>>> AND A MONTH OF FREEBIES, CELEBRATING THE SEASON OF
GIVING.
ALL THAT ON "MEGYN KELLY TODAY,"
RIGHT NOW.
[ APPLAUSE ] HELLOLAUSE ]
HELLO HELLO.
HELLO. HI.
HI. HI, THERE.
HI, THERE. WELCOME, EVERYBODY.
WELCOME, EVERYBODY.
HEY, GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY. GREAT TO SEE YOU., EVERYBODY.
GREAT TO SEE YOU. IM MEGYN KELLY.
WE HAVE AN UNBELIEVABLE SHOW FOR
YOU.
YOU.
WE HAVE GIVEAWAYS NOT JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE HERE BUT FOR YOU AT
HOME.
HOME.
[ APPLAUSE ]
THATS COMING UP IN JUST A
LITTLE BIT.
BUT, MAN, TALK ABOUT A MOOD
CHANGE.
WERE STARTING WITH THIS.
IT IS A NAME THAT STILL GIVES YOU CHILLS, CHARLES MANSON.ES
YOU CHILLS, CHARLES MANSON. THIS IS AN UNBELIEVABLE STORY.
AS YOU KNOW, HE TERRIFIED THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
HE LED HIS FOLLOWERS ON A
KILLING SPREE BACK IN THE SUMMER
OF 69.
HE WAS GIVEN A LIFE SENTENCE IN PRISON, HE DIED, SHOWING ZEROIN
PRISON, HE DIED, SHOWING ZERO SIGNS OF REMORSE FOR THE EVIL
LIFE HE LIVED.
NOW, A NEW DOCUMENTARY IS ABOUT
TO BE RELEASED ABOUT THIS
KILLER.
THE FILMMAKER RECORDED HIS PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH MANSON, AHONE
CONVERSATIONS WITH MANSON, A YEAR BEFORE HE DIED.
HERES A REMINDER OF THE BACK
STORY.
STORY.
CHARLES MANSONS REIGN OF TERROR
OCCURRED BACK IN 1969.
MANSON AND HIS FOLLOWERS WHO CLAIM THEY WERE BRAINWASHED BY
MANSON, PREACHED ABOUT INCITING
A RACE WAR AND WENT ON A KILLING
SPREE KNOWN AS HELTER SKELTER.
ON AUGUST 8th, 1969, AT THE DIRECTION OF MANSON, MEMBERS OF
HIS CULT RAIDED THE BEVERLY
HILLS HOME OF ROMAN POLANSKI AND
ACTRESS SHARON TATE.
POLANSKI WAS AWAY.
BUT TATE, EIGHT MONTHS AGO, WAS
STABBED TO DEATH, IN ADDITION TO
FOUR OTHERS.
FOUR OTHERS. THE NEXT NIGHT, MANSON JOINED
HIS FOLLOWERS FOR ANOTHER HOME
INVASION OF LENO LaBIANCA.
>> MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE KILLED
400, 500 PEOPLE.
AND I WOULD HAVE FELT BETTER.
>> Reporter: DURING MANSONS
TRIAL, HIS FOLLOWERS STAGED
BIZARRE PROTESTS.
BIZARRE PROTESTS. IN 1971, MANSON AND THREE OF HIS
FOLLOWERS WERE FOUND GUILTY OF
MURDER AND SENTENCED TO DEATH.
>> I HAVENT DONE ANYTHING IM
ASHAMED OF.
ASHAMED OF. >> Reporter: HE WAS SPARED IN
1972 WHEN CALIFORNIA ABOLISHED
THE DEATH PENALTY.
HE WAS DENIED PAROLE A DOZEN
TIMES AFTER.
TIMES AFTER.
>> IM GOING BACK DOWN IN A HOLES HOLE. BACK DOWN IN A
HOLES HOLE. >> Reporter: ON NOVEMBER 19th,
HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83.
HIS LIFE IS BEING EXAMINED IN A
NEW DOCUMENTARY "CHARLES MANSON:
THE FINAL WORDS."
>> I NEVER ORDERED NOBODY TO DO
ANYTHING BUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO
DO.
DO.
I PLAY CARDS. MY FAMILYS CARDS.
MY FAMILY ARE RIGHTEOUS.
THEY CANT GET AWAY.
THEYRE DEAD.
THEYRE DEAD.
EVERY ONE OF MY FAMILY. DEAD LIKE ME.MY FAMILY.
DEAD LIKE ME. >> BUDDY DAY, THE DIRECTOR OF
THE FILM "CHARLES MANSON: THE
FINAL WORDS" IS HERE WITH US.
