Who Drove to Gary's?

via law.justia.com

Ella Jo Bailey testified for the People that she had known Manson since 1967 and travelled extensively throughout the southwestern United States with him, Mary Brunner, Patricia Krenwinkel and Lynne Fromme, and that they moved to the Spahn Ranch in 1968 where she met Davis and Beausoleil. 

Several times during May and June 1969, Manson talked to Bailey and others about "going out" to get money to buy dune buggies to go to the desert to live. In July of 1969 Manson talked to several members of the family about the need to get money and names were discussed of various persons from whom they could get money. Hinman's name was discussed and the fact that he owned a house and stocks and bonds. 

On July 26, 1969, Manson told Bailey and Bill Vance that he wanted them to go to Hinman's house and persuade him to join the "family" or sign over all of his property and automobiles. Vance said he had better things to do and walked away. That night at about 6 p.m. Bailey saw Manson talking to Beausoleil and Davis. Beausoleil had a knife (People's exh. 18) and Davis had a nine millimeter Radom gun (People's exh. 30). Subsequent investigation by officers established that Davis had purchased the gun under an assumed name. Bailey saw Brunner and Atkins dressed in dark clothes. Bailey saw Brunner, Atkins, Beausoleil and a fourth unidentified person drive off in [71 Cal. App. 3d 14] a ranch hand's car which was driven by the fourth person. Davis was still in the parking lot.

Channels Nukes Schreck - Book Review

Michael Channels 

Friday, Grim called Nikolas Schreck's The Manson File Myth and Reality of an Outlaw Shaman a "modern day fairy tale." Yesterday, Michael Channels discussed Schreck in this video. My ears perked up when Channels echoed Grim. 

"This book is like Alice in Wonderland to me."

Before I got going on the video, I noticed a pinned comment identifying a Harry Martin as the originator of the drug burn theory circa 1992 in Martin's Napa Sentinel. The weekly paper did not begin publishing until 8 Jan 1993 but I gave commenter Jack Tatum a pass since he was so good at Ohio State and also because three decades have passed since the info was fresh. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to find the original article. Channels linked his viewers to a reprint of Martin's piece. 

- Martin's Napa Sentinel Wikipedia page. 

- Here's an article on Martin from Bohemian.com in May 2005.  

Of course, I want you to make your own decisions but imo Martin looks like he wants to sell me a Mercury Cougar that blows white smoke out of the exhaust pipe if I even dream of driving on the highway.   

C'mon down to Honest Harry's today and drive home tonight in style!

I jest. Honest Harry Martin was a tabloid journalist and not a used car salesman. Same career as Tom O'Neill now that I think about it. I wonder if Tom also enjoys denim shirts? I bet he dresses better. My brain keeps telling me parallels exist between the two writers but I can't put it all together. 

Anyway. I watched Channels' assassination of Schreck. Channels give sources like he's supposed to and makes interesting points throughout the presentation. I expected some factional, he-said-she-said kinda stuff, but instead walked away wondering for the first time if Schreck's book was cut out of whole cloth. Not saying I'm trying to go full weR7 with you, but I did find myself recently canceled as a podcast guest because I'm from the mean and clueless Manson Blog. 

Manson Blog. Former home of filmmaker Robert Hendrickson. RIP.

Channels' account of the Schreck/Channels meeting with Robby Krieger blew my mind. I'm not sure I'll ever forget it. What are your thoughts on Channels' views on Schreck and his book, neo-Nazi claims included? 

As for the Manson File, I suppose I'll err on the side of that Epimenides dude while I wait. Someday, maybe my book will arrive and allow me to verify things myself. +ggw

-------------

*don't eat too much candy today. get a good workout in tomorrow if you do. 

The Mystery Man of Spahn Ranch Part One - H. Allegra Lansing

The Who at Monterey 1967

Bon soir, friends. I'm watching the Mr. X saga unfold on Allegra Lansing's YouTube channel. Mr. X mentions he was the drummer in a band that played at The Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967. 

Here is a link to the festival performances. I enjoyed watching the groups and listening to the commentary between songs. Dare I dream one of our community was in that crowd and is willing to paint the picture for me? 

