Bobby Beausoleil: The musician who became a murderer
No matter how much time passes, the story of the Manson family never leaves public consciousness — partly because of the brutality of their crimes, but mostly because of our fascination with cults. Could meeting the wrong stranger really turn us into a killer? Or do you have to be born evil?
Bobby Beausoleil has had plenty of time to grapple with these questions. A close friend and follower of Charles Manson, he fatally stabbed Gary Hinman on 27th July 1969. This murder is believed to have started the family's notorious killing spree, which eventually led to the brutal slaying of Sharon Tate and her unborn child.
In this article, the team at Crime+Investigation deep dive into the life of Bobby Beausoleil, from his childhood and crimes to his capture and applications for parole.
Who is Bobby Beausoleil?
Like many of the Manson family members, Beausoleil had a pretty normal upbringing. There are no controversies surrounding his working-class Catholic parents, who seemed to have raised him well along with his four siblings. Nevertheless, he had a rebellious streak and went to reform school when he was 15.
As he matured, he discovered a passion for music, art and pornography — again, typical interests of the free-loving bohème in the 1960s. He flitted between rock bands, including The Grass Roots, which charted frequently in the 60s and 70s. He even made his film debut when underground experimental filmmaker Kenneth Anger cast him in Lucifer Rising. Coincidence or an eerie premonition of what was to come?
The Manson family connection
Beausoleil first met Manson in 1968 when he was living part-time with Gary Hinman. The two quickly connected over their shared interests in music and women. When asked about Manson in an interview, Beausoleil said: 'He was a very talented songwriter, good musician, lyrically, just excellent. He was somebody with an incredibly intense, vivid, expanded imagination.'
From here, Beausoleil met the rest of the family, including Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner. Together, along with approximately one hundred other devotees, they consumed huge amounts of psychoactive drugs and engaged in regular crime.
A drug deal gone bad
Beausoleil claims that he was only ever an acquaintance of Gary, stating that 'his ideologies were very different from mine. He was into communism and all that sort of thing'
Beausoleil supposedly bought 1,000 tabs of mescaline from Gary for $1,000. The plan was to sell these to a biker gang for profit, then return to Manson with the money. It should have been straightforward, but when the gang received the drugs, they soon realised they were duds. Furious, they demanded their money back.
Beausoleil took Atkins and Brunner to Gary's house for a confrontation. However, he maintains he never intended for the violence to escalate. 'The girls didn't even know what was going on,' he said. 'No one was going there with any intention of killing Gary Hinman.'
Although this is the most popular theory for a motive, it was later revealed that Gary may have received a $20,000 inheritance that the family wanted to steal.
The murder
Whatever the senseless reason, Gary refused to give Beausoleil any money. Outraged, Beausoleil allegedly called Manson, who arrived with a samurai sword. Manson slashed Gary's face and, according to some accounts, cut off his ear.
It's important to note this version of events is contested by Beausoleil, who later argued, 'No, no, no. You see, the Sheriff's Homicide Department wanted to get Manson involved in my case, which was very difficult because Manson was not involved.'
Either way, Gary was fatally stabbed by Beausoleil on 27th July 1969. Hoping to cover up his crime, he wrote the words 'Political piggy' on a wall in Gary's blood. 'The whole thing was to take the heat off the trail,' he explained. 'His whole living room was a library of communist literature. I figured I'd make it look like one of his cohorts.'
The aftermath
Although Beausoleil wasn't actively involved in the most infamous of the Manson murders at 10050 Cielo Drive, it's believed that Gary's death was the catalyst. Beausoleil acknowledged from prison that his crime 'did have some kind of triggering effect' on the rest of Manson’s followers.
On 18th April 1970, Beausoleil, who was just 22 years old at the time, was sentenced to death. This was later changed to life imprisonment.
Since then, he’s been denied parole several times despite the California Board of Parole backing his release. Kay Martley, Gary's cousin, has ferociously argued against his applications, telling reporters that 'this man does not belong outside the walls of prison'.
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