The Closing Argument...

With respect to Rosemary, her cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the neck and trunk causing massive hemorrhage. When Rosemary's body arrived at the Coroner's Office, the pillowcase was still over her head, and the electrical cord was wrapped over the pillowcase around Rosemary's neck. Rosemary, ladies and gentlemen, had fortyone stab wounds, all of which were penetration wounds, eight of which were fatal in and of themselves. Dr. Katsuyama also found three linear abrasions on Mrs. LaBianca's back, which he felt were caused by an instrument such as a screwdriver, or the metal prongs on the plug to the electric cord. He ruled out a sharp knife. Rosemary had one defense wound to her right jawbone.

Dr. Katsuyama testified that several of Rosemary's stab wounds to her buttocks were definitely inflicted after Rosemary had already died, and he even circled these areas in black here, because you will notice that the wounds within the circle are very, very light color, very, very light colored, as opposed to the darkness around the wounds up above.

He found blood at various places at the LaBianca scene, took samples of the blood, and determined what the blood type was. The words "Helter Skelter" were B-type blood, Leno LaBianca's type blood.

The testimony of the following witnesses, basically, apply to both the Tate and the LaBianca murders. We are starting to get into an area now of Manson's state of mind, his philosophy on life.

First, we will discuss briefly Sergeant Gutierrez's testimony. He testified on the morning session of the second day that Linda Kasabian testified, he was seated in front of the rail here in court. He observed [that] Mr. Manson's and Mrs. Kasabian's eyes meet, and observed Mr. Manson make a slitting-of-the-throat motion to Mrs. Kasabian, by taking his right index finger and moving it across his throat from right to left. This act alone, of course, by Manson, is indicative of guilt. The motion by Manson was a threatening motion, the obvious purpose of which was to silence Mrs. Kasabian. He certainly does not want her to tell you folks what happened on these two nights of murder. You twelve people are the last people in the world he wants to know about these two nights of murder.

Gutierrez also testified that one day in August 1970, during the trial, he observed Mr. Manson came to court with an X
scratched on his forehead. The very next day he observed the three female defendants, Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten with X's on their foreheads. This clearly and vividly illustrates the power and the control this man has over these three female codefendants. They follow whatever he does.

Incidentally, Revelation 9, you will be reading it back in the jury room, speaks of locusts going out into the world and
destroying everything, including men who do who not have a mark on their foreheads. So maybe Charlie put that X on his
forehead to save himself from the locusts.

more on the closing argument