On a more focused note, I'm wondering if anyone else is following the Mr. X saga, or is interested in watching Lansing's video and sharing your thoughts on Mr. X's claims? +ggw

List of Cielo Crime Scene Anomalies: Major and Minor

I have no doubt that many of you who visit this forum find one of the most compelling things about the Cielo murders to be the remaining anomalies--the mismatches between the hard evidence and the testimony or related narrative. I would like to create a list of agreed-upon anomalies that is composed of two parts: major anomalies and minor anomalies. I then invite additions to the list. Once we've settled (more or less) on the items, I'd propose to create an article to deal with each one separately, in some level of depth, or maybe in logical groupings of a few that are closely related. We can then poke at the presented scenario(s) and try to create a hierarchy of the likelihood of each version of the scenario that evolves.

I expect that this will be a collaborative effort to help clear as much of the fog surrounding the events at Cielo as possible. I will not explore personalities other than how they might have directly affected the events.

We are never really going to know what happened, and we all know that, but I think that using a collaborative effort we may tighten things up a bit. 

I'm working from the following assumptions for this exercise: 

• The "official narrative" that the prosecutors used to convict the Cielo perpetrators is essentially correct in all aspects that it purports to account for; it is likely, however, to be a subset of the complete event. 
• All physical evidence is correct and reliable.

There are many incompatibilities between the two assumptions, and these create the anomalies I'm addressing. I'm seeking to narrowly define the possibilities, or even to resolve some of the anomalies to within perhaps 90% certainty. In some cases the narrative may have to give; in others, the evidence.

Here goes...

Major Anomalies

The items on this list are fundamental to the events and to the sequence described in the official narrative, but they directly contradict the narrative.

1) Blood evidence at the doorway/porch.

This is at odds with all testimony. 

2) Towel on Sebring's head.

At odds with all testimony.

3) Stab wounds on Tate's back.

No version of the narrative unambiguously describes a situation in which she was attacked from behind.

Minor Anomalies

The items on this list raise questions about variations from the official narrative, but are not in themselves contradictory.

1) Broken guard rail.

Explained as being done by Parent, but without much detail.

2) Marks on Tate's face.

Watson has mentioned at least twice that he inflicted cuts on Tate's face as the first wounds; the Noguchi autopsy report and testimony say they are rope burns.

3) Knife found at the scene with no blood evidence.

The knife found in the chair had no blood on it, but appeared to be coated with some unidentified substance.

4) Moving or rearranging some of the bodies.

Initial investigators state that they believed that Tate's body had been in some sense handled or moved.

5) Glasses near the trunks.

Unexplained in the official narrative.

6) Blood trail on the trunks.

On close inspection the blood trails on the trunks appear to have been made while the trunks were in a different position than in which they were found.

I'll look for replies and compile suggestions for about a week, then publish the resulting master list and get started soon thereafter. I'll construct and propose an initial hypothesis, and we can beat on it to see if we can make it stronger. Other readers, after viewing the list, may want to take one of the items and create a hypothesis to present: that would be great, so far as I'm concerned.

In creating these lists I'll be the final arbiter as to what is included. 

Some years ago, David did an excellent, in depth seven part series that explored the evidence at the Cielo crime scene. I recommend looking at it, or re-reading it. We'll cover some of his points, perhaps coming at them from different angles.

A Look at the Evidence, Part 1

Any suggested additions? If so, please reply.

Leslie, My Name is Evil

When I began the project of adding Manson films to our blog library, I didn't think I'd like many of them. Atrocious acting and Bugliosiite retellings were my presuppositions.

Bigger picture, try as I might, I've never figured out how to write reviews. My hero, Roger Ebert, kicks my ass from the grave every time I attempt to type something half as good as he published several times a week for decades. The man was a bona fide genius and a deserving Pulitzer Prize winner. 

But time passes and Ebert types no more. Your consolation prize is my hot takes on a movie I should've watched a decade ago. Late date notwithstanding, I will not be restrained today. 

Canadian filmmaker Reg Harkema blew my doors off with this one. His film is a visual experience that chronicles the times through the eyes of middle class suburban kids growing up in 1960's America. The soundtrack is offbeat and the editing is tight. What's up with film editors and the Manson thing anyway? Don't answer. I'm grateful. 

You can watch Harkema's film free of charge (with two commercials) on IMBd TV. Please tell me what you think afterward. Thanks to Jay for suggesting this film for discussion. 

That's prostrate Sadie handing Leslie over to Charlie Jesus in case this is your first day in Manson. Mendocino was also mentioned. It's cool when a writer claims their spot at this gruesome table. Show us what you know.  

A quick pitch...

Let's address the 500 lb. elephant in the room. We all know it's time for a Hawthorne movie or cable series. A solid handful of people reading this post possess the abilities to make it happen. Double digits talent doesn't sound far-fetched. I am filled to the rim with ideas. Maybe we could talk on the phone. 

