• Charles Manson Convicted of Shea, Hinman Slayings

Charles Manson Convicted of Shea, Hinman Slayings

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 4 — Charles Manson has been convicted of first degree murder in the slayings of movie stuntman Donald “Shorty” Shea and musician Gary Hinman and the penalty phase of the trial will begin today at 9:30 a.m.

An eight-man, four-woman jury returned the guilty verdicts on Tuesday in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Raymond Choate.

In addition to first degree murder, the 36-year-old cult leader was convicted of conspiracy to rob and murder Hinman.

Manson faces possible death penalties on each of the three counts.

Early this year, Manson and three of his female followers were convicted of the seven Tate-LaBianca murders and have been condemned to the gas chamber for those killings.

Manson sat silently as the court clerk mid the verdicts. He smiled slightly.

However, before Judge Choate excused the jury, Manson yelled, “I want to dismiss this counsel and proceed on my own behalf — you (jurors) haven’t even seen a defendant.”

Manson continued to shout as a husky bailiff lifted him from his chair and took him to an adjacent holding cell.

Manson struggled with the first bailiff and another went to his assistance. Loud scuffling noises were heard from inside the small cell.

The jury had deliberated 43 hours over a period of nine days before returning their verdicts.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Anthony Manzella said he will ask for death penalties on all three counts.

It appeared that the jury may have had difficulty reaching a verdict on the count charging
Manson with Shea’s murder.

Shea’s body has never been found and for the last several days of its deliberations, the jury requested and received all the exhibits pertaining to the Shea portion of case.

Manzella contended that Shea 36, was stabbed and beheaded at the Spahn movie ranch about Aug. 27, 1969.

His body allegedly was buried somewhere on or near the ranch, a one-time home of Manson and his followers.

Manzella presented evidence that Manson stabbed Shea and that Steven Grogan 20, one of Manson’s lieutenants, beheaded the stuntman.

Shea was allegedly killed because Manson thought him to be a police informant and because Manson believed he was attempting to oust the cult from the ranch.

Hinman 34, was stabbed to death in his Topanga Canyon home on July 27, 1969.

Manzella alleged that Manson slashed Hinman across the side of the face with a sword, causing a wound which in itself could have been fatal.

The prosecutor also contended that Manson ordered Robert Kenneth Beausoleil 23, to kill the musician.

(Beausoleil is currently in San Quentin’s death row after he was convicted and condemned to the gas chamber for Hinman’s murder.)

The conspiracy count involved an agreement by Manson and his followers to rob Hinman of cash and two automobiles and to murder him.

One of Manson’s codefendants in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Susan Atkins 20, earlier pleaded guilty to first degree murder in the Hinman case and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Grogan was convicted by another jury Saturday of first degree murder for the killing of Shea.

Another Manson lieutenant, Bruce Davis 27, is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 15 for both the Shea and Hinman murders.

Before he was taken to the detention cell Manson yelled out. “The United States are cowards…all you have done is judge your own confusion…I haven’t got to say anything.”

As the bailiff lifted Manson from his chair, the defendant said, “Look at this — this is what you have over me. You have muscle over me.”

He concluded, “You don’t have any minds. Are you proud.”

Manson’s attorney, Irving Kanarek, told news men later, “Thank God we have in this country appellate courts that protect defendants from a political circus atmosphere…”

The attorney claimed that District Any. Joseph P. Busch Jr., State Any. Gen. Evelle J. Younger and Los Angeles police chief Ed Davis “deliberately subjected Manson to such an atmosphere.”

He claimed it was “impossible” to pick a jury who had not heard about Manson’s prior convictions on the Tate-LaBianca case.

The cell where Manson was taken after his outburst Tuesday is the same one in which he has spent most of his second murder trial.

Sometimes Judge Choate banished him in the cell because Manson refused to behave during court sessions.

Other times Manson walked into the cell all by himself after he disagreed with Kanarek’s trial tactics.

The trial started last June 23 with the selection of a jury, which took six weeks. Manzella began presenting his evidence on Aug. 3.

The jury began deliberations last Oct. 21.

By YVONNE FATTEN

This entry was posted in Archived News. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *