Steven Dennis Grogan, known by the nickname "Clem," was born on July 13, 1951, in Los Angeles, California. In his teenage years, Grogan was described as a troubled youth with poor academic performance and signs of behavioral issues. He dropped out of high school and drifted into the counterculture scene of the 1960s, eventually becoming involved in drugs and petty crime. He was known to be impressionable, and some acquaintances described him as mentally slow or under the influence of stronger personalities.

In the late 1960s, Grogan joined Charles Manson and his followers at the Spahn Movie Ranch in California. Manson reportedly gave Grogan the nickname “Scramblehead” because of his perceived lack of intelligence. Grogan quickly became one of the devoted members of the Manson Family, participating in communal living and adopting Manson’s twisted ideology. Before being involved in murder, Grogan had a few run-ins with the law, including arrests for indecent exposure and stealing a car.

On August 26, 1969, Steven Grogan participated in the brutal killing of Donald “Shorty” Shea, a stuntman and ranch hand at the Spahn Ranch. Shea was disliked by Charles Manson, who suspected him of working with law enforcement and trying to get the Manson Family evicted. Manson ordered Grogan, along with Bruce Davis and Charles Manson himself, to kill Shea.

Grogan led Shea away from the main ranch area under false pretenses and, with help from others, bludgeoned him to death. Shea’s body was buried in a shallow grave at the ranch, where it remained undiscovered for nearly a decade. Grogan was later convicted of first-degree murder in connection to Shea’s death and sentenced to death in 1971. However, his sentence was later commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972.

In a rare move, Grogan was granted parole in 1985 after cooperating with authorities and helping locate Shea’s body. He became the only Manson Family member convicted of murder to be released from prison.