The Closing Argument...

However, the prosecution's burden under the law, ladies and gentlemen, is that we only have to offer slight evidence to corroborate the testimony of an accomplice, and this slight evidence, which has to be independent of Linda's testimony, can be any type of evidence, direct or circumstantial. Of course, ladies and gentlemen, we offered an enormous amount of evidence, not just slight evidence, which is our only burden, we only have to offer slight evidence to corroborate the testimony of an accomplice.

We offered a massive and enormous amount of evidence corroborating the testimony of Linda Kasabian. There is no question whatsoever that her testimony has been corroborated as to each defendant. Just for instance, Linda testified that three people were with her on the night of the Tate murders. What could possibly corroborate Linda Kasabian's testimony more than the fact that two out of the three people who she said she was with, Tex Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel, were proven to be there by positive scientific, conclusive evidence. In other words, their fingerprints were found at the scene. This evidence is totally independent of Linda's testimony.

And the third person, the third person she says was with her on that night, Susan Atkins, confesses to three people of her involvement in the Tate murders.

Of course, the confessions of Manson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten also of course corroborate Linda's testimony.

And all of the other-many other items of evidence, all of the other many items of evidence I have just enumerated a short while back against each defendant on that Tate-LaBianca murders, of course, constitute corroboration of Linda's testimony. The evidence connecting these defendants with these murders was monumental.

The world's leading skeptic, I don't know where he comes from. whether it's supposed to be Missouri or some place else; wherever he comes from, the world's leading skeptic would have to concede that the prosecution clearly, unquestionably proved the guilt of these defendants beyond all reasonable doubt.

I feel confident; I feel very confident that Linda Kasabian's testimony alone without any other evidence satisfied each and every one of you that these defendants committed these murders. She was on that witness stand for eighteen days, ladies and gentlemen. Each one of you watched her very, very closely. If any witness was ever placed under a microscope, it was Linda Kasabian, and I am convinced that each and every one of you saw the same thing under that microscope, a young hippie girl whose aimless drug-oriented life tragically led her to Spahn Ranch, Charles Manson, and two nights of murder-two nights of horror.

You saw a witness who took that witness stand with one and only one purpose in mind, to tell you everything she knew about these two nights of murder. Although she testified for eighteen days, I am convinced that long, long before she was through testifying, long before that, it was obvious to each and every one of you that Linda was telling the truth.

more on the closing argument