Charles Manson Reaches Out to Spector in Prison

(NEWSER) - A photo showing an aged, haggard Charles Manson was released yesterday as part of a routine updating of California prison documents, the Los Angeles Times reports. The photo shows Manson mostly bald and with a thick, grey beard, his homemade swastika tattoo faded. Manson, 74, is serving a life sentence for his role in a series of 1969 murders. More»

Amateur sleuths and a corpse-sniffing dog search Manson ranch in the Calif. Desert

(NEWSER) - A rag-tag group of forensic investigators, a gold miner, and a corpse-sniffing dog say they have turned up evidence of long suspected killings by the Manson family in the California desert, AP reports. Using the tools and techniques of chemistry and archeology, the group has concluded that there may be bodies in the ground—and suggested that the cops get digging. More»

LAPD wants audio tapes that could yield new evidence

(NEWSER) - The horrific history of Charles Manson and his followers could soon be rewritten. The Los Angeles Police Department has asked for eight hours of decades-old audio recordings that could link the Manson family to more murders, reports NBC Los Angeles . The tapes feature conversations between Manson's former right-hand man, Charles "Tex" Watson, and Watson's lawyer Bill Boyd, and they have never before been heard by law enforcement. More»

Calif. prison phone problem out of control, lawmakers say

(NEWSER) - California prison authorities are having a hard time keeping cell phones out of the hands of even the most notorious inmates. The number of phones confiscated in the state since officials started keeping track has jumped from 1,400 in 2007 to 8,675 so far this year, and prisoners who've had phone seized include Charles Manson. He made calls and sent texts to people in California, New Jersey, Florida, and British Columbia before guards found the LG flip phone stashed under his mattress the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Atkins up for parole; filmmaker makes case for van Houten

(NEWSER) - With Squeaky Fromme, who aimed a gun at President Ford, set for parole next Sunday, other members of the murderous “Manson Family” are pushing for release, the Telegraph reports. Susan Atkins, who at first said she’d stabbed actress Sharon Tate 16 times, plans to plead for freedom at her parole hearing Sept. 2. Meanwhile, a filmmaker has written a series of Huffington Post pieces in support of Leslie Van Houten’s release. More»