Charles Manson Theory

America in the 1960’s was all about free love, peace and good vibes. With the “hippie culture” in full swing, illegal drug use, the Beatles and open-mindedness seemed to be around every corner. In the late 1960’s, Charles Manson and his “family” took things too far with what became known as the Manson family murders. Some 40 years later, Manson and his “family” still remain recognizable today. Manson was born on November 12, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to 16 year old runaway, Kathlean Maddox.

Aaron Hernandez is a former NFL player for the New England Patriots. In 2013 Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder. The following year he was also found guilty of a double homicide. Why would a 40 million dollar rising star commit such a crime? Many theories have been developed to explain criminal behavior.

Mantel 1 Maggie Mantel Mr. Mayor Psychology 16 March 2023 Charles ‘Tex’ Watson Charles ‘Tex’ Watson should not be let on parole in the year 2026. He has been denied parole 18 separate times, the latest time being in October of 2021. Tex Watson is known for having been a part of the Manson Family murders. According to an excerpt from Watson’s parole hearing in 1984, Tex even labeled himself as the leader of the Tate-LaBianca murders (Michael 1:22-1:53). He gave orders to the other members of the family and installed fear in the victims before brutally killing them.

Manson brainwashed the group into believing that he was

The Mind of Charles Manson Charles Manson, one of America’s most infamous sociopaths, is known for the murders of nine people and suspected for the deaths of many others. He had the mindset that he was the Messiah back on Earth to lead his people and that we had to follow him to survive. Manson amassed many followers over his “reign” from which he used his most loyal followers to kill anyone he wanted dead. Charles Manson was born Charles Milles Maddox on November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His mother’s name was Kathleen Maddox and his father is unknown to the public.

to which Manson replied, “Bugliosi, you think I’m bad and I’m not.” This claim of innocence would remain throughout the rest of the trial. Manson held his ground. On the day of opening statements, Charles Manson entered the courtroom with a large “X” that he had cut into his forehead.

Charles used his charisma and power over broken girls to kill for him. To truly begin to understand the person that is Charles Manson, it is important to look at his childhood. He was born to Kathleen Maddox, an unmarried fifteen-year-old from Ashland, Kentucky. As a young child, his mother married, finally giving no-name Maddox the infamous last name of Manson. When he was four, his mother and uncle were arrested and he was forced to live with extended family.

The Rizzuto family is an Italian-Canadian organized crime family based in Montreal, Quebec. The family has a multi-million-dollar international empire and are involved with many illegal activities including, “large-scale construction fraud, drug trafficking, extortion, bribery, stock manipulation, loansharking and money laundering (Nicaso, 2017. par. 1). There are many large players in this family, including the previous leader, Nicolo Rizzuto, and the current leader, Vito Rizzuto. One way to try and understand why this whole family is involved in crime, is to apply ideas from learning theories, such as Sutherland’s Differential Association theory, where it is thought that criminal behaviour is learned through social interactions (Lilly, Ball & Cullen, 2015, p .44).

The date of August 9, 1969, seems familiar to some people and to others there is no such relevance or significance. On that date, Manson and members of his brainwashed “family” undertook their grisly killing spree in Los Angeles. Charles Manson is a living embodiment of evil. Manson was connected to the brutal slayings of actress Sharon Tate and other Hollywood residents, but he was never actually found guilty of committing the murders himself. The Manson Family is thought to have carried out 35 killings but, most were never tried due to lack of evidence or perpetrators were already sentenced to life for the Tate/La Bianca killings.

Developmental theories look at how offenders start and end their criminal behaviors. All developmental theories, including the two focused on in this paper, pull from social, psychological, and biological factors to find answers. Both of these theories follow along a trajectory or pathway for offenders. Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory has offenders following along two possible trajectories. They can either follow along the high risk trajectory or the low risk trajectory.

In this paper I will be applying the psychological theories to serial killer Ed Gein. Ed Gein was a prolific serial killer in the 1950’s. He murdered and robbed graves for body parts to make furniture and clothing. He was apprehended in 1957, where he stood trial and was institutionalized. Edward Theodore “Ed” Gein was born August 27th, 1906 to George and Augusta Gein.

The sheriff didn’t realize who he had in custody until Susan Atkins confessed on the suspicion of murdering Gary Hinman that led detectives to figuring Manson and his followers were behind the killings on August 9th and 10th. During the trial, his ego, insanity, and belief in Armageddon were the influences of destructive trail. He believed he was the Messiah that after a “nuclear attack” him and his group would be safe hiding out in the desert and that his belief of the race war would be a black victory and himself would have to mentor the black community since they “lack experience of running the planet.” Manson’s followers that were in both murder cases would admit to the influences and other plans for the future. On January 25, 1971, Manson was convicted on first-degree murder for directing the deaths of the Tate/LaBianca victims.

Social learning theory and social bonding theory are two theories that may be compared and contrasted because they both overlap and differ. Although these theories have their similarities and differences, one theory may prove to be more convincing in terms of applying the theory to the understanding of crime and delinquency. Social learning theory refers to Akers’ theory of crime and deviance. Akers attempted to specify the mechanism and processes through which criminal learning takes place by explaining crime and deviance; he did this in such a way that the likelihood of conforming or deviant behavior based on the influence of an individual’s history of learning was accounted for. This theory was based off Sutherland’s differential association theory, which had nine propositions outlining the process by which individuals acquire attitudes favorable to criminal or delinquent behavior with the basic idea that people tend to associate with others in which they come into contact.

Sutherland’s theory of Differential Association takes a macro level analysis as to why people commit crimes and brings it to a micro level analysis. He concludes that looking at a multiple factor approach did not explain why crimes are committed. Instead he asks the question what one singular factor touches on these multilevel factors. Sutherland looked for the universal explanation as to why crimes are committed rather than looking at individual reasons. His theory seeks what has always been present in crime and what has not or better yet what mechanism or experiences correlate to the crimes committed.

John Dillinger was one of the most notorious criminals in American history. He was known to be part of the most organized and deadly bank robbing gang and highly wanted by the FBI. John began his criminal behavior at a young age, initiating his urge to become a professional bank robber. Using the psychodynamic theory, social learning theory and the differential association theory, I hope to analyze the factors that triggered John Dillinger's criminal behavior that was present in his childhood, leading to his adulthood and how he managed to maintain his label as a thief. John Herbert Dillinger was born on June 22, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the youngest child to John Wilson Dillinger and Mary Ellen Lancaster.