Who was Charles Manson?

Cult leader Charles Mansonnotorious for directing his followers to commit brutal murders died aged 83 on Sunday, according to prison officials.

Admitted to Bakersfield hospital in California, Manson died of natural causes after serving more than four decades in prison since he was sentenced to death in 1971.

Start of a cult

Manson started gathering young followers in the late 1960s as he claimed to believe in a coming race war in America. He wanted to emerge as the leader of a new social order, calling it "Helter Skelter" after a Beatles song of the same name. He was told to be obsessed with the song.

He recruited mainly young, disoriented women from middle-class backgrounds who he brought under control using drugs.

He convinced a number of his followers that he was thereincarnation of Jesus Christ.

While planning the murders, he hoped that his family would be saved by shifting the blame to black Americans. He was looking to heighten racial tensions.

Murders

Among the victims were Hollywood actress Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant. Tate was married to Roman Polanski, an acclaimed director of the time. Tate was stabbed to death by one Manson's followers and the front door of her house had the word 'pig' scrawled with the actress's blood. There were four other people apart from the actress who was mercilessly killed including coffee heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring.

The following day, a wealthy couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were also killedby the clan.

Manson did not carry out the killingsbut was convicted of murder for directing his followers. At the LaBianca home, he tied the couple before ordering them to carry out the killings.

Imprisonment

Manson was awarded death sentence but before his sentence could be carried out, California outlawed capital punishment and his sentence was reduced to life.

He stayed in the prison for four decades and applied for parole 12 times but was denied on all occasions. The parole board denied his request citing his behaviour of non-conformity to prison rules. He was caught in possession of a weapon and contraband mobile phones several times.

In 2014, Manson was granted a marriage licence to wed a 26-year-old woman who said she loved him, but the licence expired and the marriage did not go ahead.

His other side

Manson aspired to be a rock star, and through one of his followers befriended Dennis Wilson, drummer of the Beach Boys band. They went on to base their 1969 song "Never Learn Not to Love" on a Manson composition.

Wilson then introduced Manson to music producer Terry Melcher, who later snubbed him when Manson wanted to make a record. This upset Manson who carried out the first round of killings in the house where Melcher had previously lived.