Charles "Tex" Watson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charles Denton Watson (born December 2, 1945 in Dallas, Texas), also known as Tex Watson, is an American murderer and former member of the Charles Manson "Family". He was convicted of the murders of the famed movie-star Sharon Tate, Steven Parent, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Jay Sebring that took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 9, 1969 at the Tate residence at 10050 Cielo Drive in Bel Air, and also of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca at the LaBianca residence the following night.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
In his earlier years, Tex Watson was the exact opposite of a typical Manson follower. He was a star football player and popular among many at his high school. He was known in those days as being a nice and popular person. After moving to California he drifted into the Charles Manson Family during a period of self-doubt and rebelliousness, claiming that Manson exploited his weaknesses at that time to make him loyal to, and dependent upon, the Family.
[edit] Sentencing-Present
Sentenced to death on October 21, 1971, Watson escaped execution when the California Supreme Court's People v. Anderson decision resulted in the invalidation of all death sentences imposed in California prior to 1972. Having been denied parole 13 times, Watson remains in prison to this day.
In 1978, Charles Watson wrote a book entitled Will You Die For Me? In 1979, Watson married Kristin Joan Svelte. They were able to have four children through conjugal visits. Largely through the lobbying of Doris Tate, mother of murder victim Sharon Tate, these conjugal visits were banned.
Watson claims to have become a born-again Christian in prison and operates Abounding Love Ministries in prison. He has written some books about his role in the murders and the sorrow he feels for his involvement, he has apologised to the family members of his victims on his website and has presented the opinion that he is "forgiven by God."
A heavily distorted sample of a statement of his from his days in the Manson Family appears in the Marilyn Manson song "The Beautiful People."
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Watson, Charles Denton |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Watson, Tex |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Manson family member, convicted murderer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 2, 1945 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dallas, Texas |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
[edit] Trivia
- Quoted the famous line, "I am the devil and I am here to do the devil's work."
- John Waters' cult classic film Female Trouble is dedicated to him, even featuring a model helicopter he built in the opening.
