The Closing Argument...

The prosecution at this trial put on some very, very powerful evidence of motive. All of it-all of it-unerringly and irresistibly
pointed in one direction, toward these defendants, and particularly Charles Manson, and His Honor will instruct you--His Honor will instruct you that you may consider evidence of motive, you may consider motive evidence as evidence of the guilt of these defendants.

Very briefly summarizing the main and principal items of evidence against each defendant, including co-conspirator "Tex"
Watson, and without repeating many other items of evidence that I have already gone over, these are the highlights against each particular defendant.

Against Watson, co-conspirator in count number eight of the indictment, in addition to Linda Kasabian's testimony, which, of course, proves that Watson was one of the Tate and the LaBianca killers, we have his fingerprints found at the scene. This is conclusive proof that he was one of the Tate killers.

Now, since Watson was a member of the Family living with Manson and the others at Spahn Ranch, and since Linda Kasabian testified that Watson was at the Tate residence on the night of the Tate murders, murdering the people with Katie and Sadie, and since his fingerprints were found at the scene, evidence proving that Watson was at the scene can be used by you as circumstantial evidence against his co-conspirators. In other words, these defendants.

The fact that Watson was at the scene is circumstantial evidence against his co-conspirators, these defendants.

Against Krenwinkel-and I am omitting many, many peripheral items of evidence against all of these defendants, I am just giving you the main ones-against Krenwinkel, in addition to Linda's testimony, which proves beyond all doubt that Patricia Krenwinkel was one of the murderers at the Tate and LaBianca residences, her fingerprint was found at the Tate residence, right inside Sharon Tate's bedroom. When you leave your fingerprints at the scene, ladies and gentlemen, you leave your calling card. You leave your calling card. It is positive, conclusive, scientific evidence.

Susan atkins, in addition to Linda's testimony which clearly ties Miss Atkins in the Tate and LaBianca murders, confessed to three people of her involvement in the Tate murders.

Leslie Van Houten. Of course, we have Linda Kasabian's testimony which irrevocably ties Miss Van Houten in with the LaBianca murders. In addition to that, Miss Van Houten confessed of her involvement in the LaBianca murders....

The Family, the Family that lived at Spahn Ranch in the very, very, last analysis, was nothing more than a closely knit band of vagabond robots who were slavishly obedient to one man and one man only, their master, their leader, their god, Charles Manson. Within his domain, his authority and power were unlimited. He was the dictatorial maharajah, if you will, of a tribe of bootlicking slaves who were only too happy to do his bidding for him.

Charles Manson's Family preached love but practiced cold-blooded, savage murder. Why was that so? Because Charles Manson, their boss, ordained it. If Manson had wanted his Family to be singers in a church choir, that is what they would have been.

On the other hand, if Charlie wanted the girls in his Family to be streetwalkers and the boys to pimp for them, again, that is what they would have been. But churches and whorehouses, ladies and gentlemen, were not Charles Manson's business. Charlie's trip was violent death. And since that was his trip, we have these seven Tate-LaBianca murders. He controlled everything that they did on a day-to-day basis. He even controlled their sex lives.

more on the closing argument