From the archives: Peter Murphy on Charles Manson

Charles Manson, the cult leader whose followers committed the murders that shook Hollywood and the world in 1969, is reported to be ill in a prison hospital. Due to high security procedures, not much else is known about his condition, though he has been described as being "severely ill." In Bakersfield, California, a van belonging to the corrections department was parked outside the Bakersfield Mercy Hospital. The Bakersfield Californian then reported that Manson was admitted to the hospital under a "Joe Doe" alias.
Terry Thornton, a department spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation stated, saying "We do not disclose inmate movements for safety and security reasons." However, she did confirm, "he is alive." Thornton told reporters that in the event of Manson's death, the information would be released as soon as Manson's next of kin were notified.
In the Hot Press archives, we have extensive reports on the Manson case from journalist Peter Murphy, looking back on the impact the case still had thirty years following when Murphy published his reports in the nineties. For Murphy's full reports, click the links below. More to follow on Manson's condition as we get it.

Peter Murphy: Symphony for a Devil

Peter Murphy: Dancin' With Manson