HE was the infamous cult leader whose followers – dubbed The Family – killed nine people including the pregnant Hollywood actress Sharon Tate.
Now a contentious legal battle to claim the estimated $1million fortune of mass murderer Charles Manson has reached boiling point – with three contenders battling for a slice of the blood-tainted pie.
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The claimants include Manson’s grandson, ex-MMA fighter Jason Freeman, 48, and alleged ‘love child’ Daniel Arguelles, 64 – as well as former pal Michael Channels, who has a will that appears to leave everything to him.
The bitter seven-year legal battle – which has raised since the kille’s death in 2017 – is set for an ultimate showdown in February next year.
But now estate agent Arguelles, who believes he was conceived on a one night stand, has been granted a mini-trial to prove his claim, after previously being denied access to teeth, skin, hair and ash from Manson for DNA tests.
Whoever wins will inherit memorabilia that could fetch thousands as well as the rights to his likeness, artwork, journals and most importantly music royalties, including for songs by Guns N’ Roses, The Beach Boys and Marilyn Manson.
Some have backed the claim of Channels, 57, a memorabilia collector, who has a signed will from Manson that allegedly ‘disinherits’ all of his relatives – which could prove blood isn’t thicker than ink.
However, Freeman’s lawyers have alleged it’s a fake and Arguelles’ representatives suggest the document was signed under “duress”.
Manson’s friend William Harder, 47, is among the few people to have cast eyes over the will that Channels’ has and in an exclusive interview tells us it looks “legitimate”.
He also reveals he was asked to keep the document secret for years before Manson’s death, as well as detailing an alleged fallout and his thoughts on the ‘children’… including those who suddenly “came out the woodwork”.
William, who runs memorabilia site MurderAuction.com, tells us: “I have seen the will that Michael Channels has and it looked legitimate to me… there was no question in my mind that it was authentic.
“I’m not a legal expert but I’d believe this man would be above Jason Freeman, the grandson of Manson. Michael has a sturdy claim but a will can be challenged.
“The document appeared to be very real and I think that would supersede the family’s claim because it is a legal document – but I’m not an inheritance expert.
“I saw the will in 2011 when I went to buy a few items from Channels. I was going through a few things when I stumbled upon the will in an envelope.
“Channels was like, ‘Hang on, hang on,’ but I’d already opened it. I said ‘Is this legit?’ He said, ‘Yeah man’ I said, ‘Goodness’. He asked me not to say anything about it and I didn’t.
“I understood why he wanted to keep it quiet… I think if someone found out, say Freeman, someone could tell Charlie (Manson) to rework it.
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“He could say to Charlie, ‘Do you want him to have access to all of this?’ and they would have tried to get Charlie to sign a different document.”
‘Persistent fighting’
William says he’s not surprised the battle has continued for so long and notes there will be “persistent fighting, wherever there is money but it’s certainly worth the effort”.
There’s up to a $1million prize for one of the trio – and each has their own unique and individual reasoning behind why it’s owed to them.
Freeman claims to be the grandson of Manson. His father Charles Manson Jr, who died from a self-inflicted gun wound in 1993, would have been the cult leader’s eldest son.
Manson Jr was born in 1956 to hospital waitress Rosalie Jean Willis, who was married to the killer for three years until 1958 and listed him as father on the child’s birth certificate.
Freeman’s dad changed his name to Jay White to distance himself from the killer and his suicide was thought to have been linked to Manson’s crimes.
“He just couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t live it down. He couldn’t live down who his father was,” Freeman said.
I think he visited Charles five times or something but then was taken off his list for whatever reason… after that they were loosely in touch but to my knowledge he never visited Manson again
William Harder
Arguelles, a realtor, who was born in 1959, claims he was the product of “a one-night encounter” between Manson and his mother.
But Freeman argues that the fact Manson wasn’t listed on the supposed love child’s birth certificate is proof he is not his son.
The warring pair are united in the belief that Channels’ will is not legitimate – but for different reasons.
Reflecting on the case, William says: “The people fighting over Charles’s estate, none of them are exceptionally wealthy, or well to do, so the prospect of getting that money is appealing.
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“If your father was a millionaire and you found out he left it in his will to a caregiver you are going to think, ‘Hang on a second, that’s my biological father or grandfather.’”
Will ‘forgery’ & ‘fallout’
William looked at the contested will in 2011 and doesn’t believe the document is a forgery, as has been alleged by the lawyers opposing the claim.
He tells us: “The envelope it came in was an envelope from Corcoran Prison – the return address, the stamp and stuff all looked very legitimate.
“It looked just like every other thing you would get from the prison at that time. The will was notarised and signed by a witness, Manson and the notary.
“It definitely looked the part and when I saw it, I immediately knew what it was. Back then, I’d heard a rumour that there was a will and couldn’t believe it when I saw it.”
Arguelles’s lawyers have claimed Channels used “duress, menace, fraud or undue influence” to get Manson to sign the will and cite the killer’s mental issues, including schizophrenia, which made him more vulnerable.
Lots of people claim to be Charles Manson’s kids but it’s make believe… and to get attention… but when it comes down to proving it they know they can’t
William Harder
William, who is not involved in the case, told The Sun that the will was kept secret for years and hints at potential problems between Manson and Channels.
He tells us Channels visited the cult leader around five times – compared to William who saw Manson up to 35 times in a year.
When asked if Manson spoke about Channels, William says: “He did a little bit. He didn’t suggest that they were overly close or anything, but they were obviously close-ish. He had stopped visiting when I started.
“I think he visited Charles five times or something but then was taken off his list for whatever reason… after that they were loosely in touch but to my knowledge he never visited Manson again.”