Max Frost must be given a role. Non negotiable. 

Picture the slow motion shootout. Brass and smoke hang in the air. Cool music with lyrics in not English language blasts and then abruptly cut off as Gypsy falls into a handsome young policeman's arms, whispers, "I'm sorry," and passes out from her fifteen gunshot wounds. Cut to Larry Bailey screaming and squeezing his shattered kneecap between two bloody hands. 

I don't know the actors and actresses anymore so you should pick who you like, but I'm your huckleberry if you need a socially anxious and talkative oddball to lurk in the background and agree with everything you say. From home of course. 

I might get sick if I leave my room. 

Let's get back to Reg Harkema while you chew on the idea. Leslie, My Name is Evil is also titled Manson, My Name is Evil. I'm not sure if the title was changed because of some crossing the border from Canada thing or what but the second title killed the first title's irony. Charlie acts more cartoon crazy than Evil with a big E, and Leslie is portrayed as a victim who mutilated Rosemary. 

Small potatoes. 

Like me, you probably see a Manson movie poster and say something like, "I'm going to be completely disappointed if I don't see any bloody sex ritual boobs." Rest assured, friends. Gory bosoms are included. This time in a dream sequence.

Love of brother. Vietnam. Nixon. The abortion. Harkema points out (something we talk about a lot here) that the Manson murders did not happen in a vacuum. 

A bit of license is taken. Rosemary is wrapped in the Cielo flag. 

The acting works in this film. Gregory Smith is Perry, a young juror who becomes infatuated with Leslie during the People vs Manson et al trial. Perry has a dirty dream about Leslie while sequestered in a hotel room. Kristen Hager plays Leslie. 

Charlie shows up in the dirty dream but Perry avoids Little Paul duties. Manson gives Perry the greenlight, albeit shirtless, and exits the scene. 

Ryan Robbins is Charlie. Robbins looks more like the Scots-Irish and English migratory blob that spawned Charlie than several of the actors who have played Manson over the years. I speak for all genealogy nerds when I say I appreciated Robbins' casting. He's also a more believable Charlie fwiw. 

Anjelica Scannura plays possibly the best Sadie I've seen on this journey. Same for Tiio Horn as Katie. Their scenes jump off the screen. 

Horn as Katie says she's from a Los Angeles suburb. Later, she pronounces "again" like a Canadian. I immediately wanted a pea meal bacon sandwich from Paddington's. I miss you, Toronto. 

I don't know how I'd classify this film. Dark camp comedy? I recommend it regardless. Bugs is great. Fitzgerald is hilarious. Perry's girlfriend and father possibly steal the show. 

I liked Leslie, My Name is Evil so much I ordered a copy from Amazon. This one might not be for the cadre dedicated to solving the cases in their own special ways and need everything historically accurate, but the film is a solid watch for everyone familiar with the tropes, facts, and myths surrounding the Manson milieu. 

The portrait of Nixon behind Judge Older's chair is massive. I laughed when Older asks Perry from beneath the watchful eyes of the man responsible for the headline if seeing the newspaper will prejudice his opinion of Charlie. Make sure you watch hang on through the credits to hear Nixon's speech to the youth of America. 

Overall, I got the feeling Reg Harkema looked at the U.S. during those times and used his film to asked a sobering question across time. How did we expect Manson not to happen? 

-------------

Bonus materials:

A review I like where the reviewer says all the things I want to say but lack the skills. 

Rotten Tomatoes.

-------------

We'll return to our regular scheduled programming Monday. I hope your weekend is swell. 

+ggw...Ohio

Let's Talk Stimson

My dear neighbor, Tobias, mentioned in another thread that a new episode was posted to George Stimson's Goodbye Helter Skelter Youtube channel. I thought I'd drop a link and see if anyone wants to share their exegesis with me.  

goodbyehelterskelter.com

Pigpen in a Strange Land

10050 Cielo and the Twin House: Are they related?

There has been much discussion about who designed and built 10050 Cielo, and to a lesser degree, who was the first owner/occupant. The questions then often spill over onto a similar, but smaller, house located at 10048 Cielo, commonly referred to as "the twin house".

Using the  Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety website, it's possible to get some definitive information on the date of the initial application for both houses, which includes a very broad description of the project, its estimated cost, the name of the owner, the architect, the engineering firm, and the general contractor. You can also see what buildings, if any, were on the lot at the time the permit was issued. Using this information you can work up a decent framework, and based on that, do a reasonable job of filling in the blanks and drawing some informed conclusions.

