The Manson Family

In 1996, Jack Wilson begins filming a crime docuseries about the Manson Family murders. The narrative relies on contemporaneous interviews and flashbacks to recreate the events. The project frames the 1969 killings through the perspectives of former family members and witnesses.

Tex Watson is brought to Spahn Ranch, the former movie set turned commune where Manson houses his followers. He begins to ingratiate himself with the group and casts himself into the growing dynamic. The atmosphere is saturated with drug use and a sense of impending recklessness.

The followers spend their time taking LSD, smoking marijuana, and engaging in group sex, creating a hedonistic yet volatile atmosphere. Charlie Manson remains obsessed with achieving a record deal while his followers look for opportunities in the outside world. The tension between chaos and manipulation begins to take root.

Tex ingratiates himself with the family, earning trust and a place among the inner circle. Charlie Manson concentrates on music and his dream of a breakthrough, despite repeated rejections. The dynamic sets the stage for the group's later actions and loyalties within the gang.

Several male members, including Tex, target Simi and persuade her to join the family. They coerce her with LSD and manipulate her into submission, resulting in a gang-rape at Charlie's directive. The incident marks a turning point in the group’s veneer of camaraderie and violence.

The group begins breaking into random homes in Los Angeles, stealing items and rearranging furniture while occupants sleep. They operate with a casual disregard for safety, signaling a move from manipulation to real criminal risk. This spree foreshadows the violent attacks to come.

During a dispute over a drug transaction, Charlie shoots and kills Lotsapoppa, whom he suspects of involvement with the Black Panthers. The killing marks a different level of lethality within the group’s actions. The event deepens the group's fear and unpredictability.

The family engages in a mass ritualistic orgy and conducts a puppy sacrifice, underscoring their devotion to extreme acts and symbolism. The brutality cements a chilling image of the group's cult-like behavior. The events then become harder to separate from their myth-making narratives.

Tex tells follower Patricia Krenwinkel and others that he is afraid of Charlie and wants to leave the group. This moment reveals fissures within the inner circle and foreshadows potential conflicts or splits. The tension between loyalty and fear drives some members toward drastic decisions.

Charlie arrives at Gary Hinman’s home, where he slices Hinman’s ear in a brutal display of control. After Charlie leaves, Susan Atkins and Bobby Beausoleil attempt to rescue Hinman, but ultimately murder him by stabbing and suffocation. Susan scrawls political piggy in Hinman’s blood, marking a grueling escalation of violence.

Under Charlie’s instruction, Tex, Susan, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian depart on the evening of August 8 to raid Los Angeles homes, carrying knives. They reach Cielo Drive and shoot Steven Parent before binding the residents and slaughtering Tate, Sebring, Folger, and Frykowski. The brutal killings cement the group’s infamy.

The next night, August 9–10, the four members are joined by others as they murder Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in their home. The violence expands beyond the previous victims and marks one of the most infamous crimes of the era. The aftermath shocks families and the wider public.

Two weeks later, following the Tate-LaBianca killings, Donald Shea is murdered on Charlie's instruction because he knows too much. The group’s violence continues as witnesses threaten to expose their crimes. The killings escalate the manhunt and investigations that follow.

Manson and several followers are arrested and indicted for the murders. While behind bars, Manson attracts a cult-like following that speaks out in his defense and gains media attention. The public fascination with the case grows even as authorities close in.

From jail, Manson earns a renewed, eerie following as supporters rally in his name. One night, Jack Wilson is murdered by a group of youths in a style likely inspired by the Manson Family while watching the docuseries. The meta-tying circle closes the timeline with a murderous echo.