Cult Dropout Admits Lying Under Oath to Grand Jurors
Monday, November 9th, 1970
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9 – Manson family dropout Dianne Lake testified before the Tate-LaBianca jury today that she lied under oath before the grand jury about her knowledge of the Manson family and its involvement with the murders.
The 17-year-old girl told the five-woman, seven-man panel in her testimony that she knew nothing about the murders and was not at the Spahn Ranch, headquarters for the “family” was a lie.
She also testified before the grand jury that she heard about the murders in the home of actress Sharon Tate while she was in Inyo County jail in October 1969 and that she could not remember with whom she traveled to Inyo County.
All the statements, she said today on the stand, were lies.
She said she was at the Spahn Ranch Aug. 8, 9 and 10, that she heard about the murders first from Charles “Tex” Watson and that she went to Inyo with a 15-year-old runaway boy and family member Bruce Davis, now being sought on murder charges.
Under cross-examination by chief defense counsel Paul Fitzgerald, the girl said she was promised no charges would be filed against her because of the lies she told to the grand jury.
Most of the questions by defense attorneys were objected to by prosecutors and sustained by Superior Court Judge Charles Older, even as to whether she called her parents while committed for eight months to Patton State Hospital.
The girl admitted being sent to the hospital Jan. 10 and released Aug. 30, following “group therapy.” She said she went to live with Jack Gardener, an investigator for the Inyo County district attorney as a ward of the juvenile court.
Although arrested with the Manson family in October, she said all charges against her have been dropped.
Earlier Judge Older denied a motion by hippie leader Charles Manson that he be allowed to sing in the county jail. Manson in a motion filed by his attorney, Irving Kanarek, claimed that his jailers had turned music critic and were not allowing him to vocalize.
Following a short hearing, Judge Older ruled that there was “no reason for relief” since Manson could sing, except during prisoner counts and after lights out. The judge also denied part of the motion in which Manson asked that he no longer be examined weekly. Jailers testified this practice had already ceased.
Manson, however, apparently disagreed, shouting to the judge, “I don’t want those needles in my arms. Do you understand that?”
Older told the defendant to be quiet and Manson mumbled, “you can’t fight it.”
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