Charles Manson is a current cult leader.
Charles Milles Manson -LRB- born Charles Milles Maddox , November 12 , 1934 -RRB- is an American criminal and former cult leader who led what became known as the Manson Family , a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s .. Manson Family. Manson Family. commune. commune. Manson 's followers committed a series of nine murders at four locations in July and August of 1969 .. In 1971 he was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people -LRB- Abigail Ann Folger , Wojciech Frykowski , Steven Earl Parent , Sharon Tate Polanski , Jay Sebring , and Leno and Rosemary La Bianca -RRB- -- most notably of the actress Sharon Tate -- all of which were carried out by members of the group at his instruction .. conspiracy. Conspiracy ( crime ). most notably of the actress Sharon Tate. Tate murders. Manson was originally sentenced to death ; however , his death sentence was converted to life with the possibility of parole when in 1972 , the death penalty in California was ruled unconstitutional .. California did not have the life-without-parole sentence at the time .. Manson also received first-degree murder convictions for the deaths of Gary Hinman and Donald `` Shorty '' Shea .. He is currently serving a life sentence at California State Prison , Corcoran , in Corcoran , California .. life sentence. Life imprisonment. Manson believed in what he called `` Helter Skelter '' , a term he took from the Beatles ' song of the same name .. Helter Skelter. Helter Skelter ( Manson scenario ). the Beatles. the Beatles. song of the same name. Helter Skelter ( song ). Manson believed Helter Skelter to be an impending apocalyptic race war , which he described in his own version of the lyrics to the Beatles ' song .. Helter Skelter. Helter Skelter ( Manson scenario ). the Beatles. the Beatles. apocalyptic. Apocalypse. race war. race war. He believed the murders would help precipitate that war .. From the beginning of his notoriety , a pop culture arose around him in which he ultimately became an emblem of insanity , violence and the macabre .. pop culture. popular culture. emblem. emblem. insanity. insanity. violence. violence. macabre. macabre. At the time the Family began to form , Manson was an unemployed former convict , who had spent half of his life in correctional institutions for a variety of offenses .. convict. convict. Before the murders , he was a singer-songwriter on the fringe of the Los Angeles music industry , chiefly through a chance association with Dennis Wilson , drummer and founding member of the Beach Boys .. Dennis Wilson. Dennis Wilson. the Beach Boys. the Beach Boys. After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was later convicted , recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially .. Various musicians have covered some of his songs .. covered. Cover version