Season 4 · Episode 27

Charles Manson: Life or Death?

25 June 2025·59:00

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Show Notes

Welcome back to Crime Time Inc., where host Alex delves into Episode 27 of the Charles Manson series. This episode features Patricia 'Katie' Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten's disturbing testimonies, revealing brutal details of the Manson Family murders. Krenwinkel's bone-chilling confession about the murder of Abigail Folger and Van Houten's cold recounting of the LaBianca murders are covered in depth. The failure of the defense's copycat theory, the psychiatric evaluations, and the shocking courtroom outbursts provide a grim portrait of the defendants' psyche. The episode culminates with an analysis by crime experts Simon and Tom as they prepare for the jury's verdict. Don't miss this gripping and harrowing account of one of America's most infamous criminal cases. 00:00 Introduction to Episode 27: Charles Manson Series 00:19 Patricia Krenwinkel's Chilling Testimony 03:22 Leslie Van Houten Takes the Stand 10:30 The Defense's Desperate Strategies 24:44 The Prosecution's Final Blows 26:24 Psychiatric Testimonies and Their Impact 38:44 The Defense's Final Witnesses 41:40 Closing Arguments and Reflections 43:21 Upcoming Analysis and Next Episode Teaser Tom Wood is a former murder squad detective and Deputy Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police in Scotland. Tom worked on many high profile murder cases including Robert Black, Peter Tobin and was part of the team investigating The World’s End Murders from day one until 37 years later when the culprit, Angus Sinclair was finally convicted. Tom was latterly the detective in overall charge of The World’s End murder investigation.  Tom is now retired from the Police and is a successful author. Tom Wood's Books  Ruxton: The First Modern Murder https://amzn.eu/d/25k8KqG The World's End Murders: The Inside Story https://amzn.eu/d/5U9nLoP Simon is a retired Police Officer and the best selling author of The Ten Percent, https://amzn.eu/d/5trz6bs a memoir consisting of stories from the first part of his career as a police officer. From joining in 1978, being posted in Campbeltown in Argylll, becoming a detective on the Isle of Bute, Scotland, through to the Serious Crime Squad and working in the busy Glasgow station in Govan. #CharlesManson, #MansonMurders, #truecrimepodcast, #helterskelter, #CrimeHistory, Further reading on Charles Manson which helped influence this podcast: Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry Charles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill About Crime Time Inc. Season 5 of Crime Time Inc. broadens its reach across two sides of the Atlantic. This season features cases from Scotland and across the wider UK — rooted in real investigative experience — alongside deep dives into some of the most infamous murder cases in American history. Hosted by former detectives Simon and Tom, with experience in both the UK and the United States, including time working alongside the FBI, the show strips away sensationalism to explain how crime and justice really work. Two crime worlds. One podcast. New episodes released regularly throughout the season. Our Website: https://crimetimeinc.com/ If you like this show please leave a review. It really helps us. Please help us improve our Podcast by completing this survey. http://bit.ly/crimetimeinc-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.