Marshall Apple-what?

  “Gods going to be there, Jesus Christ is going to be there, all the angels and everything. And you know, whatever’s on the the beyond. I think it’s going to be more like Star Trek. Beaming me up into a space vehicle man then I’ll move on, recolonize to another planet or whatever but whatever’s on the beyond, I know it’s going to be good…”

-Aileen Wuornos, quoted the day before her execution on October 9^th, 2002

               

Five years prior to this quote being aired 39 seemingly gender-less corpses were found lying peacefully in bunk-beds, wearing matching sweat suits and Nike’s in a mass suicide in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. The bodies belonged to Marshall Applewhite and his followers, members of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Heaven’s Gate was an eschatologically based religious cult that believed their bodies were just “vehicles”, a thought similar to that of Wuornos near the time of her passing. These vehicles needed to be discarded in order to take their souls to “another level of existence above human” according to members. Chances are wherever Aileen Wuornos wound up she would at least be right about the Star Trek part. Thomas Nichols, brother of Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original Star Trek series) was one of the unfortunate victims found that day. I’m sure he saved a seat for you, girl.

Heaven’s Gate was founded by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, also known and “Bo” and “Peep” or “Do” and “Ti”. They prophesized that they were “the two” that were spoken of in the Book of Revelation 11:3 and it was their responsibility to show the world that it was so. Both devoutly believed they were ‘walk-in’s’, meaning that they were extraterrestrial beings who had taken over adult human bodies, discarding the souls previously occupying them. The concept was certainly new but accepted by many in the 1970’s with the growing presence of the New Age movement. The group fluctuated in its amount of followers with their frequent tests of faith, at one point having roughly 200 men and women hanging on their every word. After the death of Nettles in 1985 the group dwindled down to only the most committed and Applewhite was forced to build his group anew.  

                In order to prove their devotion and trust in their walk-in status, that their human bodies were mere vehicles for their eternal souls, followers gave up many of the things that made them feel human; families, jobs, individuality, many men including Applewhite were even castrated to ensure a lack of sexuality entirely. They were tracking the comet hale-bopp because they believed it was being trailed by a UFO. This UFO was the supposed vessel in which their souls were to board. In order to make this possible, they had to commit suicide within the appropriate time period while it was closest to planet earth…obviously. March 19-20 all but a couple remaining members of the Heaven’s Gate cult drank their phenobarbital cocktail and passed away to be found one week later.

 It is a curious thought what happened to all 39 souls of those passengers of the “Heaven’s Gate Away Team” that had been replaced so long ago. Honey Boo Boo? Or should I say Honey Bo Bo?

Richard Ramirez- Ladykiller or Just Lady Killer?

*(Un)important note: This post was originally written June 8, 2013 and posted on a blog I created earlier that year that (not unlike the one you are reading now) had very few entries and even fewer readers. Point is, I am adding the articles I found worth keeping onto this page in hopes to inspire myself to continue writing. It is also (very) likely that my next post will be in another 4 years...

                The story of the Night Stalker goes (somewhat) like this… Once upon a time in the 80’s Richard Ramirez was convicted of 13 counts of murder, 5 counts of attempted murder, 11 counts of sexual assault and 14 counts of burglary. He was made famous by the gruesome nature of his crimes and the volume of which they were committed. During an attack and failed rape attempt of 83 (not a typo) year-old Malvial Keller, Ramirez drew a pentagram on her thigh and on her bedroom wall with lipstick. This is one example of what became the calling card for "The Walk-in Killer". While incarcerated, it has been said he was even visited by the daughter of Satanic Bible author Anton LaVey (not sure if it was Karla or Zeena, sorry folks)   His first day in court, Ramirez showed up with a pentagram drawn on the palm of his left hand and yelled to the court “hail Satan!”.  Clearly that went well for him.

                But the real story here is the women who showed up to support him; the attention-starved, got-lost-on-the-way-to-the-new-kids-on-the-block-concert kind of crazy, lovesick women who supported him. These women treated him as they would any other pop-culture sensation; they wrote letters, formed fan clubs and held protests to get him out of prison, not unlike Manson family members who fanatically shaved their heads and sang in front of the courthouse in 1969.  It is not uncommon for a young man or woman to become fanatic about someone so publicized, they have access to personal information and can feel a closeness to them because there is so much access. It is especially difficult for a young person to separate their fantasy with reality when the final words of the serial killer they are fantasying about leaving the courthouse are “see you in Disneyland”! For the majority of us, these dreams die when puberty arrives or, in the case of the fans of the Night Stalker, some hussy beats them to it.

