Summary
Helter Skelter, written by Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry, recounts the chilling true story of the Manson Family murders. The book opens on August 9, 1969, with the discovery of five brutally murdered victims at 10050 Cielo Drive, the home of actress Sharon Tate and director Roman Polanski. The victims include Tate, who was eight months pregnant; Abigail Folger, heiress to the Folger coffee fortune; her boyfriend, Voytek Frykowski; celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring; and Steven Parent, a young man who was visiting the property's caretaker. The scene is horrific, marked by multiple stab wounds and gunshots, and the word "pig" scrawled in blood on the front door. Initially, the caretaker, William Garretson, is arrested, but he passes a polygraph test and is released. The police investigate various leads, focusing on drug connections and possible orgies, fueled by rumors and leaks to the press.
The next night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca are found murdered in their Los Feliz home. The words "death to pigs," "rise," and "healter skelter" are written in blood on the walls. While the police initially see similarities between the two sets of murders, they are treated as separate investigations. The Tate investigation focuses on drug connections within the Hollywood scene, while the LaBianca investigation explores Leno's financial troubles and gambling debts. Meanwhile, the Manson Family, a group of hippies led by Charles Manson, comes under scrutiny due to their involvement in the murder of Gary Hinman, where the phrase "political piggy" is found written in blood. The similar use of blood writing begins to suggest a connection between the seemingly unrelated crimes.
The investigation takes a dramatic turn when Susan Atkins, a member of the Manson Family, confesses to cellmates in jail, revealing details about the Tate and LaBianca murders that only someone involved could know. Atkins' confession implicates Manson as the mastermind behind the killings. The police then identify other key members involved: Charles "Tex" Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian. Physical evidence begins to mount, including a gun found near the Tate residence, bloody clothing discarded near the crime scene, and fingerprints. As the investigation unfolds, Manson's control over his followers and his twisted philosophy of Helter Skelter, a race war inspired by the Beatles' White Album, emerges as the motive for the murders.
Manson believed that the Beatles were sending him coded messages through their music, predicting a coming apocalypse in which the black man would rise up and overthrow the white establishment. He saw himself as the leader of a new world order that would emerge from the chaos. To instigate this war, he ordered his followers to commit the murders, hoping to frame the Black Panthers. The trial becomes a media sensation, with Manson's bizarre behavior, the girls' unwavering loyalty, and the gruesome details of the murders captivating the nation. Manson is portrayed as a charismatic cult leader with a hypnotic hold over his followers, who readily confess to the killings but attempt to absolve Manson of any responsibility.
The jury finds Manson and his three female followers guilty of first-degree murder. During the penalty phase, the defense attempts to portray the women as victims of Manson's manipulation, while Manson himself delivers rambling speeches about society's hypocrisy. Ultimately, all four defendants are sentenced to death. However, the death penalty is abolished in California shortly after, and their sentences are commuted to life imprisonment. The book explores the aftermath of the trial, including the ongoing fascination with the case, the psychological impact on the jurors and witnesses, and the enduring mystery of Manson's power. The epilogue delves into other suspected Manson Family murders and the lives of the remaining Family members, many of whom have renounced Manson and found new paths. The book concludes with a chilling reflection on the nature of evil and the disturbing potential for such a tragedy to happen again.