Tom Jones was on their kill list… and four other celebs the Manson Family wanted to murder
Family member and convicted killer Susan Atkins revealed the blood-thirsty gang’s A-list targets to prison inmate
CHARLES Manson and his murderous Family of followers are among the most feared and notorious group of killers in criminal history.
On August 8, 1969, the feared cult leader ordered four of his blood-thirsty disciples – Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles ‘Tex’ Watson – to the Beverly Hills address of movie actress Sharon Tate with the instruction to kill everyone in the house.
As well as Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski and pregnant with his child, they murdered four other people at the property that fateful night.
Less than 24 hours later, the deadly gang – plus Leslie Van Houten and Steve ‘Clem’ Grogan – savagely tortured and murdered wealthy LA couple Rosemary and Leno LaBianca.
Manson and his accomplices were all sent down for the murders, apart from Kasabian who played no direct part in the killings and was granted immunity for testifying against the others in court.
Following the trial, it chillingly came to light that there were more celebrities Manson had on his kill list, including Welsh crooner Tom Jones.
Susan Atkins reeled off a list of A-list targets to a fellow prison inmate, but didn’t reveal why they wanted to wipe out the It’s Not Unusual star.
Movie star Steve McQueen was also a potential target – and, according to people close to him, he began carrying a gun with him at all times in public, including at the funeral of Tate murder house victim Jay Sebring.
He didn’t attend Tate’s funeral, much to the disappointment of the actress’s widower Polanski.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Frank Sinatra were the three other celebrities the Family wanted to murder – though the motives remain unclear.
Atkins died in jail of brain cancer in 2009. Manson, Krenwinkel, Watson and Van Houten remain behind bars.
