Charles Manson is a criminal.
Charles Milles Manson ( born Charles Milles Maddox , November 12 , 1934 ) is an American criminal and former cult leader who led what became known as the Manson Family , a quasi-commune that arose in California in the late 1960s . In 1971 he was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people ( Abigail Ann Folger , Wojciech Frykowski , Steven Earl Parent , Sharon Tate Polanski , Jay Sebring , and Leno and Rosemary La Bianca ) -- most notably of the actress Sharon Tate -- all of which were carried out by members of the group at his instruction . Manson was originally sentenced to death ; however , his death sentence was converted to life with the possibility of parole when in 1972 , the death penalty in California was ruled unconstitutional . Manson also received first-degree murder convictions for the deaths of Gary Hinman and Donald `` Shorty '' Shea . After Manson was charged with the crimes of which he was later convicted , recordings of songs written and performed by him were released commercially .