August 9, 1999
Web posted at: 10:27 p.m. EDT (0227 GMT)

In this story: 'Evil has its allure' Two murderous nights made history Murder scene won't sell RELATED STORIES, SITES

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- Thirty years to the week after his followers savagely slaughtered seven people, the public is still fascinated with Charles Manson and his murderous cult.

And although Manson himself remains behind bars in a top security cell at California's Corcoran State Prison, his own brand of evil is spreading out to the curious across the World Wide Web.

"The Manson case will never be over," says reporter Linda Deutsch, who covered the 1969 Manson trial for The Associated Press.

"It now has attracted the following of a whole bunch of young people who are following it on the Internet," she said.

Manson's name pops up over eight and half million times on one search engine alone. And there are numerous Web sites devoted to Manson's sayings -- some run by Manson's followers -- featuring reproductions of his scrawled notes and artwork.

One site, operated by Manson disciple Sandra Good, lists reasons why he should get a new trial and offers lengthy excerpts from Manson's "thoughts" as well as a "discography" of recordings of his amateur guitar playing.

Other sites compare Manson to Jesus Christ, while still others analyze the influence the Beatles' music had on Manson and his followers.

'Evil has its allure'

The prosecutor who tried the Manson gang contends that Manson believed the Beatles were talking to him through songs like "Helter Skelter," which inspired his desire to foment a race war in America.

"The name Manson has become a metaphor for evil," says attorney Vincent Bugliosi, who later wrote a best-selling book, "Helter Skelter," about his account of the trial.

"Evil has its allure," he says. "Some people have the same fascination for Jack the Ripper and Hitler."

Now 64 years old, Manson reportedly gets more mail than any other prisoner in the United States.

"It's sad, but Manson has become somewhat of a folk hero to young people. He gets four fan letters a day," says Stephen Kay, the trial co-prosecutor who has attended 53 parole hearings for the killers, lobbying for their continued incarceration.

But most of the young people who are captivated by Manson may not appreciate the horror he brought to Southern California during an exceptionally hot August 9, 1969.

Two murderous nights made history

While Manson himself didn't kill anyone, his followers -- acting on his orders -- murdered seven people, including actress Sharon Tate, who was more than eight months pregnant.

The bodies of Tate and four others were found slaughtered, their blood used to write messages on the walls.

The following night, a wealthy couple, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, were found stabbed to death in their home.

Manson, a charismatic ex-convict, was arrested three months later along with members of a rag-tag band of cult members devoted to him.

Manson's three female co-defendants, Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel, were convicted after taking the stand and attempting to absolve him by admitting their own deadly deeds.

Atkins said the murders were committed "to instill fear into the establishment."

Another defendant, Charles "Tex" Watson, was found guilty in a separate trial.

Their death sentences were commuted to life in 1972 when the death penalty was briefly outlawed in the state.

Murder scene won't sell

The house where Tate and her friends were killed had been rented by the actress and her director husband, Roman Polanski.

Access Manson, a Web site operated by Manson follower Sandra Good, offers arguments for Manson to receive a new trial and Manson's "thoughts" as well as a "discography"

It was bulldozed in 1994 and replaced with a sprawling Italian-style mansion. But even with the address of the lot changed and the price of the house dropped from $12.5 million to $7.7 million, there is no buyer.

"The Sharon Tate thing is a deterrent for some people. A lot of agents won't touch it," said a real estate agent who asked not to be named.

The agent added, "One foreign buyer was concerned about the superstition around the murders. An Asian client was worried about the negative feng shui."

Correspondent Charles Feldman, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.