The Manson Women: An American Nightmare

Charles Manson has been called the man who killed the 60s. Although he was convicted of the Tate-LaBianca Murders, he was not actually present at either crime scene. This documentary focuses on the women who were, and also on one who was not, Squeaky Fromme, who was convicted of trying to assassinate the President of the United States with an empty gun.

Susan Atkins died in prison four and a half years ago – after this documentary was made; like her, Lesley Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel have been repeatedly turned down for parole. Together with Manson, all three were initially sentenced to death, but in 1972 a nationwide moratorium on the death penalty led to their sentences being commuted to life imprisonment.

This documentary includes interviews with the killers themselves, including Manson, and others such as Vincent Bugliosi, who prosecuted the main trial.

If you know little or nothing about what became one of the most sensational crimes and trials of the 20th Century, this is not a bad place to start. Even in 2014, some of the antics of the Manson "Family" may shock some people.