The interurban Crime Wave has touched off a new round of gun buying. Step out, mr. Bundy. Ill plead not guilty right now. There has been a disturbing growth in Cult Phenomenon in this country. I shall be god. And beside me there shall be no other. All the elements are present for one of the most sensational murder trials in american history. Seven people brutally murdered in the glare of hollywood publicity. Young girls supposedly under the spell of a bearded svengali, who allegedly masterminded the seven murders. The 70s is a decade of just brutal violence on every front and anywhere that you look in america. At the time of a mass murder, theres a lot of media coverage. But usually after a brief period of time, the identity of the perpetrator tends to fade from the publics consciousness. But not so with the manson case. It was the biggest Publicity Case the d. A. s office had ever had. The Manson Trial begins the 1970s on such an evil, sadistic note. Seven innocent people died. Steve
the last ten years, the homicide rate has increased by leaps and bounds. my god, somebody fired a shot! these tragedies keep getting closer and closer to home. i m afraid to let my kids walk out the door. the interurban crime wave has touched off a new round of gun buying. step out, mr. bundy. i ll plead not guilty right now. there has been a disturbing growth in cult phenomenon in this country. i shall be god. and beside me there shall be no other. all the elements are present for one of the most sensational murder trials in american history. seven people brutally murdered in the glare of hollywood publicity. young girls supposedly under the spell of a bearded svengali, who allegedly masterminded the seven murders. the 70s is a decade of just brutal violence on every front and anywhere that you look in america. at the time of a mass murder, there s a lot of media coverage. but usually after a brief period of time, the identity of the perp
the manson trial begins the 1970s on such an evil, sadistic note. seven innocent people died. steve parent, a teenager. abigail folger, folger coffee. jay sebring. wojchiech frykowski. the labiancas. and sharon tate. all of you know how beautiful she was. but only a few of you know how good she was. and you had charles manson himself. the charismatic leader of the family who didn t show any remorse or any respect for the system. are you all happy with your courts? yes. good. are you happy? in i happy? it s your court. i wouldn t accept it. the problem was that he did not physically participate in these murders. but only manson had a motive to commit these murders. and that motive was helter skelter. manson envisioned that white
Compelled in this case. so death in the gas chamber, he said. the very name manson has become a metaphor for evil, catapulting him to almost mythological proportions. and there s a side to human nature, for whatever reason, that is fascinated by pure, unalloyed evil. if the death penalty is to mean anything in the state of california other than two empty words, this unquestionably was the proper case for the imposition of the death penalty. the california supreme court ruled today that the death penalty is unconstitutional. that will save five women and 102 men including charles manson from the gas chamber. should there be a supreme penalty for committing a crime? what do you think? i m the one who s asking you. yeah, but if i don t give you the answer that you want doesn t matter to me. doesn t matter it s your opinion. well, i don t have the authority to say anything like that. you have the authority to believe. i believe what i m told to believe.
the jury hearing the charges against charles manson and three girl members of his so-called family brought in its verdict this afternoon. and outside the court, manson s girl followers got the news by radio. they have convicted these people, and you are next. all of you. there s a revolution coming very soon. today the judge formally passed sentence on charles manson and his girls. the death penalty he said for seven senseless murders. he said not only was the sentence appropriate but almost compelled in this case. so death in the gas chamber, he said. the very name manson has become a metaphor for evil, catapulting him to almost mythological proportions. and there s a side to human nature, for whatever reason, that is fascinated by pure, unalloyed evil. if the death penalty is to