The followers of cult leader Charles Manson were responsible for a string of horrific killings known as the Manson Family Murders in the late 1960s. Charles Manson, a charismatic but unstable figure, attracted a group of ardent followers who saw him as a messianic figure and set up a commune to rule over them. Manson exploited his followers by teaching a twisted philosophy that called for an end-of-the-world racial conflict, which he called “Helter Skelter.”

On the evening of August 8-9, 1969, Manson directed four of his followers to commit a string of savage murders. Actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant at the time, and four others were murdered in her home; the following night, a couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were also killed.

The killings were particularly brutal, with numerous stab wounds inflicted on each victim. At the crime scenes, the phrases “Pig” and “Helter Skelter” were scribbled in blood, revealing Manson’s sick ideology.

In the months that followed, police tracked down Manson and some of his followers, setting in motion one of the most dramatic prosecutions in American history. Although Manson did not carry out the murders himself, he was found responsible for their planning and execution. However, his sentence was commuted to life in prison after California abolished the death penalty in 1972.

The murders of the members of the Manson family had a long-lasting effect on American culture, signaling the end of the counterculture and inspiring widespread panic and mistrust. This episode has gone down in history as a cautionary tale about the perils of following a charismatic but dangerous leader.