Helter Skelter

In Helter Skelter, the prosecutor of Charles Manson and his demonic minions, Vincent Bugliosi, gives us a true account of the killings of seven people in two grisly nights of murder in Los Angeles, in 1969. There is no stated thesis in the book, as it reads more like a first-hand account of the killings, the trial, and its impact on Los Angeles and the rest of the nation. However, the main intention of the author appears to be his sharing with us of how difficult it is to successfully prosecute criminals�even when they are completely guilty. The first-hand account of the killings, the murderers and the trial in which four of them were given the death penalty exposes many obstacles, errors and lucky breaks that confront such gruesome criminal cases. This analysis will focus on the difficulties Bugliosi encountered while conducting the trial of Manson and three of his female followers for their role in the Tate-LaBianca murders.

The author gives us a chilling first-hand account of the seven murders committed by Manson and his followers in August, 1969. We get a play-by-play of the murders, a detailed assessment of the crime scenes, a background on the murderers and their victims, and an inside look at the efforts of law enforcement officials to resolve the case. Along the way, we get not only an inside look at the macabre and gruesome nature of the killings, but we also see how law enforcement officials are, like any human beings, prone to err

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e if the blood was animal or human. If human, other tests would be applied to determine the blood type�A, B, AB, or O�and the subtype. There are some thirty blood subtypes; however, if the blood is already dry when the sample is taken, it is only possible to determine whether it is one of three-�, N, or MN. By the time Granado got to work, most of the blood�had already dried" (Bugliosi 13). We also see from the enormous presentation of supporting evidence in this book how difficult it is for law enforcement officials to take the word of those allegedly involved in the acts, like the half-truths and lies of Susan Atkins and other Manson followers, to even the actual witnesses or persons who one might think would be helpful in prosecution. One such witness was the caretaker on the Tate grounds, the only person on the estate not killed the night of the slayings. In his initial questioning at the scene of the crime, William Garretson was so confused and distraught over the bloody scene that he incorrectly identified bodies and did not identify correctly the one person he knew well, Steve Parent. Because of this, authorities originally suspected him of committing the crimes, "Asked about his activities the previous night, he sa

Category: Government - H