Charles Manson talks about his crimes and true feelings about "The Family" in Making Manson

Charles Manson did not have to kill with his own hands to become the symbol of some of the most notorious crimes of the 20th century. In August 1969, members of his "Family" murdered seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. More than half a century later, the three-part series Making Manson returns to the case through more than 100 hours of conversations recorded with Manson over 20 years. He talks about the crimes, his childhood and the people who "would do anything for Charlie".

Premiere: Monday, October 12 at 21:00 CET on Viasat True Crime.

Who Was Charles Manson Really?

Born in 1934, Manson spent much of his youth in reform schools and prisons. In the recordings, he speaks about abandonment, violence and brutality. "Ever since I was a little kid, they beat me down," he says.

After leaving prison in 1967, he moved to California, where a group of young followers formed around him. Former "Family" members recall how Manson distanced them from their parents, demanded loyalty and increasingly controlled their lives.

What Led to the Sharon Tate and LaBianca Murders?

On the night of August 8--9, 1969, Tex Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian went to a house on Cielo Drive, where Sharon Tate and four other people were murdered. The following night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were killed.

Manson was convicted of murder and conspiracy, although he did not personally carry out the killings at Cielo Drive. Prosecutors argued that he sought to trigger an apocalyptic race war he called "Helter Skelter". Making Manson also presents his own version, focused on loyalty and brotherhood rather than the accepted motive.

"They Created a Monster." Did Manson Believe His Own Legend?

One of the most striking lines comes from Manson himself: "When they tried me in the press, they created a monster."

Yet elsewhere he admits: "I was involved." The recordings are full of contradictions. At one moment he presents himself as a victim of the media; at another, he acknowledges his connection to the violence. Former "Family" members listen to the conversations decades later and compare his words with their own memories.

In 1971, Manson was sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He died in prison in 2017.

Key Facts About Making Manson

Why Is Making Manson Worth Watching?

Because it lets viewers hear Manson trying to explain himself in his own voice: contradictory, manipulative and still attempting to control the story decades after the murders.

Making Manson asks not only what Charles Manson did, but how he persuaded others to kill in his name.