Tex Watson: The brutal enforcer of the Manson Murders
The Manson Family was a cult that became notorious in American crime history. The group was substantial, with around 100 members at its peak.
Led by Charles Manson, the cult frequently took drugs and led a nomadic lifestyle. However, they eventually took their activities a step further when they turned to murder at Manson’s instructions.
One of the members of the group was a man named Tex Watson. Watson was heavily involved in the murder of several people while part of the Manson Family, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate.
Join us here at Crime+Investigation as we dive into the role that Tex Watson played as a central member of the Manson Family and the crimes he committed.
The early life of Tex Watson
Charles Denton Watson, known as Tex, was born on 2nd December 1945 in Dallas, Texas. Watson was the youngest of three children and he excelled in school.
As well as being an honour student at Farmersville High School, he was captain of the football team and editor for the school paper. After graduating high school in 1964, he attended the University of North Texas. While there, he was part of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
In 1967, he moved to California. It was there that he became embroiled in the twisted world of Charles Manson and the Manson Family cult.
Becoming the right-hand man to Charles Manson
Watson was first introduced to Charles Manson purely by chance. When driving home one evening, he picked up a hitchhiker. This hitchhiker was Dennis Wilson from the popular band The Beach Boys.
Dennis Wilson invited Watson into his home, and it was there that he met Charles Manson. The group got stoned together, and Watson was immediately drawn to the sense of community.
In 1968, Watson moved in with Manson and his followers. They lived at a run-down ex-movie set called Spahn Ranch. Manson’s odd teachings combined with regular acid trips and the isolated environment of the ranch led to Manson exhibiting strange behaviour and offering gospel-like preachings.
Watson was completely behind Manson, who had convinced his followers that he was to be obeyed as he was a god-like figure. This blind faith in Manson led Watson down the dark path of murder.
The Tate–LaBianca Murders
On 8th August 1969, Watson led three fellow members of the Manson Family – Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian – to 10050 Cielo Drive. This was the home of actress Sharon Tate and her husband, film director Roman Polanski. Tate was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.
Also present in the house were Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Jay Sebring, friends of Tate and Polanski. Caretaker William Garretson was also in the home at the time. Polanski was not present, as he was working on a film in Europe.
Watson and the cult members broke into the home and brutally murdered most of the occupants via Manson's direct instructions. The only survivor was Garretson, who was sleeping in the guesthouse.
Tate tried to plead for the life of her son, begging the cult to allow her to live long enough to birth her baby. Watson and Atkins killed her by stabbing her 16 times.
The following night, the same group – along with cult members Clem Grogan, Leslie Van Houten, and Manson – drove to 3301 Waverley Drive at Manson’s request. The address was next door to a house where the group had gone to a party the year before.
Watson and Manson entered the home and – according to Watson – they tied up the two occupants and held them at gunpoint. The occupants, Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, were then killed by the cult.
By the end of the two-day murder spree, Watson had taken the lives of seven people at the request of Charles Manson, including Sharon Tate’s unborn son.
Arrest and conviction
Despite fleeing back to Texas from Spahn Ranch in October 1969, Watson was eventually extradited to California after being arrested in November. He was convicted on 12th October 1971, on seven counts of first-degree murder. He was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit murder.
Although initially sentenced to death, this was overturned in 1972 to a life in prison sentence.
Conversion to Christianity
Watson converted to Christianity in 1975. He founded a ministry in 1980 and became an ordained minister in 1981. In 1997, he launched a website for his ministry.
According to his webpage, Watson is a changed man and has found support in others. Most surprisingly, one of his supporters is Rosemary LaBianca, the daughter of the LaBiancas, who died at Watson's hands.
Watson is currently serving his life sentence in San Diego County, California, at the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
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