LOS ANGELES, Aug. 18 – Linda Kasabian yesterday testified at the Tate murder trial that she felt God had called on her to expose Charles Manson as a “false prophet” who posed as Jesus Christ but actually was the devil.

In her little girl’s voice, the tiny blonde said she did not feel she was an angel but that in her heart she believed perhaps she was an emissary of God sent to tell the truth about the Tate-LaBianca slayings.

The 21-year-old key witness for the prosecution had been expected to end her testimony late yesterday after 16 days on the stand, but the prosecution switched signals and reopened direct examination.

She was to be followed by a man who reportedly heard screams from the Tate estate on Aug. 8, 1969. Other state witnesses to be called are a man and wife who saw young people washing themselves with a garden hose the night of the killings and the owner of the white Ford used in driving to the two homes.

Mrs. Kasabian was being questioned yesterday morning by Ronald Hughes, roly-poly, bearded defense lawyer who is wearing a suit bought at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer auction. The brown suit once was worn by the late Spencer Tracy in one of his films. Hughes claims he is a “pauper” and cannot buy proper clothing.

Hughe, trying his first case, asked her when she first realized that Manson was not actually Jesus Christ.

“When that man (Voityck Frykowsky) came out of the Tate house and fell down, I had a vision,” she said. “I had a realization of what Charles Manson was doing. He was just leading myself into destruction.”

“Did that vision tell you what Charles Manson was?”

“Yes, I felt he was the devil.”

“Do you feel you are an emissary from God?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel that God sent you here to tell what Charles Manson really is?”

“Yes, that is what I feel in my heart — to tell that he is a false prophet.”

“What is a false prophet?”

“One who puts in confusions and lies with a little bit of the truth.”

“Are you here to bring the wrath of God on the false prophet? To see that the devil gets justice?”

“That’s not up to me.”

“Do you think you are an angel sent here by God?”

“I don’t think I’m an angel – I have a lot of imperfections.”

“Are you afraid of Charles Manson?”

“Not now.”

Under redirect examination from Deputy Dist. Atty. Vincent Bugliosi, Mrs. Kasabian said “the family” ate the evening meal together at the Spahn ranch almost every night and that Manson did most of the talking.

She was asked what Manson would say and she said once he said:

“Never ask why.

“Love will never die.”