Tex Watson

Watson was born in Dallas, Texas, on December 2, 1945,{{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Charles |title=FAQs |url=https://www.aboundinglove.org/about/faqs |access-date=April 5, 2022 |website=Abounding Love Ministries}} and grew up in nearby Copeville. He was the youngest of three children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me|title=Will You Die For Me|last=Watson|first=Charles|website=Abounding Love Ministries|access-date=July 13, 2019|archive-date=April 5, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405004745/https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me|url-status=live}} Watson grew up attending church locally, and was an honor student, editor on the school paper, and captain of the football team, and set a record for the high hurdles at Farmersville High School.{{cite news | last = Neiswender | first = Mary | date = June 13, 1971 | title = 'Tex' Watson, Honor Student, Athlete: Accused Mass Killer's Profile | url = https://www.cielodrive.com/archive/tex-watson-honor-student-athlete-accused-mass-killers-profile/ | work = cielodrive | access-date = February 28, 2021 | archive-date = August 4, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200804114517/http://www.cielodrive.com/archive/tex-watson-honor-student-athlete-accused-mass-killers-profile/ | url-status = live }} In September 1964, Watson moved to Denton, Texas, to attend the University of North Texas, where he became a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

In January 1967, Watson began working at Braniff International as a baggage handler. When funds became low, he used free airline tickets he got as a perk of being a handler to visit an old fraternity brother in Los Angeles; there he became interested in the psychedelic and music lifestyle of the late 1960s.{{Cite web |last=DeLong |first=William |date=2024-02-19 |title=Methodist To Murderer: How A Young Texas Boy Became Charles Manson's Right-Hand Man |url=https://allthatsinteresting.com/tex-watson |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=All That's Interesting |language=en-US}} While driving one day, Watson picked up a hitchhiker, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, and drove him to Wilson's house. There he was first introduced to the Manson Family who lived with Wilson.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-24 |title=Who Is Manson Family Member Charles 'Tex' Watson? |url=https://www.oxygen.com/manson-the-women/crime-time/who-is-tex-watson-manson-family-tate-murders |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=Oxygen |language=en-US}}

Watson lived with the Manson Family at Spahn Ranch for nine months before the crimes, becoming close to Manson, and eventually choosing to believe Manson's lies and deception.{{cite book |last1=Watson |first1=Charles |title=Cease to Exist |date=2019 |publisher=12AX7 Press |location=Santa Monica |isbn=9781083079879 |pages=69–98 |edition=1 }} According to Los Angeles County District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi, Manson employed “a variety of techniques" to accomplish this,{{cite book |last1=Bugliosi |first1=Vincent |title=Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders |date=1994 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company |location=New York |isbn=9780393087000 |pages=654–657}} and was able to bring Watson and others to conspire in following Manson’s delusion to ignite a massive race war (which Manson called “Helter Skelter”, inspired by the Beatles song of the same name) intended to bring in Manson's kingdom following this war.{{cite book |last1=Bugliosi |first1=Vincent |title=Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders |date=1994 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company |location=New York |isbn=9780393087000 |page=137}}

In December 1968, Watson left the Manson Family. He moved in with a woman who sold small quantities of marijuana and LSD to his friends, and became her lover. The two lived in Hollywood for a few months, improving their illegal activity, until Watson became restless and rejoined the Family.

Following Manson's orders to "find money for Helter Skelter", Watson contrived to steal money from his lover's friend, Bernard Crowe. Crowe called the ranch, spoke to Manson and told him he would come to the ranch and kill everyone if he did not get his money back. In response, Manson shot Crowe in the stomach{{cite web|last=Waxman|first=Olivia B.|url=https://time.com/5633973/last-manson-interview/|title=Why Did the Manson Family Kill Sharon Tate? Here's the Story Charles Manson Told the Last Man Who Interviewed Him|work=Time magazine|date=July 26, 2019|access-date=March 5, 2022|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924061655/https://time.com/5633973/last-manson-interview/|url-status=live}} using the same pistol that Watson would use in the Tate murders.

