Manson Family Sharon Tate Murders Quiz

Answer: Dennis Wilson

Not only did Dennis Wilson party with Manson and his family, he let some of them stay at his house and drive his car. Manson wanted to be a songwriter, and one of his compositions (titled 'Never Learn Not To Love') did make it on the Beach Boys album '20-20.' Manson had titled this song 'Cease To Exist,' but it was retitled when it was initially released as the B side of a Beach Boys single.

Answer: Film director Roman Polanski

Sharon's husband, movie director Roman Polanski, was in London at the time of the slayings.

Answer: Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme

Fromme was sentenced to life for her 1975 attempt on U.S. President Gerald Ford's life. In 1988 she escaped from West Virginia's Alderson Federal Prison Camp, but was recaptured two days later. This is the same facility where Martha Stewart spent time.

Answer: 5

There were five people slain at Sharon's home: Abigail Folger (heiress to the Folger coffee fortune), her boyfriend Voytek Frykowski, internationally-known hair stylist Jay Sebring, movie actress Sharon Tate (who was pregnant), and 18-year old Steven Parent, who was just leaving after visiting the grounds keeper, William Garretson. Only Garretson survived.

Answer: Los Angeles

The Polanski-Tate home was in Benedict Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. Their rented house had previously been rented by music producer Terry Melcher, and Manson had gone there to visit him (but he had already moved). Manson was thus familiar with the grounds.

Answer: 1

Only the grounds keeper, William Garretson, survived (probably because he was in a residence separate from the main house). The police initially suspected him of committing this crime.

Answer: 2

Grocery store chain owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary were killed the following night. At first, the police did not connect their slayings with the Sharon Tate slayings.

Answer: Vincent Bugliosi

Bugliosi was able to show one of the motives for these murders was to commit a 'copy-cat crime' that would free family member Bobby Beausoleil, who was accused of the murder of music teacher Gary Hinnman.

Answer: Richard Nixon

On August 3, 1970 the Los Angeles Times newspaper headlined 'Manson's Guilty, Nixon Declares'. Newspapers had been banned from the courtroom and the judge specifically instructed the attorneys to make sure none were on the counsel table, where they might inadvertently be seen by the jury.

However, one attorney did bring this one to the table, intending to read the Sports page. Manson was able to get a hold of it, stood up, and showed the headline to the jury. The next day, the female defendants stood up and said in perfect unison: 'Your Honor, the President said we are guilty, so why go on with the trial?' However, after the jury was polled and said they weren't influenced, a motion for this potential mistrial was denied and the trial went on. All the defendants (Manson and three female family members) were found guilty and were sentenced to death (Charles 'Tex' Watson was tried separately and was also found guilty and sentenced to death).

However, in 1972 the California State Supreme Court voted 6-1 to abolish the death penalty and all the sentences were automatically changed to life.

Answer: Helter Skelter

These references detailed the influence of the Beatles' White Album, particularly the songs 'Helter Skelter,' 'Piggies,' 'Blackbird,' 'Revolution I,' and 'Revolution 9,' and Manson's interpretation of the Book of Revelations in the Bible. For example, he believed the 'breastplates of iron' (described in Revelations) were electric guitars.