My Favorite Scene in the Book

Flirt with danger
A victim befriends a killer in the notorious Manson case

By SUSANNAH CAHALAN

Last Updated: 1:15 AM, February 26, 2012

Posted: 11:09 PM, February 25, 2012
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Restless Souls

The Sharon Tate Family’s Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice

by Alisa Statman and Brie Tate

It Books

They were among the most shocking murders of the 20th century.

In 1969, seven members of the Manson “family” brutally murdered six people in a two-day killing spree, among them one of the most famous actresses of her day, Sharon Tate.

They scrawled “Rise” and “Death to the Pigs” on the walls with the victims’ blood. Tate reportedly begged for the life of her unborn child as the group of murderers heartlessly stabbed her to death. The media went wild with the story, especially when ringleader Charles Manson carved out a swastika on his forehead during the trial.
Suzan LaBerge, daughter of a Manson family victim Rosemary LaBianca, now corresponds with her killer, Tex Watson.
Suzan LaBerge, daughter of a Manson family victim Rosemary LaBianca, now corresponds with her killer, Tex Watson.

Yet the shocking postscript of the story has gone largely unreported.

According to a new book written by a surviving members of the Tate family, Charles “Tex” Watson, one of the main perpetrators of the Manson family crimes, has bizarrely befriended the daughter of one of his victims, Rosemary LaBianca, whom he helped stab a total of 41 times.

Suzan LaBerge, Rosemary’s daughter, has been one of Watson’s closest friends behind bars after allegedly bonding over their shared beliefs as born-again Christians. She visits, writes and has even advocated for his release.

More than 30 years after the murder, Sharon’s mother, Doris, father, P.J., and sister, Patti, have all died of natural causes — leaving Patti’s daughter, Brie, and partner, Alisa Statman, to put together the pieces of the complicated story.

On August 1969, four members of the cult were directed by Charles Manson to kill everyone at the home of “Valley of the Dolls” actress Tate and director Roman Polanski (who was away filming during the murder).

Three guests and the 8-months-pregnant actress were brutally murdered.

The next night, the Manson family entered the home of supermarket mogul Leno LaBianca (LaBerge’s stepfather) and his wife, Rosemary. Watson stabbed Leno through the throat and carved “War” in his stomach.

After LaBerge, then 21, arrived on the scene with her brother, she reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown.

Watson’s death sentence was reduced to life in prison after the death penalty was repealed in California. He was allowed conjugal visits, married and fathered four children (until conjugal visits were banned in 1996 for those serving life).

But none of this stopped LaBerge from writing to Watson, after she discovered that he had, like she had, “found God.” She reached out to Watson through his mail-order ministry, called Abounding Love Ministries.

She wrote to Watson for a year anonymously, until 1987, when she visited the killer — and told him that she was Rosemary LaBianca’s daughter. They continued speaking for three more hours, and she followed up with several more visits and regular correspondence.

Patti Tate had no inkling of this when, in 1990, she met LaBerge at her daughter’s middle school, where LaBerge had coincidentally (or not) sent her own daughter.

They began to chat and Patti revealed the name of her sister, Sharon.

Suzan’s eyes grew wide; “You’re never going to guess who I am. Rosemary LaBianca is my mother!” LaBerge said.

Patti was taken by the coincidence and felt comfortable with another victim. So she let her daughter stay the day at LaBerge’s house, which was just two miles from her own.

Meanwhile, Suzan shared the news with Watson’s wife, who relayed the message to him in prison. He thought this was the key to getting his parole date set.

“Suzan LaBerge, née LaBianca, is my ace in the hole,” Watson boasted to another inmate. “The Tate kid is playing in Suzan’s yard as we speak.”

Patti learned about the connection only a few hours later — and ran to LaBerge’s house to collect her daughter.

“It was just horrifying. Possibly the most horrifying experience of her life,” Statman told The Post.

Later that year, LaBerge did testify on Watson’s behalf, but the Tate family was also there to speak out against parole.