          Doreen Lioy wrote over 75 letters to Richard Ramirez before he proposed in 1995. Although I have no proof of this, Doreen had to have received just as many death threats after her wedding day than Selena Gomez after announcing her relationship with Justin Bieber.

It's that thing where...

...you're asking yourself where that movie title came from and you can never figure it out. I figured one out when reading Helter Skelter and had to share. Unsure how I have read over this before and it never crossed my mind. The "celebrity death-match"style claymation movie that is "Live Freaky, Die Freaky" came directly from a quote by the LA bureau chief for the New York Times, Steven Roberts. The quote comes from early on in the Tate murder investigation, before any connection was made to the LaBianca murders occurring the night of August 9th. He is explaining the writers approach to uncovering the motivation behind the murders of Sharon Tate, her 3 friends, and Stephen Parent. As (Roberts) put it, "all the stories had a common thread- that somehow the victims had brought the murders on themselves... live freaky, die freaky"

Celeb Look-a-like: Bradley Cooper and Frederick Bailey Deeming

It's a very hunky edition this week with Bradley Cooper and less known Frederick Bailey Deeming. Deeming was a robber, con man and murderer who traveled across England and Australia. In his lifetime he murdered two wives and his four children and buried the bodies under the floor boards. He was executed in June of 1892.

Sorry to kill your very cool rockabilly vibe but...

Bettie Page was kind of a nuts person. 

After she was done giving you enough material for a million 

tumblr posts and novelty purses she revealed herself to be a 

schizophrenic with religious delusions. 

She eventually landed herself a nice stay in a mental institution 

for stabbing 3 people: a husband and wife and then her elderly roommate. 

She claimed that God "inspired her to do it"

If only Spencer's could put that on a purse. 

The Spawn of Spahn

On August 16th, 1969 (exactly one week after the first of a two night killing spree involving several members) Spahn's Movie Ranch was raided on suspicion of auto theft and several other less murder-y charges. Over 100 police officers arrived early in the morning and arrested many members of the "Manson Family" and removed several children to be placed in the care of the state of California. Between this day and the raid on Barker ranch, in which Manson and other members were taken into custody (once again for auto and dune buggy theft, they hadn't quite caught on to the big stuff yet) 10 children were removed from the family. A couple were eventually returned to their parents and many were adopted and given a second chance at life without the memories of the Family. These are only 7 of the many spawn of Spahn. 

Manson's Children

Charles Milles Manson: Born in 1956 to first wife Rosalie Jean Willis, committed suicide in 1993.

Charles Luther Manson: Born April 10, 1968 to second wife Leona Rae "Candy" Stevens, since disappeared.

Michael Brunner: Born "Valentine Michael Manson" and nicknamed Pooh-Bear and Sunstone Hawk, on April 15, 1968 to Mary Brunner (the first member of the Manson family).

Children born to other members of the family

Angel: Born in March of 1970. Son of Linda Kasabian, father unknown (3 possible fathers according to Kasabian were Manson, Charles "Tex" Watson, and her ex-husband whom she left to live on the ranch).

Zezozose Zadfrack Glutz: Born October 7, 1968 to Susan Atkins (AKA Sadie Mae Glutz), poor baby Glutz was adopted once Susan was incarcerated and renamed Paul. His fathers identity isn't certain but Atkins has stated that half his genes can be attributed to the one and only Bruce Hall (another family member).

Ivan: Born September 16, 1969 to Sandra Good. Good has said the father could be either Manson or a boyfriend by the name of Joel Pugh.

Phoenix: Born January 5, 1971 to Manson Family members Catherine "Gypsy" Share and Steven "Clem" Grogan.

CNN interviews the grandson of Charles Manson (son of Charles M. Manson Jr.) and Matthew Roberts, the man who thought he MIGHT be the son of Manson and concludes with a fun trip to the DNA testing office.. Enjoy! 

Celeb look-a-like: "Vampire Killer" Richard Chase and Matthew McConaughey

Richard Chase was given the nickname after it was revealed he drank the blood of his 6 victims and cannibalized their remains. Gross.