Whatever Happened To Charles Manson?

Most people are familiar with the story of Charles Manson. Manson, a former cult leader, was the mastermind behind a commune in late 1960s California. Under Manson’s orders, his followers committed a series of nine murders, including the murder of actress Sharon Tate.

Manson was eventually found guilty of conspiracy to commit seven murders and is serving nine concurrent life sentences. Manson is currently incarcerated at Corcoran State Prison in Corcoran, California.

Manson spent much of his life in jail before his involvement with the cult, and had attempted to break into the Los Angeles music industry as a singer-songwriter. Many of his songs were released after his conviction, sung by other singers.

Lately, rumors have been circulating that Manson is in poor health and approaching the end of his life. Debra Tate, the younger sister of one victim Sharon Tate, recently spoke about her concerns over Manson’s impending death, stating that she is worried his passing will trigger his followers to go on a killing spree in his honor.

Charles Manson believed that the murderers committed by his cult would lead to an apocalyptic race war. Since his arrest, his name has become synonymous with violence.

Recent reports have said that Manson is sick and may be dying. At the age of 82 years old, he has spent nearly 46 years in prison following the murders. Originally sentenced to death, Manson’s sentence was commuted to life in prison following California’s elimination of the death penalty in 1972.

Manson is allegedly so ill that his life is beyond saving, partially due to the fact that any life saving procedure would be too expensive for the state to pay for. His four and a half decades in prison have already exceeded a taxpayer cost of a staggering $2 million.

Over the past few decades, Charles Manson has had no less than 12 parole hearings, each one denied by the parole board. Spending more than half his life beyond bars has cost the state of California a lot of money, and it is uncertain whether they will continue to keep footing the bill.

Other sources have said that it was not funds that kept the procedure from being performed but rather the belief of the doctors that Manson was too weak to undergo surgery and would likely not survive an invasive procedure.

The convicted murderer was recently rushed to a hospital in Bakersfield, approximately 60 miles from his prison, to receive treatment to stop his intestines from bleeding. He was first taken to the hospital several months ago and has been ill for quite some time.

Whether or not Manson’s condition is truly life threatening remains to be seen, but his recent ill health combined with his advance age makes it quite likely that he is reaching the end of his days. An informant who works in the correctional facility where Manson is incarcerated said that the murderer probably will not live much longer, although he is still able to talk in his current condition.