LaBerge went on about Watson’s “loving side” as Doris, Sharon’s mother, looked on in disgust. LaBerge proved not to be an ace — his parole was denied (and continued to be a total of 14 times).

“Watson watched like a proud parent at LaBerge as she read her pages,” Doris wrote in her journal at the time. “I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was more going on than mere forgiveness.”

And according to Statman, “no one believes” the story of the prison meeting, especially when they likely knew each other long before. That maybe the “random” targeting of the LaBianca house wasn’t so random.

Suzan and Tex lived an estimated 200 feet apart in nearby apartments in Los Angeles for six months prior to Watson’s move into Manson’s home base, Spahn Ranch. Suzan’s then-boyfriend was a member of the motorcycle gang Straight Satans that often frequented Spahn Ranch.

“There’s lot of speculation that they knew each other. And take that where you will — you can only imagine what that might mean,” Statman said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/books/flirt_with_danger_5wXmmgPPNIHGheea5xySaL#ixzz1nTdxVU8v

Col Scott Knows No Wrong

I am frequently attacked by fucking idiots who believe shit that Greg King, Unofficial Sharon Tate biographer says.

I am frequently told by fans (ewww) of Debra that I am lying about her stealing her father's ashes and mixing them with sour cream.

I just finished my latest read of the Statman book, the final draft.

You're welcome.
----->
The book is riveting and informative, the best book on the subject in over a decade.

Since I, The Col, The proprietor of the ONLY Official Blog on the case, have frequently crossed paths with Greg King, a self righteous phony who studied under convicted pedophile Bill Nelson on THIS message board, let's quote what the Tate Family thought about his biography of SHaron--

E TV is researching their infamous special THE LAST DAYS OF SHARON TATE. A breast cancer diagnosis has made Patti cancel her interview.

"Perhaps if I'd been honest with the show's producers they would have been more sympathetic with my family. As it was they interviewed biographer Greg King, who unfairly portrayed my father as a frostbitten tyrant and Mom as a starstruck, meddling, conniving stage mother, pushing Sharon into the limelight.....Had I done the show no one would have heard Greg King's interpretation of my family. I could have balanced fact and fiction." Patti Tate

Greg likes to play aw shucks around here but for years now has called THE COL out on whether Deb Tate was disowned by her family, telling the Col he was wrong.

Screw you Greg.

"There is my Aunt Debra. Although she is my mothers sister, she is a far-removed Aunt. Never close with Mama, always at battle with her, I knew Debra less than I knew Aunt Sharon. ...What little I Knew about her firsthand was that she had taken my grandfather's ashes and to date had not given him a proper burial." Brie Tate, Sharon's niece/ blood relative


STFU Greg?

Orca Not All in the Family

I'm grouchy. I read the comments and readers who are loving the Statman book are going "Gee Whillikers a whole book about the Tate Family and Orca is only mentioned three or four times what is that about?"
Is this the first post of mine you ever read? I've been here for fucking years already. DEBRA TATE WAS DISOWNED BY HER FAMILY TILL THE VERY END.

There. English.

She is not included in the wills. She was not left the family house (that was actually Statman). She was disowned and disinherited. This is a fact people. This isn't a mystery.

WHY she was treated thus is not certain. Speculation wonders if it was her relationship with her sister's suspected killer Pic Dawson. Her full nude OUI magazine photo shoot. Her need for attention. I don't know.

Like the ADD brat she is, when an incorrectly filled out document led to PJ Tate's ashes being delivered to her, Debra refused to allow the family to bury them according to his wishes. She still has the urn, and God knows what she says to it.

Her nieces and nephews don't know her. Statman has no relationship with her. And so why WOULD she be in the book?

The Statman/Ford Book

The Col is off reading this book, which he read in manuscript form several times two years ago. The Col definitely wondered if the book would ever see the light of day.

I will be sharing my thoughts and ideas about it over the next few days. Suffice to say, it is a riveting account of a story you thought you knew, seen through different eyes.

If you are debating, buy the book for the photos alone. Most of them I have never seen. Many of them will break your goddamn heart.

