Charles Milles Manson (born Charles Milles Maddox, November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an American criminal, cult leader, and musician. He is notorious for leading the Manson Family, a cult in California during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Manson's early life was marked by instability and crime, spending much of his youth in correctional institutions.
Manson and his followers were responsible for a series of at least nine murders in July and August 1969. These included the murder of actress Sharon Tate and others, shocking the nation. Although Manson did not directly commit the murders, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder because his ideology influenced the crimes. The prosecution argued that his teachings and plans constituted an overt act of conspiracy. Manson was sentenced to death, but it was later commuted to life imprisonment. He remained incarcerated until his death on November 19, 2017, at the age of 83.
