Prosecutor Bugliosi News Today

Three of his followers went on trial for the tate murders. >> i think mr. manson feels hes a product of our society. >> prosecutor bugliosis task is daunting and a defendant like no others that the prosecutor had ever encountered. >> he had to prove that charles manson, this weird little guy, could have some control over these other followers to make them commit murder but not to the extent the followers were mentally incompetent to be tried

Either. >> thats a tricky business. >> it is tricky. >> and the trickiest part is to get the murder to stick to manson himself. >> its a little more difficult because he did not physically participated in these murders. >> bugliosi had a two part problem, to show the control over his followers and the motive. >> that motive was helter-skelter of blacks and whites. he was he that introduced helter-skelter and talked about it all the time. >> he had a star witness lined up, susan atkins, the woman...

>> next day headline l.a. times, manson guilty nixon declares, threw the trial into a turmoil. >> all the while, manson basked in the media talking to any anywhere. >> the judge questioned my sanity. i question his. >> at the end of the 22 week trial, bugliosi told the jurors charles mansons family preached love and literally practiced cold-blooded murder. >> they literally slaughtered the victims in an orgy of murder. >> the verdict came after nine days of deliberations. the jury found all four...

So bugliosi had other former family members. like barbara who left the family. >> i decided could live with this when i became old? that would be a deciding factor. >> barbara knew she would take the stand in full view of her former manson followers. >> what was it like to testify, seeing them out there? >> they were really kissing up to me when i was in the back of the courtroom, blowing me kisses and smiling at me and all that. of course that changed when i started opening my mouth on the witn...

In 2009, atkins died in prison. but leslie van houten does have a chance at freedom. >> it doesnt matter whether i wielded the fatal blows or not, i feel responsible for both of their deaths. >> two months ago the parole board recommended releasing van houten. but she is still waiting. the final decision is up to governor jerry brown. >> no question what sharon tates younger sister, debra briefs, -- believes, the governor should say no. >> i dont think she deserves it. these people were brutally...