried in the publishing info with the smallest print ever, it read, Photos in MEN'S DIGEST posed by professional models.  What a giant letdown......

So if you ever see this photo, which someone will undoubtedly poach from the blog, and it claims to be the real deal, you will know better!

I will leave you with a great Blues tune by none other than Charlie Manson.  This song is titled Nineteen Women Blues.   oo-ee-oo

The song is on a CD titled Mama Let Me Lay It On You 1926-1936. 

"The Mind and Motives of Charles Manson" by Dylan Klebold 11-3-98

Dylan Klebold took Creative Writing class at Columbine High, a class he shared with Eric Harris. On April 20, 1999, Eric and Dylan skipped their 4th period Creative Writing class. Their teacher, Judith Kelly, noted in her report to police after the shootings (posted below) that Eric had never missed her class before that time.

One of his essays, The Mind and Motives of Charles Manson, drew a lot of media attention due to its subject matter. You can find copies of the pages below, excerpted from the Columbine Report. His teacher graded it and handed it back. But then he wrote another essay - just a few weeks before the shootings - that was rather disturbing to Ms Kelly. It was a fictional piece where in a lone gunman goes on a killing spree. The subject matter and foul language used unnerved his teacher so much that she refused to grade it before she could sit down and talk with him and his parents about it. During the conference, when the story was addressed, Dylan excused it as being "just a story".

Original story here

Thanks RH!

PETER FALK at the Trial?

I was recently looking at a biographical video of Doris Day. The subject turned to Terry Melcher, and of course the Manson connection. At 2:46 in the video there is a shot of Melcher entering the courthouse. The figure at the bottom of the screen looking at TM is unmistakably Peter Falk, star of the hit detective series "Columbo".

You might remember this post from 2012. In the featured letter, Manson writes (among other things):

"That ass Peter Falk & guy that played James West, in WILD WILD WEST, propositioned me. James West also came to the car. I don't fuck with closet queens. There is more but I can't spell. Like one night a girl took me to Elvis' pad... with big iron gates & she was begging to suck on my ice cream."

The other person he refers to is Robert Conrad. That very entertaining post is worth another (or a first) read!

Here's a more readable copy of that letter:

The full video:

Are You Obsessed Yet?