PART 2:
The Manson Family.
The core members of Manson's group following included: Charles 'Tex' Watson, a musician and former actor; Robert Beausoleil, a former musician and pornographic actor; Mary Brunner, previously a librarian; Susan Atkins; Linda Kasabian; Patricia Krenwinkel; and Leslie Van Houten.
Murders
The Manson Family developed into a doomsday cult when Manson became fixated on the idea of an imminent apocalyptic race war between America's black population and the larger white population.
A white supremacist, Manson believed that black people in America would rise up and kill all whites except for Manson and his "Family", but that they were not intelligent enough to survive on their own; they would need a white man to lead them, and so they would serve Manson as their "master".
Late in 1968, Manson adopted the term "Helter Skelter", taken from a song on the Beatles' recently released White Album, to refer to this upcoming war.
In early August 1969, Manson encouraged his followers to start Helter Skelter, by committing murders in Los Angeles and making it appear to be racially motivated.
The Manson Family gained national notoriety after the murder of actress Sharon Tate and four others in her home on August 8 and 9, 1969, and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the next day.
Family members were also responsible for other assaults, thefts, crimes, and the attempted assassination of President Gerald Ford in Sacramento by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.
