Charles Manson 'a pathetic, cowardly con man' who should be remembered for that alone. Reactions to his death

Charles Manson ‘a pathetic, cowardly con man’ who should be remembered for that alone. Reactions to his death

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The five victims slain the night of Aug. 9, 1969 at the Benedict Canyon Estate of Roman Polanski. From left, Voityck Frykowski, Sharon Tate, Stephen Parent, Jay Sebring, and Abigail Folger. The next night, it happened again. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, a wealthy couple who lived across town, were stabbed to death in their home. (Associated Press)

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Charles Manson is led back to his cell after court appearance in 1970. (Bill Murphy / Los Angeles Times)

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Four young female members of the Charles Manson “family” kneel outside the Los Angeles Hall of Justice on March 29, 1971, with their heads shaved. The women kept a vigil at the building throughout the long trial in which Manson and three others were convicted of murdering actress Sharon Tate and six others. (Wally Fong / Associated Press)

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Charles Manson is escorted to court for preliminary hearing in 1969. (Bill Murphy / Los Angeles Times)

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Charles Manson receives the news that he was denied parole in 1997, for the ninth time in March, 1997. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press)

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Charles Mansion in the high security area of the Corcoran State Prison in 1998. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

By Alene TchekmedyianStaff Writer

Nov. 19, 2017 11:20 PM PT

As news of Charles Manson’s death spread late Sunday, many on social media said his death should be a time to remember and mourn his victims.

Michele Hanisee, president of the Assn. of Deputy District Attorneys, said in a statement that the prosecutor who put Manson behind bars “provided the most accurate summation: ‘Manson was an evil, sophisticated con man with twisted and warped moral values.’

“Today, Manson’s victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death,” Hanisee said.

The sister of actress Sharon Tate, one of his victims, got a call from a prison official Sunday evening to notify her of Manson’s death, People magazine reported.

“I said a prayer for his soul,” Debra Tate told People.

On Twitter, Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell called Manson “a pathetic, cowardly con man” who should be remembered for that alone.

“The lives he & his followers cut mercilessly short are deserving of having their stories told,” O’Farrell said.

Manson and members of his “family” of followers were convicted of killing actress Sharon Tate and six other people during a bloody rampage in the Los Angeles area in August 1969. Prosecutors said Manson and his followers were trying to incite a race war he dubbed “Helter Skelter,” taken from the Beatles song of the same name.

Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski, was 8 1/2 months pregnant when she was killed at her hilltop home in Benedict Canyon on Aug. 9, 1969. Four others were stabbed and shot to death the same night: Jay Sebring, 35; Voytek Frykowski, 32; Abigail Folger, 25, a coffee heiress; and Steven Parent, 18, a friend of Tate’s caretaker. The word “pig” was written on the front door in blood.

The next night, Manson rode with his followers to the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, then left three members to kill the couple.

Manson initially was sentenced to death. But a 1972 ruling by the California Supreme Court found the state’s death penalty law at the time unconstitutional, and his sentence was changed to life in prison with the possibility of parole. He was denied parole 12 times.