Good Job

I Got To Read This Two Years or More Ago

The book was brilliant then and I suspect will be brilliant now.

Next week we can all discuss it.

Meantime just buy it.
-----------------------

And We Are Back

Three months of battling cancer kind of sucks.

Miss us? Of course you did.

The Munch Box

The Col has noticed that this bit of trivia is not really mentioned in much of the material- so welcome to something NEW---


Now I went to The Munch Box for the first time almost ten years ago with blog friend Jason (Hi Jason!). It was shut then. The information on this place was learned from Mark Walts' brother who as you know for a time hung with our Favorite Family. We all know the story about how our fearless Vegans would often need some hot meat injections, right? Well this is where they went. A quiet hamburger stand less than ten minutes away from the Ranch down on Devonshire. Apparently there was a way that you could ride dune buggies right up to it back in the day. The Munch Box is across the street (and slightly to the left) from a Ralphs, which used to be the Gateway where they dumpster dived, and across the street (and slightly to the right) of the Candy Cat where Sadie would show her tits.

Jason had last been at the Box with Bill Nelson, which would make anyone lose their appetite.

I had a double with onions and a Root Beer. It was very tasty.

Right Hand Man

SACRAMENTO (AP) – The self-described right-hand man of cult leader Charles Manson who was convicted of orchestrating a pair of notorious slayings 42 years ago has his latest parole hearing scheduled Wednesday

Charles "Tex" Watson, 65, has been denied parole 13 times but will try again. Four relatives of Watson's victims plan to ask that his parole be denied for killing actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, and four others at her Beverly Hills home on Aug. 9, 1969. The next night, he helped kill grocery owners Leno and Rosemary LaBianca.

"There's no question these were some of the most horrific crimes in California history in terms of the brutality, the multiple stab wounds, the gunshots, the large number of victims over a two-day period," said Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Sequeira.

Watson's attorney, Cheryl Montgomery, did not return repeated telephone messages.

Watson married and divorced in prison and has four children from conjugal visits, but his family did not respond to a request for comment that was left through the website that promotes Watson's prison ministry, http://www.aboundinglove.org.

The hearing will be held at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, 50 miles southeast of Sacramento.

The website says he was raised in Copeville, Texas, north of Dallas, and headed to California in 1967 after dropping out of college. A brief biographical sketch on the site said Watson believed Manson "offered utopia, but in reality, he had a destructive world view, which Charles ended up believing in and acting upon. His participation in the 1969 Manson murders is a part of history that he deeply regrets."

A book he wrote while in prison is titled, Manson's Right-Hand Man Speaks Out! In the past, Watson has argued that he is a changed man who has been a model prisoner and no longer is a danger to the public.

He did not attend his last parole hearing in 2006 but was portrayed in a psychiatric evaluation at the time as "a very devout fundamentalist Christian … a young, naive and gullible man (who) got into drugs and bizarre company without appreciating the deviance of the company he was keeping."

Anthony DiMaria, a nephew of victim Jay Sebring, planned to contest that view of Watson and other Manson disciples.

"They've often been portrayed as these victims of Manson, and they are killers. They're mass murderers," DiMaria said in a telephone interview before the hearing.

He planned to attend the hearing with his mother and sister.

Debra Tate also was expected to speak to the two-member panel of the California Board of Parole Hearings on behalf of her late sister, who at the time was married to film director Roman Polanski.

Watson was convicted in a separate trial after Manson and three female followers were found guilty of the seven murders. Their death sentences were commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court briefly outlawed the death penalty in 1972.

DiMaria said his mother has considered it her mission to speak out on behalf of her brother.

Opinions are Like Assholes

If you are going to be a true scholar of the TLB case you need to read all the major books, and then decide that they are all wrong.

I mean the facts may indeed be accurate but the conclusions are at best muddled.

Everyone, even the BUG, is a human being. We see things the way we see things. Doesn't mean we are right or wrong, it just means we are fallible people.

People who come on here or visit Liz and try and tell us that "this is absolutely true " because they read it in the BUG'S novel or Sanders said something, they actually make me sick.

