JonesG+Serial+Killer+Questions

How was Charles Manson the same as the other serial killers that we studied? Just like several other serial killers Charles Mason had a rough early life. His mother was a recovering alcoholic and was in trouble with the law several times. She was sent to prison because she robbed a service station. Several times Manson was in and out of Homes for Boys and the last time that he filed to live with his mother, she rejected him. He also left a symbol like several others at the crime scenes. Just like the Zodiac killer might write a letter to a newspaper, and the BTK Killer might as well, he made his "family" write Helter Skelter on the walls. Just like other killers, Charles Manson was not mentally stable. He also was put into jail several times, like many convicted serial killers.

How was Charles Manson different from other serial killers? Charles Manson was different from a lot of serial killers in several ways. First of all, he had a "family" of individuals that believed in his methods and did a majority of his killings for him. He transformed their minds and almost hypnotized them to the point that they were ultimately his slaves. He would make his family members trip on acid, while he would recreate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was not abandoned as a child, he did not have a drinking problem, and he did not kill or commit sexual acts with animals. He did not rape individuals like Ted Bundy, and he did not torture anyone just like the BTK Killer. He was not a very attractive man like Ted Bundy, who used his charm as a way to attract people to his cause. Instead, he attracted his family through his "deep mind" and his sympathy for the hard lives of others. He was not a sniper like John Allen Williams. He was not a homosexual like Albert Fish, and he did not collect items from the crime scene like Fish and the BTK Killer.

In terms of the definitions we presented in class, does Charles Manson classify as a serial killer? I do believe that he is a serial killer because he was not physically there for the murders. I do believe, however, that he was a cult leader and should be convicted of conspiracy. He should get accused of accessory to murder.