Why is the Manson murders back in the spotlight after 40 years?”
LOS ANGELES — They were the crimes that drew a blood-soaked line under the 1960s hippy era of peace and love, terrorized Hollywood and made headlines around the world. Yet 40 years after the horrific killing spree by Charles Manson’s “family” in Los Angeles on August 9-10 1969, the macabre fascination with the murders remains as intense as ever. Several of the murderers have their own Internet pages, books on the killings are being reprinted and a Hollywood tour dedicated to the crimes is doing brisk business. Scott Michaels, whose “Dearly Departed” sight-seeing tour bus company offers a “Helter Skelter” trip dealing solely with the Manson crimes, says the killings acquired an almost iconic status.
Bugliosi spoke with NEWSWEEK’s Tom Watson on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Manson murders about what it was like to prosecute the case, and why Manson’s chaotic charisma continues to attract global attention to this day. http://www.newsweek.com/id/209940 They were the crimes that drew a blood-soaked line under the 1960s hippy era of peace and love, terrorized Hollywood and made headlines around the world. Yet 40 years after the horrific killing spree by Charles Manson’s “family” in Los Angeles on August 9-10 1969, the macabre fascination with the murders remains as intense as ever. Several of the murderers have their own Internet pages, books on the killings are being reprinted and a Hollywood tour dedicated to the crimes is doing brisk business. Scott Michaels, whose “Dearly Departed” sight-seeing tour bus company offers a “Helter Skelter” trip dealing solely with the Manson crimes, says the killings acquired an a
Yet 40 years after the horrific killing spree by Charles Manson’s “family” in Los Angeles on August 9-10 1969, the macabre fascination with the murders remains as intense as ever. Several of the murderers have their own Internet pages, books on the killings are being reprinted and a Hollywood tour dedicated to the crimes is doing brisk business. Scott Michaels, whose “Dearly Departed” sight-seeing tour bus company offers a “Helter Skelter” trip dealing solely with the Manson crimes, says the killings acquired an almost iconic status. “It was a real-life horror story,” Michaels told AFP. “It involved bright, young, glamorous people — it just had all the elements and was the first big criminal case that people became obsessed with. “It scared the hell out of Los Angeles. The whole city was on edge and then they discovered that the people who did it were just kids. It just continued to shock right the way through the trial,” he added. The details of the killings have lost none of their s
