Jeff Melnick

It's almost impossible to do a head count on the cult because people are coming and going. There are people who are not all the time with them, like Bobby Beausoleil and folks who are associates of the family. But there's a core of a couple dozen people who are always at the ranch.

It's almost impossible to do a head count on the cult because people are coming and going. There are people who are not all the time with them, like Bobby Beausoleil and folks who are associates of the family. But there's a core of a couple dozen people who are always at the ranch.

There's clearly an inner circle, too. And those are the folks who end up being responsible for the two nights of mayhem, you know, in August of 69. And there's clearly like he has his lieutenants, you know, like Tex Watson is clearly the second in command, you know, man. And Lynette Fromm.

There's clearly an inner circle, too. And those are the folks who end up being responsible for the two nights of mayhem, you know, in August of 69. And there's clearly like he has his lieutenants, you know, like Tex Watson is clearly the second in command, you know, man. And Lynette Fromm.

There's clearly an inner circle, too. And those are the folks who end up being responsible for the two nights of mayhem, you know, in August of 69. And there's clearly like he has his lieutenants, you know, like Tex Watson is clearly the second in command, you know, man. And Lynette Fromm.

And a few of the other women are clearly like the ones running the ranch, you know, the ones who are in charge of the daily operations. But then there's all these other folks, you know, they you if you read deep enough in the literature, you come upon these names and you're like, who's that again?

And a few of the other women are clearly like the ones running the ranch, you know, the ones who are in charge of the daily operations. But then there's all these other folks, you know, they you if you read deep enough in the literature, you come upon these names and you're like, who's that again?

And a few of the other women are clearly like the ones running the ranch, you know, the ones who are in charge of the daily operations. But then there's all these other folks, you know, they you if you read deep enough in the literature, you come upon these names and you're like, who's that again?

You know, like like somebody else just showed up a month or so before the murders and lived there for a while. People come and go. Charlie didn't like to let people go like they would chase people down if they tried to leave. Right. Because he needed that like intactness.

You know, like like somebody else just showed up a month or so before the murders and lived there for a while. People come and go. Charlie didn't like to let people go like they would chase people down if they tried to leave. Right. Because he needed that like intactness.

You know, like like somebody else just showed up a month or so before the murders and lived there for a while. People come and go. Charlie didn't like to let people go like they would chase people down if they tried to leave. Right. Because he needed that like intactness.

First night, they head out to Benedict Canyon, which again, I don't know how familiar your listeners will be with geography of LA, but Benedict Canyon is one of these beautiful areas, a little bit north of where the cultural action is, the Sunset Strip. It's not a long drive, but it's a whole other world.

First night, they head out to Benedict Canyon, which again, I don't know how familiar your listeners will be with geography of LA, but Benedict Canyon is one of these beautiful areas, a little bit north of where the cultural action is, the Sunset Strip. It's not a long drive, but it's a whole other world.

First night, they head out to Benedict Canyon, which again, I don't know how familiar your listeners will be with geography of LA, but Benedict Canyon is one of these beautiful areas, a little bit north of where the cultural action is, the Sunset Strip. It's not a long drive, but it's a whole other world.

Again, if your listeners are not on the West Coast, what LA geography looks like is always a mystery to those of us from the East Coast or elsewhere. So it's this really remote feeling part of LA, right?

Again, if your listeners are not on the West Coast, what LA geography looks like is always a mystery to those of us from the East Coast or elsewhere. So it's this really remote feeling part of LA, right?

Again, if your listeners are not on the West Coast, what LA geography looks like is always a mystery to those of us from the East Coast or elsewhere. So it's this really remote feeling part of LA, right?

Right. It's beautiful. It's remote. So they make it to this house, which is the house of... The actor Sharon Tate and her husband, the film director Roman Polanski, who have a few houseguests and the few members of the Manson family make their way in, are clearly intent on just wreaking havoc. It's not that they're just there to kill people. They are there clearly with some instructions.

Right. It's beautiful. It's remote. So they make it to this house, which is the house of... The actor Sharon Tate and her husband, the film director Roman Polanski, who have a few houseguests and the few members of the Manson family make their way in, are clearly intent on just wreaking havoc. It's not that they're just there to kill people. They are there clearly with some instructions.

Right. It's beautiful. It's remote. So they make it to this house, which is the house of... The actor Sharon Tate and her husband, the film director Roman Polanski, who have a few houseguests and the few members of the Manson family make their way in, are clearly intent on just wreaking havoc. It's not that they're just there to kill people. They are there clearly with some instructions.