Charles Manson was born on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, his mother was only 15 years old at the time. The young Charles was initially given his mother's last name, Maddox. His father, Colonel Walker Henderson Scott, wasn't really a colonel—it was just his first name. Scott was known around town as a bit of a trickster and disappeared soon after learning he was going to be a father, leaving young Charles without a father figure in his life.

Charles's mother, Kathleen, tried to settle down and married a man named William Manson right before Charles was born. Unfortunately, Kathleen often left Charles to be looked after by others as she and her brother, Luther, went out on drinking adventures. The marriage didn’t last, and Kathleen and William divorced when Charles was just three years old. Charles kept his stepfather’s last name, Manson. Tragedy struck again when both Kathleen and her brother were arrested and sent to prison for robbery. This forced Charles to live with relatives in West Virginia.

Life didn’t get much easier for Charles after his mother was released from prison in 1942. Although they had a brief period of happiness, it was short-lived. They moved to Charleston, West Virginia, and then to Indianapolis. Charles often skipped school, while his mother spent her evenings drinking. She even faced arrest for a serious theft charge, though she was never convicted. Kathleen married again, this time to a man she met in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Charles Manson's life was filled with unsettling and dark events that led him down a path of crime and infamy. Born into a challenging and unstable environment, Manson often found himself in trouble from a very young age. At just nine years old, he set his school on fire and became known for his frequent acts of truancy and petty theft. Due to difficulties in finding a foster home, Manson was sent to the Gibault School for Boys in Indiana at the age of 13. This institution, run by Catholic priests, was extremely strict—punishments for even minor misbehaviors included beatings with a wooden paddle or leather strap.

Unable to cope with the harsh disciplinary methods, Manson escaped and spent some time wandering, seeking refuge wherever he could find it, such as under bridges and in the woods. However, life outside the school was not easy, and he soon returned to his family, only to be sent back to the harsh school environment. Unwilling to stay, Manson fled again, this time making his way to Indianapolis. Here, he committed his first documented crime by robbing a grocery store primarily to satisfy his hunger. Yet, this act turned more profitable when he stumbled upon a cigar box containing over a hundred dollars, which he used to support himself briefly.

Manson's attempt at an honest life included a job at Western Union, but it wasn't long before he returned to his old ways, supplementing his income through theft. His criminal activities caught up with him, and he was sent to Boys Town, a juvenile facility, which he left within days, resuming his life of crime. This pattern of escape and crime continued, leading to stints in various reformatories where he faced brutal conditions and serious accusations, including rape.

These experiences seemed to only harden Manson, and by his early twenties, he had spent a significant portion of his life in correctional institutions. He married and tried to settle down, but his past always caught up with him, leading to more time behind bars. Throughout his time in prison, Manson began to develop a unique and dangerous philosophy influenced by various sources, including the book "Stranger in a Strange Land" and the music of the Beatles.

Upon his release in 1967, Manson moved to San Francisco, where he quickly established himself as a guru in the Haight-Ashbury district, gathering a group of followers who became known as "The Manson Family." This group, mostly composed of vulnerable young women, fell under Manson's manipulative influence, believing in his prophetic vision of an apocalyptic race war he termed “Helter Skelter.”

Manson's control over his followers led them down a horrifying path that culminated in a series of brutal murders in 1969, including the infamous Tate-LaBianca killings. These acts were part of a deluded attempt to incite the race war he had prophesied. The brutality and senselessness of these crimes shocked the nation, and Manson and several of his followers were eventually captured and brought to trial.

Charles Manson was initially sentenced to death, but his sentence was converted to life imprisonment after the death penalty was declared unconstitutional in California in 1972. He spent the next decades in various high-security facilities, including San Quentin, Corcoran, and Pelican Bay State Prisons, becoming an infamous figure both inside and outside of prison.

Manson’s health declined over the years, and in January 2017, he was rushed to a hospital due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Despite the severity of his condition, he was returned to prison where he continued to deteriorate. Manson passed away on November 19, 2017, from cardiac arrest and respiratory failure, complications related to colon cancer.