In the early days of November 1968, Charles Manson established his “Family” at alternative headquarters in Death Valley, where they occupied two unused or little-used ranches. Back at the Spahn Ranch, Manson and one his followers, Tex Watson, listened to the Beatles White Album. Manson became obsessed with the music group. He believed that racial tension between black and whites was growing and that blacks would soon rise up in rebellion.
Manson believed that this social turmoil had been predicted by the Beatles. He also believed that the White Album featured coded instructions directed at Manson and his followers. After Manson instructed his followers to kill actress Sharon Tate and her companions on August 9, 1969, six of them targeted supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary, a dress shop co-owner.
Manson accompanied his followers and helped Watson bind Leno’s hands. Manson then instructed Watson to cover the couple’s heads with pillow cases. Manson left, sending two of his followers in to kill the LaBiancas. Watson stabbed Leno repeatedly with a chrome-plated bayonet. After hearing noises in another room, Watson went to investigate and found Rosemary swinging the lamp tied to her neck. After subduing her, Watson resumed stabbing and killing Leno. Two other followers stabbed Rosemary to death and wrote, “Rise” and “Death to pigs,” on the walls in blood.