The crimes of Charles Manson and ‘the family’
Charles Manson and his followers, known as “The Family,
The most infamous of these were the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969.
On August 8, 1969, the feared cult leader ordered four of his blood-thirsty disciples – Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles “Tex” Watson – to the Beverly Hills address of movie actress Sharon Tate with the instruction to kill everyone in the house.
Manson told them to “totally destroy everyone in it, as gruesome as you can.”
As well as Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski, they murdered four other people at the property that fateful night.
The actress was also eight-and-a-half months pregnant.
On the night she was killed she had three friends over for a dinner party: hairstylist Jay Sebring, Polanski’s friend Wojciech Frykowski and his partner, the coffee heiress Abigail Folger.
Music producer Quincy Jones was also meant to be there but he had forgotten about the invite.
The cult leader wanted the people in the house dead because he had been rejected by music producer Terry Melcher who had lived in the house but since left the property.
When the murderous cult arrived at the house, caretaker Steven Parent was spotted and shot to death.
After they got inside the house, the cult members attacked the dinner party guests while they were sleeping, stabbing them repeatedly.
Watson claimed that Sharon begged him to let her live long enough to have her son but the savage cult members knifed her 16 times.
He said her final words were: “Mother, mother” and they carved a cross into her stomach.
Less than 24 hours later, the deadly gang – plus Leslie Van Houten and Steve “Clem” Grogan – savagely tortured, murdered and mutilated wealthy LA couple Rosemary and Leno LaBianca.
They used their blood to write “Rise,” “Death to Pigs,” and “Healter Skelter,” a misplaced reference to the Beatles song “Helter Skelter,” on the walls and refrigerator door.
Manson and his accomplices were all sent down for the murders, apart from Kasabian who testified against them and played no direct part in the killings.
Manson was originally sentenced to death but he was spared execution and his sentence was converted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional in that state.
‘Missing heir’
William says there is another player who could make a stake for the fortune – Michael Brunner, who’s allegedly the child of Charles and Manson ‘Family’ member Mary Brunner.
The 56-year-old was born Valentine Michael Manson and nicknamed ‘Pooh Bear’ but was raised by his maternal grandparents, who changed his name before he turned nine.
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Brunner rebuffed multiple attempts by Manson to reconcile before he passed away in 2017 from complications related to colon cancer – after the death, he appeared to downplay his father’s crimes.
In 2019, he told the LA Times: “I would say 95 per cent of the public looks at Charlie as this mass-murdering dog, and it’s really, obviously, just not true. He didn’t necessarily kill.
“I think the public has been fed some untruths, and this whole thing has been glorified and glammified (sic) and blown out of proportion.”
William argues that Michael could throw his hat in the ring for the Manson fortune.
“He’s very established as Charles Manson’s son, it’s not a secret… he could step up but I don’t think he cares that much,” the memorabilia collector tells us.
William explains there are “a lot of people” who have claimed the cult leader “is their father to get attention” but few are being honest and so won’t come forward in the case.
It’s tried and true Manson will never go out of style. In generations times… as Manson told me, he is ‘10 times the Pope, 50 times the Pope
William Harder
He says: “As soon as Freeman established himself as the grandson, people started coming out of the woodwork all of a sudden, as they always do.
“I think because of the actual legal guidelines being set up you have to be able to prove it. Lots of people claim to be Charles Manson’s kids but it’s make-believe.
“They know it in their heart and when it comes down to proving it they know they can’t.”
$1million fortune?
In another twist, the Manson fortune itself is questionable – and may not be worth as much as is believed.
Whoever wins the court case will inherit the cult leader’s belongings including guitars, clothes and other property from jail, which has been kept in storage since his death.
William, whose site MurderAuction.com, sells pieces by killers and dark figures like Manson tells us there could be a “spike” in value for pieces and they could be worth thousands.
He recently purchased multiple pairs of footwear worn by Manson that he says could sell for up to $2,000 a pair – but claims some people will charge up to $10,000 for them.
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William says the advent of true crime documentaries on streaming platforms led to “a spike” in prices for Manson memorabilia – but, he insists, collecting those pieces has always been expensive.
He adds: “It’s tried and true Manson will never go out of style. In generations’ times, he will still be discussed and never forgotten. As Manson told me, he is ‘10 times the Pope, 50 times the Pope.’”
What could be more valuable than the belongings are the rights including his likeness, which could be sold for films, and royalties for songs, which some estimate to be worth $1million.
It’s known Manson wrote Guns N’ Roses hit Look at Your Game, Girl from the platinum 1993 album The Spaghetti Incident and songs for The Beach Boys and Marilyn Manson.
William says: “It’s worth looking into, if I was a relative of Charles Manson I would. There may be a lot of money.”
William, of Fresno, California, owns more than 100 Manson items – some of which are being sold on his “eBay-like site” – says the most valuable thing is actually the time he spent with the cult leader.
He said: “It’s the experiences, nothing I own is more dear to me than walking into Corcoran Prison and Charlie coming out of the back room, walking up to me grabbing and pulling me in. You can’t price tag on that.”
William defends his site, which sells murder memorabilia from a range of serial killers including Richard Ramirez, known as ‘The Night Stalker’.
He says: “People will always want to collect things whether you’re that’s baseball cards, civil rights memorabilia, porcelain dolls or Cabbage Patch Kids.
“People love to collect but some people want to collect things that are of a darker nature. It’s not that I think killing people is a good thing.
“This hobby is similar to collecting war art – guns, uniforms and flags. People think collecting war is ok but war is not ok, lots of people are killed and in horrific ways during it.
“I like to collect stuff and have had an interest in it for many years. I enjoy it and many other people share this passion too.”