The Closing Argument...

Keep one further point in mind. Linda was not a hard-core member of this Family. She had just joined the Family a little over one month before these two nights of murder; whereas, Sadie had been with Manson for over two years, and Katie and Leslie for over one year.

I asked Linda why she knocked on the wrong door.

"Why did you knock on the wrong door, Linda? When you knocked on the door of this apartment, did you know it was the wrong door?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why did you knock on the wrong door, Linda?"
"Because I didn't want to kill anybody."

Linda told her mother about everything. Her mother went to the police; they arrested her. She did not resist extradition, and came back to Los Angeles the following day, December 3, 1969, and, as you know, pursuant to a request by the prosecution, on August 10, 1970, Judge Older granted Linda Kasabian immunity from prosecution for these murders.

And, as we saw, ladies and gentlemen, the testimony of the other witnesses in this case was 101 percent consistent with Linda's testimony. Linda's testimony about these two nights of murder, ladies and gentlemen, all by itself, without anything else, all by itself, I think convinced each and every one of you that these defendants committed these murders, just her testimony alone.

The LaBiancas. While Manson, ladies and gentlemen, and his killers were roaming the Pasadena area indiscriminately looking for their victims, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were driving toward Los Angeles, their home, and violent death.
Officer Rodriguez, the first officer to arrive at the scene around 10:35 P.M., on August 10, 1969. He entered through the front door. Although the front door was closed, it wasn't locked. He observed Leno LaBianca lying on his back in the living room, a fork stuck into his stomach, papers all over, pillowcase over his head.

Mter Rodriguez observed Leno, he said he ran out of the house to his radio car and called for an ambulance and a backup police unit. Sgt. Edward Cline arrived around 10:45 P.M. He testified to discovering Rosemary dead in her bedroom. He also testified to observing the writings "Death to pigs" and "Rise" on the walls in the living room, and
"Helter Skelter" on the refrigerator door, and he identified photos of these things. "Death to pigs" on the living room wall in the LaBianca residence, the word "Rise" printed in blood in the LaBianca residence.

[Bugliosi shows the jurors a photograph. ]

more on the closing argument