Possible Motives for the Charles Manson Murders...

Drug Burn:: Almost immediately after the Tate murders were discovered police began investigating the possibility of a drug burn. This was based upon the small amount of drugs found on the property and some rumors that Wojciech Frykowski was getting involved with the distribution of a new drug known as MDA. Wild stories began snowballing in the tabloids and eventually leaked into more mainstream media outlets. However, other than hearsay and rumors there hasn't been any concrete evidence published over the years to suggest that Frykowski was actually dealing drugs.

Though some family members were familiar with the property, no one has suggested that they knew any of the victims.
In Susan's confession she recalled, "I had no idea who lived in the house when we were driving up there, not when we got there, and not after it was all over. I don't guess anyone else did either. Not Charlie, not Tex, no one. Not till the next day when it came over TV."

This was confirmed by Watson, "[Manson] apparently didn't know who was living in the house or how many people we might find, but whoever and however many it was we were to kill them all…"

During the penalty phase of the trial Susan and the others tried hard to exonerate Manson while at the same time blame it all on Linda Kasabain. In Susan's testimony she stated that Linda "told me to get a knife and a change of clothes…she said these people in Beverly Hills had burned her for $1,000 for some new drug, MDA.." The story was clearly a fabrication, but one must wonder why MDA came into it? Did she read about it in the newspaper or was there more to the story?