George Hennard
Whatever happened that day did change George. He remained quiet and introverted into his adult years. A neighbor of the Hennards at White Sands, Paul Crowe said that “his parents never did care and were hardly ever around.” As for young George, Crowe says, “you never saw him with girls. He just didn’t hang around with anyone.”
In 1974 George signed up for a stint in the navy. The three year gig led to George signing up with the Merchant Marine. This seemed to go well until he was arrested in Texas for marijuana possession. His Merchant Marine papers were suspended but eventually reinstated. At about this time, a dark side to George was beginning to emerge. He shared an apartment in Temple, Texas with fellow seaman Jamie Dunlap. Dunlap recalls George saying that “women are snakes” and also recalls George “always having derogatory remarks about women.” George was still in the Merchant Marine but then got busted once again for marijuana possession in 1989. This time he got caught while serving on a cargo ship. His seaman’s papers were revoked once again. Hennard began drifting from town to town working wherever he could. He made it to Henderson, Nevada and moved in with his mother who was divorced from his father. It was in Henderson that George bought two guns, a Ruger and a Glock.
By 1991 George was back in Texas. In the summer of ’91 he was living in Belton, a city in the Killeen, Fort Hood area. He found work at a cement mixing company in nearby Copperas Cove. It was in Belton where George’s behavior took a turn for the worse. He wrote a letter to two women who lived several blocks away. In the letter, George again exhibited his hatred of women. He asks: “You think the three of us could get together one day?” Nothing seriously wrong with that but here is where it goes off the rails. “Please give me the satisfaction of someday laughing in the face of all those mostly white tremendously female vipers…who tried to destroy me and my family. Predictably, the two women did not reply.
By October, George was coming apart at the seams. Co-workers in Copperas Cove remember George talking about certain women who had been giving him problems. He kept repeating that they would pay. Hennard was ready to blow. On October 15, he picked up his paycheck and quit on the spot. It was his 35th birthday and he was dining alone in a small restaurant just outside of Belton. The Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings were on television. When an interview with Anita Hill aired Hennard exploded. The manager of the restaurant, Bill Stringer remembers: “He started screaming, you dumb bitch. You bastards opened all the doors for all the women.”
It was at 12:45pm the next day on Wednesday, October 16 that George Hennard drove his 1987 Ford Ranger through the front plate glass window of Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen. Luby’s was packed with the lunch crowd. There was well over 100 customers in the restaurant at the time. Hennard got out of the truck with his guns blazing. He screamed out, “this is what Bell County has done to me.” He kept shooting while yelling that “all women of Killeen are vipers. See what you’ve done to me and my family. Is it worth it? Tell me, is it worth it?” During the carnage, Hennard allowed a mother and her four year old daughter to leave. By the time the police arrived 22 people were already dead. One was gravely wounded and died later. There were another 27 people injured. Police bullets hit Hennard four times while he retreated down a back hallway toward the restroom. One of his guns jammed and with the last bullet in the chamber, George Hennard shot himself.
Hennard’s truck inside Luby’s
Hennard’s jammed handgun
The worst mass murder in US history up tp that time took only 15 minutes to complete. It is known that just days before the Luby’s massacre, Hennard had watched a documentary on James Huberty. It will never be known if that had any influence on Hennard or his actions of October 16, 1991. Luby’s re-opened once everything was cleaned up and the front wall and window were replaced. However, the restaurant struggled and eventually closed down for good in 2009. A Chinese/American Buffet is now located on the site.
Charles Manson and Helter Skelter
Many people have said that the 1960's came to an abrupt, sudden end on the night of August 9, 1969 in the Hollywood Hills and, when you consider the events of that night at 10050 Cielo Drive, it is hard to argue against their point. That was the night that actress Sharon Tate and four others were savagely murdered sending Hollywood and the city of Los Angeles into a state of panic.
Sharon had wanted to be an actress since her early days. At the age of six months she was named Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas, Texas. Her father, Col. Paul Tate, was an officer in army intelligence and the family was forced to move around frequently. At the age of sixteen Sharon was named Miss Richland, Washington and when the family moved closer to Hollywood (San Pedro) Sharon began to look for work at the studios. While auditioning for a part on the tv show Petticoat Junction she met producer Martin Ransohoff who took her under his wing. Wearing a black wig, the pretty blonde landed a continuing role as Janet Trego on the popular sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies. She appeared on that show from 1962-65. Several small roles followed and then Ransohoff put her in a film that he was producing called Eye of the Devil. The film featured David Niven and Deborah Kerr. It was during the making of this film that Sharon was introduced to Roman Polanski. That meeting led to Sharon being cast in a role that Polanski was directing and starring in called The Fearless Vampire Killers. During the making of this film Sharon and Roman became lovers. The year was 1967. The summer of love was fast approaching.