Here's the master application for 10050.

Now it gets a bit odd. Everyone agrees that there's a strong resemblance, stylistically--and it appears structurally and technically, as well--between the two houses. But the first construction, the twin house, lists no architect, while 10050 Cielo does--although it's not the architect to whom it's often attributed, Robert Byrd, but to another well-known So Cal architect, Arthur W. Hawes.

Master application for twin house:

Interestingly, when most of the permits were issued, the owner listed for both properties is the same, M. M. Landon, and his/her address, 9012 Olympic Blvd., is the same as the address for the general contractor, J. F. Wadkins Corp. Since Wadkins' mother-in-law was named Minnie May Landon, this implies that the contracting company had some form of insider interest in the two lots at the time of construction; notation on the application for the twin says that it's the first house in Section 10.

Michele Morgan, the French film star for whom the house was supposedly built, appears as "owner" on only one document, the permit for the swimming pool, which was done by a separate contractor. I think it's reasonable to consider that she may have become interested in the lot, possibly before the twin house was built, and consulted with Hawes, the architect, for a design. She may have then committed to the purchase conditional on construction. Alternatively, the twin was built from the contractor's design (it's a simple house), and Morgan liked something about the twin and commissioned Hawes to design a larger, more fully-featured house up on the view lot, using the style of the twin as an inspiration.

But the sequence may more likely have been as described, below.

Arthur W. Hawes, the architect of record, may have been approached by Wadkins, the builder/developer, to design a house for the 10050 site. This was to have been the showcase and main profit center. This design was unofficially adopted as the basis for the scaled-down version at 10048. There are some sound, though not definitive, reasons for this. The contractor had not apparently built much of anything else, and hence would not have had much design experience to draw upon. By working with an established architect on the main project, 10050, he could then freely "copy" the design and leverage Hawes' experience. (Incidentally, Wadkins died at age 48, two years the after 10050 was built.)

The master application for the twin house pre-dates the master application for 10050 Cielo. All related building applications for the twin also pre-date the corresponding building applications for 10050 Cielo. It's reasonable to assume that the twin house was built first. 

Here follows a timeline of applications:

• Twin - master app submitted 12/26/40; permit issued 1/2/41
  
• Twin - garage; permit issued 1/2/41
  
• Twin - tile work; permit issued 4/12/41
• Twin - BBQ shelter; permit issued 5/2/41

NOTE: Given the above timeline, the twin house was likely completed ~6/1/41.

• 10050 - master app submitted ~8/29/41; approved 9/2/41; permit issued date illegible (architect Arthur W. Hawes)
• 10050 - BBQ shelter; permit issued 10/14/41
• 10050 - swimming pool; permit issued 10/17/41 (Michele Morgan appears as "owner")
  (This is revealing; on the BBQ shelter application, dated 10/14/41, both the residence and the garage are identified as being in existence at the time--and a sketch of the relative location of the house and garage shows the garage as betting attached. )
• 10050 - garage;  permit issued 12/19/41 (This garage permit notes that it is to detach the garage from the main house.)
• 10050 - "playhouse" (BBQ shelter?) converted to "guest house";  permit issued 10/23/44 (Dr. & Mrs. Hartley(?) G. Dewey appear as "owner")
• 10050 - dressing room added; permit issued 10/23/44 (Dr. & Mrs Hartley(?) G. Dewey appear as "owner")

So far as the attribution of Hawes as the listed architect of 10050, there is to my eye, at least, supporting evidence in some of the design features for the McClintock-Swedlow house, built from a Hawes design in 1940, the year before both 10050 Cielo and the twin were built. In particular, the LR has some close similarities in exposed beams, location of the fireplace, type of windows used, and relationship to the entryway.

There is some level of similarity in the use of windows in one of the BRs; it's similar to the 10050 guest BR.

My best guess at this point is that Wadkins was relatively new to residential construction, having worked for the telephone company for a number of years.  Wadkins resumé. He may have ambitiously raised money to purchase at least two lots in a new tract, and foresaw exploiting the better one, 10050, as the main profit opportunity, and engaged Hawes to create a marketable design. Wadkins may then have scaled down the design himself and built the twin--mainly in hopes of selling it first so as to be in a more solid cash position to proceed on 10050. This apparently did not happen, because it looks as if Morgan saw the 10050 lot, or even the early stages of construction, and committed to it in some fashion, ordering a swimming pool, a BBQ shelter, and detaching the garage before she took ownership, or just after, paying $32K for the property.