When someone shares their version of reality, a true researcher asks themselves "What do they gain from this spin."

No one can be trusted regarding TLB. NO ONE.

Maybe Yana told them the Facts?

TONYA CHRISTIAN (F.K.A. KASABIAN)
v.
BARRICADE BOOKS, INC.

The opinion of the court was delivered by: Paul Barbadoro, Chief Judge.

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

Tonya Christian filed this civil action seeking compensatory damages from Barricade Books, Inc. for defamation and invasion of privacy. Barricade moves to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. (Doc. No. 12). For the reasons set forth below, I grant Barricade's motion.

I. BACKGROUND

Barricade, a New York corporation, conducts its book publishing business principally from offices located in New Jersey. The company has no New Hampshire offices. It does not have any employees or agents who work in the state. Nor does it target New Hampshire in its marketing efforts.

Christian, is a 35 year-old resident of Rochester, New Hampshire. She is the daughter of Linda Kasabian, a one-time follower of Charles Manson who, along other members of Manson's "family," murdered the actress Sharon Tate.

In 1999, Barricade entered into an agreement with Greg King to publish his book, Sharon Tate & the Manson Murders. The book is a biography of Tate which purports to describe the "[s]trange connections between Sharon Tate, the Hollywood elite and Charles Manson's so-called `family'. . . ." Def.'s Mot. to Dismiss. King makes the following statement about Christian in the book's epilogue:

On October 24, 1996, members of the Tacoma, Washington Police Department served a search warrant on the apartment owned by Kasabian's daughter Tanya [sic], known to authorities as "Lady Dangerous." Kasabian, as well as Tonya's two young children, were present when the police arrived. Their report stated: "In the master bedroom (defendant's bedroom) officers located a small baggie containing suspected rock cocaine and a large bundle of cash in a dresser drawer. On top of the dresser was a bunch of baggies. Also in the room officers located a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, ammunition, electronic scales, a plate with cocaine residue, and another bundle of cash . . . Tanya [sic], found guilty of possession of controlled substances, was sentenced to a year in state prison.

Christian charges that this statement mistakenly confuses her with her sister, Quanu and is defamatory because she has never been convicted of possession of a controlled substance.

----------------
?????????

?????

On the Other Hand, Wrong Publicity is still Publicity

I do not believe this clown for a minute...
------------

CHARLES MANSON's 'Son' To Release NEW RISING SON Album - Oct. 27, 2011

California-based act NEW RISING SON has inked a deal with the French label Deadlight Entertainment. The group's new album, "Honey", will be released in January. A song from the CD, "Rain", is available for streaming in the YouTube clip below. NEW RISING SON is the band of Matthew Roberts, who claims to be son of notorious killer Charles Manson. Now 43 years old, Roberts — who bears a strong resemblance to Manson — says his biological mother, Terry, revealed that she had been raped by Manson in a drug-fueled orgy back in 1967. After his birth, his young mother gave him up for adoption. "I didn't want to believe it. I was frightened and angry. It's like finding out that Adolf Hitler is your father. I'm a peaceful person — trapped in the face of a monster," Roberts told The Sun newspaper. Roberts says he has confirmed his mother's story through letters with Manson, The Sun reported. "He sends me weird stuff and always signs it with his swastika. At first I was stunned and depressed. I wasn't able to speak for a day. I remember not being able to eat." A year after Roberts' birth in 1968, Manson and his "family" of followers committed nine murders in Los Angeles over five weeks, including the stabbing of pregnant actress Sharon Tate. She was the wife of film director Roman Polanski.

Fear Makes Us Stronger

There is a well acted indie film out there called MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. The lead girl is an Olsen twin little sister and she does a great job as a damaged girl escaping from a cult in upstate New York. She also has a great rack. John Hawkes plays the cult leader and does an award worthy job. The movie itself doesn't add up to a lot but the two performances are exceptional.

A few reviews compared the cult leader to Jim Jones. Having now seen the film, the Col sighs and realizes that TLB is now less than a footnote to the public. Why?

