Charles Manson, Who Did He Really Want to Kill?

Charles Manson entered McNeil Island Penitentiary in 1961 for trying to cash a forged government check. While there he became friends with Alvin Francis "Creepy Karpis" Karpowicz. He was the last "public enemy" to be taken, a capture by J. Edgar Hoover. Karpis wrote about Manson in his memoirs "On the Rock: Twenty-five Years at Alcatraz" (written with Robert Livesey, published in 1980):

"This kid approaches me to request music lessons. He wants to learn guitar and become a music star. 'Little Charlie' is so lazy and shiftless, I doubt if he'll put the time required to learn. The youngster has been in institutions all of his life--first orphanages, then reformatories, and finally federal prison. His mother, a prostitute, was never around to look after him. I decide it's time someone did something for him, and to my surprise, he learns quickly. He has a pleasant voice and a pleasing personality, although he's unusually meek and mild for a convict. He never has a harsh word to say and is never involved in even an argument."

Creepy taught Manson how to play the guitar and asked Creepy for help in getting a job playing in Las Vegas because Creepy had contacts with nightclub and casino owners there. Manson even told him he, one day, would be bigger than the Beatles. Soon Creepy decided to leave Manson on his own regarding his music career.

On March 21, 1967, Manson was once again released from prison and headed to San Francisco where, with his guitar and drugs, he began to get a following. In 1968, he and several followers drove to Southern California.

Dennis Wilson, of the Beach Boys, was driving through Malibu when he noticed two female hitchhikers. He picked them up and dropped them off where they wanted go. Later on, Dennis noticed the same two girls hitchhiking again. He took them to his home, and then went to a recording session. When he returned at around three o'clock in the morning, he was met in his driveway Charles Manson. When he walked into his home, there were about a dozen there, mostly females. Before long, Dennis became fascinated with Manson, his followers, and the "Family." They lived with him for a short time.

Dennis was very impressed by Manson's talent, and soon he introduced him to a few friends in the music business, including Terry Melcher, Doris Day's son. During that time, Manson would visit Melcher at 10050 Cielo Drive, the home Melcher shared with his girlfriend, Candice Bergen. Manson eventually auditioned for Melcher, but Melcher declined to sign him. There was still talk of a documentary being made about Manson's music, but Melcher abandoned the project after witnessing Manson in a terrifying fight with a drunken stuntman at Spahn Ranch.

Dennis noticed Manson's volatile nature and growing tendency to violence and the friendship by moving out of the house. Manson was not happy that Dennis had moved out. After finding out were Dennis had moved to, Manson left a bullet with Dennis' housekeeper to be delivered with a cryptic message. For years Dennis did not speak a word about Mason or his Family.

Terry Melcher moved from his home and the house's owner, Rudi Altobelli, leased it to film director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. I think you know the rest of the story.