The two encountered one another in the California Men's Colony in the early 1980s. Following a long conversation about the past and religion Crowe forgave Watson for his role in the theft and the shooting.{{cite web |title=Episode 247 "Who Are You?" |url=https://aboundinglove.podbean.com |website=Abounding Love Podcast |publisher=Podbean |access-date=9 December 2023}}

{{Main|Tate–LaBianca murders}}

On August 9, 1969, as a member of the Manson Family, Watson led Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to 10050 Cielo Drive, the home of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate. They murdered all four people inside the house, and also Steven Parent in the driveway. Watson and his crime partners inflicted 28 stab wounds to one victim, Abigail Folger, alone.{{cite web|url=http://www.cielodrive.com/charles-manson-parole-hearing-2012.php|title=Parole Hearing: Charles Manson 2012|website=www.cielodrive.com|access-date=June 23, 2017|archive-date=February 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201013135/http://www.cielodrive.com/charles-manson-parole-hearing-2012.php|url-status=live}}

The following night, Watson and six others went to the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Manson and Watson entered the home. According to Watson's book Will You Die For Me?, Manson held the occupants at gunpoint while Watson tied them up, before the rest of Manson Family killed them.{{cite book |last1=Watson |first1=Charles |last2=Hoekstra |first2=Ray |url=https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me |title=Will You Die For Me? |date=1978 |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=April 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405004745/https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me |url-status=live }}

On October 2, 1969, Watson fled the Spahn Ranch and headed back to his native state of Texas. On November 30, 1969, he was arrested in Texas for the Tate–LaBianca murders. He and his lawyers fought extradition to California for nine months. Upon arriving in California, he stopped talking and eating, losing 55 pounds, and began regressing to a catatonic state. He was admitted to Atascadero State Hospital for a 90‑day evaluation period to determine if he was fit to stand trial. He stayed there until February 1971, when he was deemed able to stand trial.{{rp|514–515}}

On October 12, 1971, Watson was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.{{Cite news |date=1971-10-13 |title=Watson Convicted Of Tate Murders; Faces Sanity Trial |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/13/archives/watson-convicted-of-tate-murders-faces-sanity-trial.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cielodrive.com/charles-tex-watson-parole-hearing-1978.php|title=Charles 'Tex' Watson 1978 Parole Hearing Transcript|website=www.cielodrive.com|access-date=June 23, 2017|archive-date=August 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807112740/http://www.cielodrive.com/charles-tex-watson-parole-hearing-1978.php|url-status=live}} One week later, the same jury took only two and a half hours to determine that he was sane.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me|title=Will You Die For Me|page=96|last=Watson|first=Charles|website=Abounding Love Ministries|access-date=July 13, 2019|archive-date=April 5, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405004745/https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/books/will-you-die-for-me|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=cielodrive.com |title=Watson Declared Sane, Must Stand Trial - Charles Manson Family and Sharon Tate-Labianca Murders Archive |url=https://www.cielodrive.com/archive/watson-declared-sane-must-stand-trial/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |language=en-US}} On October 21, 1971, he was sentenced to death.{{Cite news |date=1971-10-22 |title=Watson Sentenced to Death For a Part in Tate Murders |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/22/archives/watson-sentenced-to-death-for-a-part-in-tate-murders.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} He arrived on California's death row on November 17, 1971, but avoided 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. {{rp|661–662}}{{Cite web |title=People v. Anderson |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/2d/70/15.html |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=Justia Law |language=en}} He was found guilty of the murders of seven people: Abigail Folger; Wojciech Frykowski; Steven Parent; Sharon Tate Polanski, who was eight months pregnant; Jay Sebring; Leno LaBianca; and Rosemary LaBianca.