Sharon as Janet Trego in The Beverly Hillbillies
The year 1967 would be an important one for another person also. Charles Milles Manson was being released from prison against his wishes. By March 21, 1967 Manson had already spent seventeen years in prison. He was thirty-two years old and already had a lengthy rap sheet. Armed robbery, auto theft, homosexual rape, forgery and pimping were all part of his resume. When he was due to be released Manson begged the prison authorities to let him remain in prison. More than once he had stated that prison was the only home that he had ever known. He knew he would have trouble adjusting to life outside the prison walls. No one was listening and on the morning of March 21, 1967 Charles Manson was set free. He headed for San Francisco and it was there during the summer of love that The Family was born.
Boys Town didn’t exactly work for Charles Manson
In the late 1960's there was no act in the world bigger than the Beatles. The summer of love would find them recording one of rock music's most treasured albums Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band which they would follow up with a two record set that would come to be known simply as the White Album in 1968.
Meanwhile, all was right in Sharon's world. She had landed a pretty good role in the film adaptation of Jacqueline Susann's novel Valley of the Dolls. For her work in the film she received a Golden Globe nomination as most promising newcomer. Her relationship with actor/director Roman Polanski had become serious and on January 2, 1968 they were married in London, England. Roman would go on to have a major hit in 1968 directing Mia Farrow in the horror movie Rosemary's Baby. Sharon would make one more movie, The Wrecking Crew, with Dean Martin and Elke Sommer, before becoming pregnant in January, 1969. The young family would need a bigger house and were more than happy to rent 10050 Cielo Drive from Terry Melcher (Doris Day's son) when Melcher needed to get out of his lease.
Sharon in 1968
10050 Cielo Drive
Sharon and Roman
By 1969 Charles Manson had moved his "family" from San Francisco to an old deserted movie set known as Spahn's Movie Ranch just outside the LA suburb of Chatsworth. The family was mostly made up of runaway young girls and drifters. Eighty years old and nearly blind, George Spahn was the lone inhabitant of the ranch. Manson and his followers would do odd jobs for George who, in return, let the family stay on the ranch for free. It was right around this time that Manson began to take an interest in the Beatles White album. He played certain songs including Helter Skelter, Sexy Sadie and Piggies over and over again. By now, Manson had total control over the
family. The runaway teenage girls were happy to have a "father" who cared. They would do anything for him. Manson controlled even the smallest details of their lives. He orchestrated orgies and decided who would have sex together. The family began calling him Jesus Christ and the hardcore members of the family actually believed that Charlie was the Second Coming. It was to this eager audience that Manson would explain what the Beatles were trying to tell him through their music. Charlie believed, and would preach to his followers, that the band was telling him that a major race war pitting the blacks against the whites was about to begin. While this war, which Manson called Helter Skelter was raging, Charlie and the family would hide out in Death Valley. The blacks would be victorious but they would need help running things and would turn to Charlie. Helter Skelter would become the bizarre motive behind seven grisly murders.
In July 1969 Manson family members Bobby Beausoleil, Mary Brunner (who had a son with Manson) and Susan Atkins went to the residence of Gary Hinman who was a part time musician and a full time drug dealer. They were there looking for money from a drug deal gone bad. Manson had also told his minions that Hinman had recently inherited $20,000. When Hinman refused to give them any money he was tied up and threatened...still nothing. Beausoleil called Manson who promptly arrived at the house and proceeded to separate one of Hinman's ears from his head. Manson then left and Hinman was murdered by Beausoleil and Atkins. On August 5, 1969 Beausoleil was arrested while sleeping in one of Hinman's cars. Mary Brunner was captured a few days later while using stolen credit cards. We never said that they were smart. Mary was just plain lucky that she was in custody because much bigger crimes were in the offing.
By early August Charlie had become impatient while waiting for the beginning of Helter Skelter and decided that he would have to help things along. He sent out four members of his family with orders to kill some "rich pigs." Charles "Tex" Watson, Susan "Sexy Sadie" Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian were sent out to 10050 Cielo Drive on the night of August 8, 1969. Sharon Tate, who was now eight months pregnant, was at home. Sharon's former lover and internationally known men's hairstylist to the stars, Jay Sebring, was visiting. Even after their breakup and Sharon's subsequent marriage to Roman, Jay had remained close friends with Sharon, her parents and Roman. Another friend of Roman's, Voytek Frykowski, along with his lover Abigail Folger (coffee heiress) had been staying at the house and were preparing to move out but Sharon had convinced them to stay until Roman returned from Europe. A caretaker, William Garretson, lived in a building separate from the main house.
Eighteen year old Steven Parent was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was on his way to visit the caretaker and was stopped in front of the house by Watson who shot him four times before he could get out of his Rambler. Next the group of killers cut the telephone wires and entered the house. Jay Sebring protested and was shot by Watson and later stabbed. Abigail Folger was stabbed by Krenwinkel and when she made it outside was finished off by Watson. Susan Atkins stabbed Sharon even as she was begging for the life of her unborn child. Voytek Frykowski kept fighting and finally succumbed outside on the front lawn. The carnage was now complete. Sharon had been stabbed sixteen times. Jay Sebring had been shot once and stabbed seven times. Abigail Folger had been stabbed twenty-eight times. Voytek Frykowski had been shot twice, hit on the head with a blunt instrument thirteen times and stabbed once. Susan Atkins wrote the word PIG on the front door in Sharon's blood. When the killers returned to the ranch, Manson simply asked them why they were home so early.
