Los Angeles, Nov 20 (AFP) Charles Manson, thepsychopathic guru who masterminded a savage killing spree inthe US that shocked the world, has died aged 83, Californiaprison officials have said.
Manson "died of natural causes at 8:13 pm (0213 GMTMonday) on Sunday" at a hospital in Kern County, theCalifornia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation saidin a brief statement.
Debra Tate -- the sister of Manson's most famousvictim, Sharon Tate -- told celebrity website TMZ that shereceived a call from prison officials notifying her ofManson's death.
In the late 1960s, Manson headed an apocalyptic cultthat committed random murders in upscale mostly whiteneighborhoods of Los Angeles -- unleashing a wave of panic inthe city and beyond.
The aim was for African Americans to be blamed, in thehope of sparking what he believed to be an impending andapocalyptic race war.
His "Family" disciples committed at least ninemurders, but it was the horrific killing spree of seven peopleon August 9-10, 1969 that sealed his notoriety -- and earnedhim life in prison.
The famous victim was 26-year-old movie actress SharonTate, the heavily-pregnant wife of director Roman Polanski,who pleaded for the life of her unborn child before she wasstabbed to death.
Manson was not present, but ordered the killings.
One of his followers, Susan Atkins, carried out Tate'smurder, after which she tasted the actress's blood and wrote"PIG" with it on the home's front door.
Manson, who has never shown remorse, was sentenced todeath in 1971 along with four of his disciples for having ledthe killings of seven people.
The sentences were later commuted to life in prison.
During his marathon trial, Manson -- with a beard,long unwashed hair, and a swastika tattooed on his forehead --was portrayed as a drug-crazed loner with mesmerizing powersof persuasion.
Upon his death, he had been in prison in Californiasince 1971, during which he applied for parole 12 times,telling the court on the last occasion in 2012 that he was "avery dangerous man." In each case, he was denied release and was noteligible to apply again until 2027.
In a 1981 interview conducted from jail, Manson saidhe had already spent most of his life in prison and felt athome there.
Manson was born on November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati inthe Midwestern US state of Ohio to a 16-year-old mother, andgrew up without knowing his father.
After he was repeatedly caught stealing, as a 13-year-old teen he was placed in a juvenile correctionalfacility and remained in detention, shifted between variousfacilities, until he was freed on parole in 1954.
The following year, Manson married a hospital waitressnamed Rosalie Jean Willis, but a year later was convictedagain, this time for stealing a car.
While back in jail he learned that his wife had givenbirth to a son, but she asked for a divorce and left with thechild.
Released again in 1958, Manson was married again ayear later, to a prostitute who went by the name Candy Stevensand who would remain his wife until 1963.
By then, Manson was already back in prison forviolating his parole, and would remain there until 1967 whenhe was released at the height of the hippie era.
Moving to San Francisco during the so-called "Summerof Love," he took up street busking with his guitar, but soonestablished himself at the center of a drug-fuelled commune,surrounded by mostly female followers he called his "Family." At the outset a nomadic community, it later set upbase in a ranch in California's Death Valley. The "Family"lived on the fringes of society and Manson had at least onechild with one of his followers.
Manson became obsessed with the Beatles, and embraceda twisted philosophy inspired by lyrics of the legendarygroup.
Describing himself as a reincarnation of Jesus Christ,Manson arranged a series of murders in a bid to trigger a racewar he dubbed "Helter Skelter," a term taken from the Beatlessong of the same name.
More than 40 years later, the killing spree byManson's "Family" continues to haunt the public psyche andstir morbid fascination, fuelled by books, songs and touristroutes, websites and films.
Manson himself published a music album in 1970, re-issued as a CD in 2006.
In prison, he was granted permission in 2014 to wedthen 26-year-old Afton Elaine Burton, described in US media asa slender brunette, who had been visiting him. But the 90-daylicense expired without the ceremony going ahead. (AFP)KUN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.