According to his prisoner outreach website, Watson converted to Christianity in 1975.{{cite news |last=Broughton |first=Ashley |url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/30/manson.family.aging/index.html |title=Aging Manson 'Family' members long for freedom |work=CNN |date=March 30, 2009 |access-date=March 31, 2009 |archive-date=March 31, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331214130/http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/30/manson.family.aging/index.html |url-status=live }} Will You Die for Me?, Watson's autobiography, as told to Raymond "Chaplain Ray" Hoekstra, was published in 1978.{{Cite book|url=http://lccn.loc.gov/77018539|title=Library of Congress catalog record on Will you die for me?|year=1978|publisher=F. H. Revell|isbn=9780800709129|access-date=November 9, 2009|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819043703/https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=77018539&searchType=1&permalink=y|url-status=live}} In 1979, he married Kristin Joan Svege, and together they founded Abounding Love Ministries, Inc. in 1980.{{cite web |url=https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business#aboundingloveministries |website=CA Secretary of State Official Site |access-date=14 November 2023 |title=Secretary of State }} Through conjugal visits they were able to have four children (three boys, one girl), but those visits for life prisoners were banned in October 1996. After 24 years of marriage, Svege divorced Watson after meeting another man in 2003. Svege and Watson remain friends. He had become an ordained minister in 1981 and received a B.S. in Business Management in 2009 from California Coast University, a distance-learning college.Parole Board Hearing Transcript 2011.{{cite web|last1=Watson|first1=Charles|title=About Charles|url=https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/about/about-charles-2|website=Aboundinglove.org|publisher=Abounding Love Ministries|access-date=February 25, 2016|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304174031/https://www.aboundinglove.org/main/about/about-charles-2|url-status=live}}

In August 1982, a Southern California‑based group, Citizens for Truth, submitted some 80,000 petition signatures and several thousand letters opposing Watson's parole. The group received support from Doris Tate, the mother of victim Sharon Tate. In later years the group, with Doris Tate and her daughters Patricia and Debra, submitted petitions with more than two million signatures.{{cite web |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/30/Slain-actress-Sharon-Tates-mother-with-tears-rolling/1569452145600/ |title=Slain actress Sharon Tate's mother – with tears rolling... |first=Deirdre M. |last=Childress |date=April 30, 1984 |agency=UPI |website=upi.com |access-date=March 9, 2019 |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819043552/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/04/30/Slain-actress-Sharon-Tates-mother-with-tears-rolling/1569452145600/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.speroforum.com/a/FSBTFEKZXC32/82234-The-Charles-Manson-legacy-Leslie-Van-Houten#.XIPmeFsXi_4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204154146/https://www.speroforum.com/a/FSBTFEKZXC32/82234-The-Charles-Manson-legacy-Leslie-Van-Houten |archive-date=February 4, 2018 |title=The Charles Manson legacy: Leslie Van Houten |first=John |last=Mancino |date=November 20, 2017 |website=speroforum.com}}

In May 2023, Watson started the Abounding Love podcast, consisting of sermons given from 1977 to 1984 in the chapel of the California Men's Colony, San Luis Obispo, California.{{cite web | title=Abounding Love Podcast with Former "Tex" Watson | url=https://aboundinglove.podbean.com/ |website=Official page for the Abounding Love Podcast (Podbean) |publisher=Podbean |access-date=14 November 2023}}