Steven Parent was the first victim
Sharon with rope around her neck connected to Jay Sebring
Abigail Folger has been stabbed 28 times
Voytek Frykowski was found on the front lawn
The caretaker, William Garretson, claimed to have heard nothing and was quickly arrested and charged with the murder. He was just as quickly released when he passed a polygraph test. Roman Polanski returned home from Europe immediately and also passed the polygraph test.
Twenty-four hours later the killers would strike once again only this time Manson would accompany his family. When they reached the home of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, Manson went in alone and tied up the couple. When he returned to the car he ordered Watson, Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten (who had not been with the group the night before) to go in and kill them. He told them to paint a picture more gruesome than anyone had ever seen before. Krenwinkel and Van Houten took Rosemary into a bedroom while Watson stayed with Leno. Rosemary would die from forty-one stab wounds. Leno was stabbed twelve times, had fourteen puncture wounds from a fork and was found with a fork stuck in his stomach and a knife in his throat. The word WAR had been carved into his stomach. DEATH TO ALL PIGS and an incorrectly spelled HEALTER SKELTER and RISE were written in blood throughout the house.
Unbelievably, less than forty-eight hours later the LAPD would release a statement claiming that the Tate-LaBianca murders were not related. This despite all of the similarities between the two crimes such as the writing in blood etc. Los Angeles was now a city in fear. Guns were being sold at an alarming rate. Those that could afford it were hiring bodyguards and installing elaborate security systems. Some entertainers went into hiding fearing that they might be next. One week after the murders an event took place that did not receive much attention. The police raided the old Spahn Movie Ranch and arrested twenty-six suspects for auto theft. Meanwhile, friends of Roman Polanski were rallying around him. Actors Peter Sellers and Warren Beatty among others set up a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killers. Sharon's father Col. Tate resigned from the army, grew a beard and began hanging around hippie joints on Sunset Strip hoping for any information that may lead him to his daughter's killers.
One of the big breaks in the case came as the result of a jailhouse conversation between cellmates. Susan Atkins, who had been picked up in the police raid at the ranch, shared a cell with Ronny Howard and Virginia Graham. The two would prove to be very attentive listeners as Susan rambled on about Charlie, the family's philosophy, Helter Skelter and then finally a graphic description of the murders. Susan also told her cellmates about a "death list." Hollywood notables such as Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were said to be at the top of the list. Virginia and Ronny were not sure if Susan was telling them the truth or if it was all just a fantasy. For the moment they decided to keep the story to themselves but several weeks later when Susan went into more grisly detail about the murders, Ronny decided to alert the authorities.
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The police raid Spahn’s Ranch
Vincent Bugliosi
LA prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi would be the man to put it all together. The police were lacking a motive, physical evidence and any hard information on the family itself. Somehow Bugliosi and his team were able to put enough of the pieces together to convince the Grand Jury to hand down the following indictments: Charles Manson, Susan Atkins, Charles Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian - seven counts of murder in the first degree and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Leslie Van Houten - two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. Charles "Tex" Watson would fight extradition and would be tried later. The prosecution, desperate for a witness that could place the killers at the scene, made a deal with Linda Kasabian. Linda had driven the family to and from the scenes of the murders but did not participate. She was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony against the other defendants. The guilt phase of the trial began on June 15, 1970. The trial would go on to show us how much power and influence Manson did have over all of the family members. When Charlie carved a bloody X into his forehead, so did the girls...not just the defendants but also the ones keeping vigil outside of the courthouse including Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Later when Manson turned the X into a swastika the girls once again followed suit. Manson and the girls would do everything they could to disrupt the trial. Charlie demanded to exercise his rig
ht to defend himself and, after much advice to the contrary, was granted his request. Lawyers for the girls were either dumped or told to conduct their defence as per Manson's instructions. By March Judge Keene had seen and heard enough of Manson's ridiculous motions and delay tactics and he withdrew Charlie's right to defend himself. Manson screamed and went crazy and had to be physically removed from the courtroom. That was not the only change. Manson put forth an affidavit of prejudice against Judge Keene. Keene removed himself (probably with glee) and was succeeded by Judge Charles Older.
Susan Atkins, Patricia, Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten
On August 4, the headline of the Los Angeles times screamed out MANSON GUILTY NIXON DECLARES. The president had unbelievably told a reporter that he thought that Manson was guilty. Someone, possibly one of the defence lawyers, smuggled a copy of the newspaper into the courtroom. Suddenly Charlie stood up, faced the jury and held up the front page for all to see. Manson and his lawyers were obviously hoping for a mistrial as there was a gag order against any information leaking in to the jury which had been sequestered. However, Judge Older questioned each juror individually asking if they would be influenced in any way by what the president had said. Each juror replied that they would not be influenced by Nixon's comment. No mistrial.
Scene of the Crime Page 11
