Charles Manson Dies At 83 Of Natural Causes In California

Notorious killer cult leader Charles Manson dies aged 83 of natural causes, one week after being rushed to hospital
Notorious killer Charles Manson has died aged 83 of natural causes....

The psychopathic cult leader, who had been behind bars for 48 years, died at 8.13pm on Sunday at a hospital in Kern County, California.

He was taken there from Corcoran State Prison with an undisclosed illness last week.

The news of his death was confirmed by Debra Tate, the sister of his most famous victim, actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant with film director Roman Polanski's baby when she was stabbed to death by his followers.

'This could be the end of an era or just the beginning,' she declared, adding: 'I said a prayer for his soul.'
A statement released by the Association of Deputy District Attorneys of California on Monday morning quoted Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor in the trial who died two years ago.

It said: 'Manson was an evil, sophisticated con-man with twisted and warped moral values.

'Manson's victims are the ones who should be remembered and mourned on the occasion of his death.'

Prison officials say it's 'undetermined' what will happen to Manson's corpse as he has no next of kin.

State law says that if no relative or legal representative surfaces within 10 days, it's up to the department to determine what happens with the body.

It's unclear if Manson requested services of any sort.

Manson was rushed to a Bakersfield hospital last week for emergency medical treatment.

Witnesses said he looked 'ashen', was covered in blankets and was not expected to last much longer after his health had been steadily declining for months.

In January, he was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield for severe intestinal bleeding and a sigmoid lesion.

Doctors wanted to operate immediately but Manson had refused.

By the time he changed his mind and was ready for the operation, doctors determined he was too weak for surgery, and he was sent back to jail.

A source at the time said: 'He's not good. His health is failing.'

The 83-year-old had been behind bars for more than four decades, since 1969, after he ordered members of his cult - which he dubbed 'the family' - to go on a murderous two-day rampage.

Three of his followers, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle and Leslie Van Houten, killed seven people: pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, Steven Parent and Jay Sebring.

He had ordered his family members to slaughter Tate, who was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and three of her friends at her home above Beverly Hills.

Stephen Parent was a fifth unfortunate victim that night. He had driven to the property to see if caretaker William Garreston wanted to buy his AM/FM Clock radio, and had stayed on for a beer at the guest house. He was shot multiple times when he wound down the window at the electric gate as he left.