Charles Manson Hospitalized: Ailing Cult Leader Broke Rules, Caused Problems Over The Years, Says Prison Spokesperson
This week, infamous cult leader Charles Manson was moved to a hospital from his prison cell due to a medical issue. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the California prison system spoke out, saying the former head of the Manson Family has broken many rules and caused trouble during his more than four decades behind bars.
Manson, 82, is currently being treated for gastrointestinal bleeding linked to his colon at Mercy Hospital, a source told KTLA 5 News. He was rushed to the facility from Corcoran State Prison, and it appears he is still being treated for the condition.
Apparently, Manson has been anything but a model prisoner, according to a recent Los Angeles Times report. Terry Thornton, a spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, informed the publication that Manson has broken over 100 prison rules since 1971.
Thornton noted Manson has been “cited for assault, repeated possession of a weapon, threatening staff,” and being in possession of a cell phone. Over the years, according to the Times, Manson has also started fights, attempted to create a flood and light his mattress on fire, has thrown hot coffee at a prison employee, and “spat in guards’ faces.”
In 2009, Manson made calls and sent text messages to people in different locations with a phone he kept hidden under his mattress. The Times also reports that in 2011, Manson obtained a second cell phone, and in 2016, he somehow got his hands on a third.
The Times further notes that Manson’s unpredictable behavior was on display during his lengthy trial back in 1970, when he entered the courtroom with the letter “X” carved into his forehead. The report indicates that at one point, Manson was “removed from the courtroom after taking on the pose of the crucifixion, bowing his head and extending his arms, refusing to sit down.” During a subsequent incident, Manson lunged at the judge, saying to him, “someone should cut your head off.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM0a8wBjk9c
Later, as his trial continued, Manson was removed from the courtroom after he punched his attorney. Several months after this incident, Manson threatened there would be mayhem should he be sentenced to death, the Times reports.
The jury was apparently not intimidated by Manson’s threat, and he was sentenced to die for the murders of seven people.
Five of the grisly killings took place on August 9, 1969, when Manson sent some of his followers to a home in Los Angeles rented by Sharon Tate, 26. The actress was almost nine months pregnant when she and several others present at the home were slaughtered by members of the Manson Family. The others slain were Jay Sebring, 35; Voytek Frykowski, 32; Abigail Folger, 25; and Steven Parent, 18.
The next night, August 10, Manson orchestrated the brutal murders of Leno LaBianca, 44, and his wife Rosemary, 38, for which he was also deemed guilty by the jury.
Although Manson and several of his devotees were sentenced to death, a ruling by California’s highest court in 1972 determined the death penalty was unconstitutional. This meant that all death sentences in the state transformed to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to the Times.
ABC News reports that when Manson spoke to Rolling Stone in 2013, as a 79-year-old man, he maintained his bizarre personality.
Manson told reporter Erik Hedegaard, “If I can touch you, I can kill you.”
Hedegaard apparently wrote about his encounter with the convicted murderer, indicating, “He’s an old man with a nice head of gray hair but bad hearing, bad lungs, and chipped-and-fractured, prison-dispensed bad dentures.”
Manson will remain guarded by heavy security while hospitalized, with KTLA 5 News reporting two California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation vehicles are firmly planted in front of the medical facility.
[Featured Image by Leezsnow/iStock Images]