It was reported in the LA Times of 11/23/1941:

Those wishing to drill deeper into the building/repair history of the two houses can use the LADBS website and request additional documents. 

Gavin Newsom Dunks on Leslie Van Houten Again

Less than two months before Patricia Krenwinkel has another turn in front of the parole board, California Governor Gavin Newsom goes hard on crime and sends Leslie back to her room after saying she's still dangerous. 

Sometimes there are laws and rules and regulations. Other times, a rich person gets to decide your fate. 

But I gotta agree with the guv. This morning, a seventy-two year old woman stared me down at the IHOP while I ate my chocolate chip pancakes and extra crispy bacon. Lemme tell ya, I was relieved when I escaped the situation without violence happening to me. 

Who was living at Myers Ranch in 1969?

 Who was living at Myers Ranch in 1969?

Now if you ask the average TLB researcher that question, they'll say "The Family was mostly living at Barker, but they hung out at Myers too." 

Paul Watkins, in his book My Life With Charles Manson, does support this view:

 Chapter 11
"... Charlie and I took Brenda and Squeaky up to the Meyers ranch to make love before dinner."

Chapter 12
"It got colder. Thanksgiving came, and we had a huge meal around the fire at the Meyers ranch.  ...It was New Year’s Eve, 1968....That night we all hiked up to the Meyers place and built a roaring fire. Everyone was back."

Chapter 19  (in the beginning of Sept. '69)
"Moments later, Bruce Davis come in to announce that everything seemed copacetic at the Meyers ranch… ready to move in.  ...
As we approached the Meyers ranch, Charlie described his plans to move in immediately.   ....
By the time it was dark, Charlie and the Family had moved, lock, stock, and barrel, into the Meyers ranch, leaving Brooks, Crockett, and me alone at the Barker ranch, just a quarter of a mile away."

Chapter 20
"On our way out, we stopped at the Meyers ranch so Stanley(Berry) could pick up his tools; Clem and Bruce were sitting outside with Brenda and Sandy. The dune buggies were pulled right up to the house; boxes of supplies lay strewn along the narrow porch. Charlie appeared on the porch with Squeaky..  ... Juan spent two days at the Meyers place with Charlie and the Family, then moved into the Barker ranch with us..."

Chapter 21 "Near the end of September(1969), Manson was making numerous forays into Death Valley... Traveling in caravans of three to five dune buggies, he led these expeditions for days at a time, leaving Clem and Bruce and a few girls behind to watch the Meyers ranch in his absence.  ...Early one morning sometime around the first of October ...  He told me he was taking an expedition over to the Saline Valley and asked if I’d take the younger girls—Snake, Kitty, Ouisch, Sherry, Barbara, and Patty—up to the Lotus Mine to “hide out” for a few days while he was gone. Charlie frequently moved his “young loves” to different locations, calling it “survival training.” Yet part of it, I knew, was his paranoia that if left alone at the Meyers ranch they would be vulnerable to outside influences.

(What 'outside influences' is he talking about?)

 

Bugliosi in Helter Skelter also tends to support this view:

pg177
Other members of the (Barker) raiding party surrounded nearby Myers Ranch, where the group had also been staying, arresting: Sandy, Ouisch, Diane Von Ahn, and Nancy Pitman.

(Though they were arrested in the canyons behind Myers, not in the actual house.)

pg180
...Cathy Gillies.. was the granddaughter of the woman who owned Myers Ranch. The Family had apparently camped there first, then moved to nearby Barker.

(Thus it sounds like they abandoned Myers for Barker--but why?)

pg224
While at Myers Ranch, in early September 1969, Barbara(Hoyt) had overheard Manson tell someone... 

pg475
One afternoon in early 1969, Barbara had been napping in the bedroom at Myers Ranch when she awoke to hear Sadie and Ouisch talking in the kitchen. ...

 

(Thus Charlie, Hoyt, Atkins, and Moorehouse are the only Mansonoids that Bugs actually places inside the Myers house.  All on the word of one witness--Barbara Hoyt.)

 

Other authors support the view that they stayed at Myers (owned by Cathy Gilles' grandmother Barbara Weddle Myers, 64 in 1969) for a very short time in October of 1968, but they avoided the place after that. 

 

From the "National Park Service Cultural Landscapes Inventory 2005 Thomason/Barker Ranch, Death Valley National Park":

"Manson eventually selected Thomason/Barker Ranch rather than the Myers Ranch as the Family's base of operations."