- Hawkes seduces each girl and then sleeps with her, making it seem like a religious rite
- Each girl then helps the next girl get ready to be screwed.
- There is a cute young boy there to recruit girls for the cult.
- Hawkes hands a gun to one accolyte and says "Go ahead and kill me."
- The cult creepy crawls houses. Like for real.
- There is a great sequence as they jump off rocks into a swimming area that is filmed like in Hendrickson.
- While creepy crawling someone is killed.
- Hawkes using charisma to control Olsen and make her get over the killing. "For me."
- Hawkes has a long discussion with Olsen about "fear" and how it is a pure emotion and makes one aware. Fear brings you to NOW.

Anyway.... the film is clearly modeled on the Family, not Jonestown. I wonder why I think I am the first to point this out?

Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Commenters Comment and Matter Not

There seems to have been an explosion in the comments section of the previous post. A crazed cat lady that goes by the handle Vera Dreiser started attacking her betters by defending Orca Tate and thinking she could ever run logic rings around me, the Col. Then another fidjit named katie also starting defending Debra. Both mentally impaired posters then convinced themselves that they had "won" the argument. They did not. But in so doing they so confused everything that I feel the need to clarify the facts even though NONE OF THIS IS NEW.

1- Debra Tate was disowned by her family a long long time ago. I do NOT know why. I hear reports that Doris would chase her as a young girl around with Holy Water. Not sure which one of them is crazier in that case. She has NO relationship with any of the survivors of the Tate family. She was specifically and clearly disinherited from all wills that were ever drawn up. Again, I do NOT know why. I heard stories and have seen pictures of her at 16 nude with Pic Dawson at Cielo. There's a good reason. Trying to trade on her dead sister's name and posing for Oui, there's a good reason. I can offer a dozen more reasons. I don't know why she was disinherited but she was. Completely.
2- In retaliation for this Orca keeps the ashes of Col Tate someplace other than in the grave next to Doris where he wanted to be. This happened because Col Tate did not fill out a living health trust leaving the ashes to a more responsible party.
3- When Sharon died any publicity rights (which didn't come into being for another decade or so in California, but fine) went to Doris. When Doris died they went to Paul. When Paul died they went to a trust for Patti's kids and for Debra's poor child. Debra Tate does NOT own any rights to Sharon Tate's likeness, name or pictures.
4- Despite the 100% accuracy of #3 above, Debra Tate frequently goes around legally threatening people for using Sharon's name and likeness. This despite the fact that that she OWNS NOTHING.
5- Debra defended Polanski in his lawsuit against Vanity Fair. Fair enough, I think he was right. But in so doing she claimed that he treated Sharon very well and that she was not about to leave him. This is a false statement. Does she lie or again was she not involved in the Tate family even then?
6- Debra never had a moment alone with Charles Manson. She was not called by the police when Sharon was found. No part of her story of involvement is true.
7- Despite a false reading of the rules by Dreiser, you are not allowed to have unlimited people speak for the victims. This would become a free for all. Each family files a legal designated form with the Board. As the direct heir, Paul filed a form designating who is legally allowed to speak at the hearing. It is not his disowned daughter Orca. Now no one has ever enforced this designation. My post was only about hoping that someone would at the next hearing.

Personally I don't like Orca Tate. She is a liar, a bully and a fraud and not a very nice person. It does not sound, from stories I have heard, that she became that way because of her sister's killing. It sounds like she was always that way.

But I will not bow to the lunacy of cat ladies like Dreiser or mental midgets like katie. They are welcome to like Orca or NOT like Orca. They can comment or not comment. Personally they mean nothing to me. It is when they MAKE THINGS UP that they become a plague upon us all.

Orca Tate Dives for the Microphone Again

Here's an interesting fact one of the Debra worshippers can bring up next time they want to get their tongues up her voluminous buttcrack.

Debra Tate is not the designated victim's spokesperson for the Tate Family at Parole Hearings.