In 2012, Watson disputed a request to release recordings made in 1969 with his defense attorney Bill Boyd. The recordings became part of a bankruptcy proceeding involving the deceased attorney's law firm. Members of the Los Angeles Police Department said they believed the recordings might contain clues about unsolved murder cases involving the Manson Family. Watson asked the presiding judge to allow police to listen to the tapes but not take possession of them.{{cite news |last1=Martinez |first1=Michael |last2=Cary |first2=Michael |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/13/justice/texas-manson-tapes/index.html |title=Judge declines to reverse order giving Manson follower tapes to police |work=CNN |date=June 13, 2012 |access-date=October 21, 2012 |archive-date=October 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027075456/http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/13/justice/texas-manson-tapes/index.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Esposito |first=Richard |url=http://gma.yahoo.com/open-homicides-possibly-linked-manson-041716313--abc-news-topstories.html |title=Manson Possibly Tied to Homicides |via=yahoo.com |work=Good Morning America |date=October 19, 2012 |access-date=October 19, 2012 |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020180739/http://gma.yahoo.com/open-homicides-possibly-linked-manson-041716313--abc-news-topstories.html |url-status=live }} Judge Richard A. Schell ruled Watson had waived attorney-client privilege for the tapes after he allowed the co-author of his 1978 memoir to hear the recordings. The LAPD acquired the tapes, which allegedly contained Watson confessing to other murders, but reportedly no new information.{{cite book|last=O'Neill|first=Tom|title=Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zG92DwAAQBAJ|year=2019|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=978-0-316-47757-4|access-date=June 7, 2022|archive-date=June 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210606182949/https://books.google.com/books?id=zG92DwAAQBAJ|url-status=live}} In September 2014, Richard Pfeiffer, an attorney for Leslie Van Houten, said that he was considering subpoenaing the tapes to look for information that might help Van Houten in her next parole hearing.{{cite web|last=Healey|first=Patrick|title=Attorney May Try Subpoena To Pry Open Recording by Convict Who Killed for Charles Manson|url=http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Attorney-May-Try-Subpoena-To-Pry-Open-Recording-by-Convict-Who-Killed-for-Charles-Manson-275701261.html|work=NBC Los Angeles|date=September 19, 2014 |access-date=December 13, 2014|archive-date=December 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214022315/http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Attorney-May-Try-Subpoena-To-Pry-Open-Recording-by-Convict-Who-Killed-for-Charles-Manson-275701261.html|url-status=live}}

Watson's minimum eligible parole date was November 26, 1976; he has been denied parole 18 times since then, including two stipulations.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-16 |title=Charles Manson's 'right-hand man' denied parole |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna45319678 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-10-28 |title=Manson follower 'Tex' Watson denied parole in California |url=https://apnews.com/general-news-8a8cce13965b4dd5884a157ba6c92a07 |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=AP News |language=en}} He was most recently given a five-year denial of parole at a board hearing in October 2021.{{cite web|last=Hamilton|first=Matt|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10/16/manson-follower-tex-watson-denied-parole-for-tate-la-bianca-killings/|title=Manson follower Tex Watson denied parole for Tate/La Bianca killings|website=The Mercury News|date=October 16, 2021|access-date=March 5, 2022|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019113424/https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/10/16/manson-follower-tex-watson-denied-parole-for-tate-la-bianca-killings/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Service • • |first=City News |date=2021-10-15 |title=Manson Follower Tex Watson Denied Parole for 18th Time |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/manson-follower-tex-watson-denied-parole-2021/2716214/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=NBC Los Angeles |language=en-US}} He remains incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County, California.{{cite web|url=http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/Results.aspx|title=State of California Inmate Locator|first=California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation|last=(CDCR)|website=inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov|access-date=September 25, 2017|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204232440/https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/default.aspx|url-status=live}}

• In the 2018 film Charlie Says, he is played by Chace Crawford.
• In Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a fictionalized version of him is portrayed by Austin Butler.
• In 2019, he was portrayed by Christopher Backus in David Fincher's Netflix series Mindhunter.

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.aboundinglove.org/ Abounding Love Ministries]
• {{cite web |url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/manson/murder_1.html |title=Charles Manson and the Manson Family |work=Crime Library |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209235017/http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/manson/murder_1.html |archive-date=February 9, 2015 |url-status=dead |first=Marilyn |last=Bardsley }}

{{Manson Family}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Tex}}

Category:1945 births

Category:20th-century American criminals

Category:American male criminals

Category:American mass murderers

Category:American people convicted of murder

Category:American prisoners sentenced to death

Category:Crimes involving Satanism or the occult

Category:Criminals from California

Category:Criminals from Los Angeles

Category:Criminals from Texas

Category:Living people

Category:Manson Family

Category:People convicted of murder by California

Category:People from Farmersville, Texas

Category:Prisoners sentenced to death by California