Manson Family Update: Bobby Beausoleil Denied Parole; Tex Watson Up Next

Beausoleil; Denied

As I predicted, Governor Jerry Brown's decision to deny Leslie Van Houten parole, after it was recommended by the parole board, did not bode well for fellow inmate and fellow Manson Family perp Bobby Beausoleil.

Bobby, now 68, came up for parole on Friday, October 14 and the board decided that the Family member formerly known as "Cupid" had not yet paid his debt to society for the murder of musician Gary Hinman on July 27, 1969 - - a week before the infamous Tate-LaBianca homicides.

Given that Beausoleil was initially given the death penalty, which was commuted to a life sentence (as were the death penalty sentences of the other Manson family killers), I can't be too upset about him not getting parole.  Last I checked, Gary Hinman, an innocent victim, will never get parole.

Beausoleil claimed to have been a musician and kinda-sorta actor before fucking all that up by joining Charles Manson's merry band of craziness.  If you're into that sort of thing, he has written and recorded music while behind bars.  It was reported that he was denied parole, in part, because he has been selling his music without permission of the California authorities.  He had permission from Oregon authorities, where he had been serving his sentence until last year.  (He had requested and was granted a move to Oregon in 1994 after he married a clearly unhinged Oregon woman, whom he went on to have four children with.  He was transferred back to California after his wife died and he had an infraction - - what a surprise - - in Oregon. )  He also sold suggestive drawings of children to pedophiles back in the 1980s - - nice guy.  I'm guessing he didn't exactly have permission for that.

Californians can breathe easier knowing that the man who made the statement "You'd better hope I never get out!" will not be eligible for parole again for another three years.  Here's hoping that parole attempt number 19 will be equally unsuccessful.

Watson:   He's soooo sowwwwwwy

In my search on upcoming information on Tex Watson, whose next parole hearing is scheduled for end of this month, I found an article from The Boston Tribune that claims that Manson's self-professed right hand man will be granted parole at this hearing due to his "clear and sustained rehabilitation" and a recently diagnosed health issue.

First, I can tell you his health issue. He's an asshole.  And worse, a murdering asshole.  Second, are they serious?  Watson has had a series of infractions over the years of his lengthy stay as a guest of the State of California.  Let's not forget his prison scam, where he was claiming to be a born again Christian, and minister of his ministry, which allowed his then-wife to collect monies received for said ministry in order to support herself and the four children California allowed him to spawn (yes, after he personally butchered a pregnant woman.)   Not only did he have that going on but he also had fellow inmate and fellow Mansonite Bruce Davis "working" alongside him in the prison ministry - - an absolute no no.   Perhaps the worst offense are the books Watson has written while in prison, "literary" attempts to convince the public of his Christianity and how it was all Manson's fault. Sure.  He was just some misguided kid who thought butchering absolute strangers for shits and giggles made perfect sense.  (And if he did, he was a moron and I still don't want him in my neighborhood.)

So. I'm not exactly sure how The Boston Tribune seems in the know about Watson's impending release but I'm with Debra Tate on this one.  Her older sister Sharon, over eight months pregnant with a baby boy at the time, was killed at Watson's hands. He was personally involved in the murders of at least nine people that we know of, including Sharon's unborn baby.  I'm fairly certain that I don't want to run into him at Ralph's picking up groceries so I did my part and signed Debra's petition requesting denial of  Watson's parole.  Please do the same.

Even if you buy that he's been rehabilitated -  which is a questionable prospect at best; even if you buy that he's ill and rapidly declining - - Susan Atkins was terminally ill, given very few months to live and was rightly denied, dying in prison where all Manson Family members should die; I ask that you remember this.  He's been incarcerated since 1971.  That's a total of 45 years.  Sure, that's a lot.  But if you divide that by the nine human beings he slaughtered, that's only FIVE YEARS PER VICTIM.  How is five years, for shooting, bludgeoning, hanging and viciously stabbing a living and breathing person enough time?  It's not in my world and it shouldn't be in any sane person's. Furthermore, he's had 47 years to live that he denied all of his victims.  One did not even have the opportunity to take his first breath.

Debra Tate's petition can be found here.