"Charles "Tex" Watson... described his initial perception of ... Myers Ranch when the family first arrived in 1968:

"... The ranches themselves were about a quarter of a mile apart. Myers Ranch was in very bad condition, rundown and vandalized..."

source:  www.mansonblog.com/2015/05/a-history-of-barker-ranch.html?showComment=1646759190536

(So presumably Myers was too trashy for even the Mansonoids to live in.)

--------------------------------- 

Ed Sanders in The Family:

pg125
..(the Family) encountered the Meyers Ranch, which is a well-kept series of buildings, including the ranch house, a trailer and several outbuildings. ....They stayed for a couple of days at the Meyers Ranch but were unable to secure permission from Meyers' grandmother to remain so the family established headquarters at the dilapidated Barker Ranch just a quarter mile west...

 

(Though there is no solid evidence that the Family ever established contact with granny, or that granny was ever interviewed by investigators.  It is also curious that Charlie's thievin' band of cutthroats would have been intimidated by somebody's grandmother living 200 miles away in Fresno, with Helter Skelter being so imminent.  Yes it's true that Charlie got permission for the Family to live at Spahn, at Dennis Wilson's, and at Barker, but they had previously squatted at the 'Basement House' in Topanga Canyon, at the 'Iron Butterfly House' near Malibu, and then later at the Newman Cabin down in Goler Wash.) 

Or maybe Cappy DID reach out to grandma:

My Life With Charles Manson by Paul Watkins, Chapter 10

“What exactly did you tell your grandmother?” Charlie wanted to know.

Gilles: “I just said me and some friends were going to come up and stay at the ranch.”

Manson:  “But you didn’t say how many, right?”

Gilles  “I just said some girls and me, mostly.”

Manson: “What if she gets nosy and sends someone up to check?”

Gilles  “She won’t.”

--------------------------------

Nuel Emmons in Manson in his Own Words:

pg154
"... first look at Myers Ranch. ...a fair-sized dwelling surrounded by unexpected green vegetation.. The house had a large front room with a big fireplace, two bedrooms, a small kitchen and a back porch with an attached bathroom. It was more than just an old miner's shack and a hell of a lot better than some of the places we had called home before.

"The next morning I (Manson) quizzed Cathy as to how receptive her grandmother would be if a bunch of us moved into her desert home. Cathy was a little uneasy about so many being there, and we decided to look at the only neighboring ranch, about a quarter of mile back. The Myer house and surroundings were the best, but I didn't want to get Cathy in a cross with her grandmother, so I decided to speak to the owner of the second choice."

 

(So Cappy and Charlie eagerly lead the pack up Goler Wash to go live at Granny's vacation cabin, but when they get there, Cappy gets cold feet about the pack living at Granny's vacation cabin.  Hmmm...   And Charlie doesn't even try to use his considerable persuasive powers to counter Cappy's doubts.  Hmmm... )

 ----------------------------------

Superintendent of Death Valley National Monument Bob Murphy in Desert Shadows :

pg101, re the Barker Ranch raid
"The officers checked the nearby Myers Ranch. The location had obviously been cleaned up. The floors were neat and the bed made with the bedspread carefully tucked over the top.  No Family items were found. Charlie told the arresting officers that the Family avoided the Myers Ranch because "the ghost of Bill Myers still lived there."

(Charlie scared of ghosts? Hmmmm....)

None of these explanations sound realistic.  I just don't see Charlie giving up on this valuable asset just because Granny might show up. And you'll notice that Crockett/Posten/Watkins/Flynn never opted to set up camp at Myers when things with Charlie started getting nasty.  I suspect the reason that the Mansonoids did not claim Myers is because someone was already living there.  At least intermittently, meaning someone who came up on weekends or one week per month or something similar.

Further evidence that Myers was occupied: 

https://www.dailybreeze.com/2009/10/11/memories-of-charles-manson-remain-fresh-in-death-valley/ The people who lived on the nearby Myers Ranch and the Barker family did not like the Manson family squatting on the property but were afraid to do much about it, said Jay Snow, an interpretive park ranger at Death Valley National Park. 

But then the question becomes:  What were these people's names?  Why have we never heard them before? Wouldn't the cops have wanted to interview them?  Was this just a trivial oversight, or is there some BIG SECRET that has to be protected?  I suspect the latter.  I suspect that this person or persons was associated with Law Enforcement, and that Myers Ranch was being used to maintain surveillance on the Family.

oo-ee-oo!