That's right. Not just anyone who says they are related to Sharon gets to show up and whine at Tex and Katie. Otherwise Rosie could bang on for an hour. The next of kin has to designate if they themselves are not coming who they want to speak there.

Up to this point, and after several grueling hours of Sea World training, Patrick Sequiera has become use to Orca. She says the right things and she claps for the tiny fish treats he gives her. Hell, he even let her speak at the Leslie hearing, although Leslie never even met old Sharon.

But while disinheriting Debra, Col. Tate, with one of his final breaths, made sure to stipulate who spoke at hearings for Sharon. And it was not his Oui photographed, mailman daughter.

The correct person has always chosen to let Orca have her say, although they have attended recent hearings themselves.

The Col hopes November 16th when Tex gets denied the CORRECT person speaks, and Orca gets sent back to the holding pen. Just maybe....

Why No Films?

With news that Scott Kosar finally dropped the option to the Family and the reality that not a single film that has been announced has started filming as of today, October 1, people always ask me the question "Why can no one make a good film out of what really happened?"

I don't know. I care about motive not films. But if you are sincerely asking my ass why no movies that are any good are getting made, I can offer a thought- is it possible that the BUG did such a good job with his fantasy version of what happened that it has in fact become the reality to people? Do people now think that Charles Manson had magic powers and made people kill strangers so that blacks would kill whites? Maybe.

The other possibility is that maybe the general public doesn't give a shit about this anymore. That I fear is really the case. They would rather buy Latin Love songs cds from the Bug that get to the bottom of the killings.

Suzan and Joe

I saw a posting on evilliz talking about how close Suzan Struthers LaBerge and BF Joe Dorgan lived to the Waverly Place address.

I have been to both. In fact could walk to both from where I am typing at this moment.

I never believed that Suzan had her parents killed. "Forgiving" Tex is a sure sign of deep mental instablity, yes. But she didn't order the hit, so to speak.

But let's speculate, shall we, on what might be possible.

These clowns, according to one story, tortured and killed Gary Hinman because someone said he had inherited a pile of dough.

IF Dorgan was a Straight Satan...IF he knew Tex...If IF IF...

Did Dorgan hang at the ranch and make mention that "I'm fucking this young chick, she lives next door to your boy Harold True, and her father is a piggy asshole but BOY is he loaded."?

Remember, Tex was the kill crazy one. EVERY version of the story has Charlie tying Leno and Rosemary up and then saying " DON'T DO WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY."

What if Tate was about a drug burn and getting money back?
What if LaBianca was about money?
Hinman easily could be about money.
Crowe was about money.

Motive wise, money makes relatable sense.

I can't establish any of this, but it starts to add up, doesn't it?

Just Sayin'

If I were an LA District Attorney in 2011 I would arrest Steve Grogan for the LaBianca murders. He was never even charged for being there. I would play it in the press for all it was worth. Prosecutor reopens famous 40 year old murder case. I would do it seriously, not as a joke. I would get the word out so that the others out there like Kasabian etc who have skeletons would shit a brick.

Then I would take Clem and his dimestore attorney aside and have a chat. "I am going to ask you 100 questions. If you answer every one of them to my satisfaction, I am going to let you plead to time served. Avoid one question, or make me THINK you did and you'll spend what's left of your life in jail."

Bet I got some answers too.

Just sayin'.

THANGS

ITEM!- Has anyone noticed that not one of the many films that keep getting announced about the case never get made? Is it because they simply SUCK? Hmmm....

ITEM!- Col is hearing that the Sanders book about Sharon Tate is 100% free of any original research whatsoever. Reheated hash? Ugh!

ITEM!- The next big Parole Hearing is November 16, with Mr. Watson. Orca Tate will of course be there to get her TV Time (I mean you don't think Watson has a chance, do you?)The Col wonders what might happen if the person actually authorized by the Tate Family to represent them at these hearings (not Orca) decides to show up this time. Debra might just "start screaming and never stop."

ITEM!- The one real bummer for researchers in Rudi's death is that without obituaries we don't get a list of his many,many clients- which limits us in the the search for connections!