ALSO JOINING US IS ONE OF
CHARLES MANSONS ACTUAL
FOLLOWERS, DIANE LAKE, WHO IS
SPEAKING OUT IN HER BOOK,
"MEMBER OF THE FAMILY: MY STORY
OF CHARLES MANSON, LIFE INSIDE
THE CULT AND THE DARKNESS THAT
ENDED THE 60s."
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
BUDDY, TELL US ABOUT THE TIME
YOU GET THE CALL FROM CHARLES
MANSON FROM PRISON.
>> I MET A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO HAD
SPOKEN WITH HIM, WHILE WORKING
ON A SERIES "THE SHOCKING
TRUTH."
TRUTH."
AND PUT THE SEED IN MY HEAD THAT
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH
HIM.
I WROTE HIM LETTERS ON A WHIM,
THINKING IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD
IDEA TO GIVE MY CELL NUMBER TO
THE MOST INFAMOUS MASS MURDERER
AT THE TIME.
I WAS FILMING.
HAD WRAPPED FOR THE DAY. AND MY PHONE RANG.E DAY.
AND MY PHONE RANG. OVER THE LINE CAME, YOU HAVE A
PREPAID CALL FROM CHARLES
MANSON.
MANSON.
I RAN OUTSIDE AND TOOK THE CALL. IT WAS VERY SURREAL AT FIRST.LL.
IT WAS VERY SURREAL AT FIRST. >> HOW MANY TIMES DID YOU SPEAK
WITH HIM TOTAL?
>> I SPOKE WITH HIM OVER THE
COURSE OF MAKING THIS FILM ABOUT
A YEAR.
A YEAR.
EVERY TIME HE CALLS YOU, ITS LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES.U, ITS
LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES. IT DROPS OUT AT THE 15-MINUTE
MARK.
MARK.
THERE WAS A TOTAL OF ABOUT FOUR HOURS.WAS A TOTAL OF ABOUT FOUR
HOURS.
>> ONE TIME HE CALLED YOU ON THANKSGIVING?E CALLED YOU ON
THANKSGIVING?
>> I WAS SITTING AT THANKSGIVING
DINNER WITH MY FAMILY.
IN THE MIDDLE OF TURKEY AND
STUFFING.
AND MY PHONE RANG.
YOU HAVE A PREPAID CALL FROM CHARLES MANSON.AID CALL FROM
CHARLES MANSON. I HAD NO CONTROL WHEN HE WOULD
CALL ME.
CALL ME.
AND I TOOK THE CALL AND SAID, I
HAVE TO TAKE A CALL FROM CHARLES
MANSON.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE?
SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK -- I KNOW WHAT YOUR PURPOSE WAS IN TALKING
TO HIM.
TO HIM.
YOU GET THE STORY AND FIGURE OUT AS THE PROSECUTION TOLD IT.E OUT
AS THE PROSECUTION TOLD IT. YOU HAD NO QUESTION HE WAS A
MURDERER.
MURDERER.
IT WAS A QUESTION ABOUT MOTIVE. WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS GOAL WAS?
WHAT WAS HE GETTING OUT OF IT?
>> AT FIRST, THE FIRST TIME I
TALKED TO HIM, I WAS
TRANSPARENT.
TRANSPARENT.
I WAS LISTENING TO HIM BUT CHALLENGING HIM AT THE SAME
TIME.
TIME.
AND I TOLD HIM, I WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY.HIM, I WANT TO TELL
YOUR STORY.
I WANT TO TELL THE UNTOLD STORY, NOT THE NARRATIVE THATS BEENORY,
NOT THE NARRATIVE THATS BEEN CONTINUALLY PUT FORTH THROUGH
THE BOOK "HELTER SKELTER" AND AT
THE TRIAL.
THE TRIAL.
AND HE WAS RELUCTANT BUT OPEN. I THINK HE WAS SOMEWHATT OPEN.
I THINK HE WAS SOMEWHAT INTERESTED THAT I WAS NOT PART
OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA.
I WAS WORKING WITH REELS,
THEYRE INDEPENDENT, NOT PART OF
A CONGLOMERATE.
A CONGLOMERATE.
I WAS ABLE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT
APPROACH.
>> DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE
SPEAKING TO EVIL?
>> I WOULDNT PUT IT THAT WAY. I MEAN, HE WAS ABLE TO -- IN A
STRANGE WAY, I WAS ABLE TO TALK
TO HIM ON A HUMAN LEVEL.
I JUST SPOKE TO HIM LIKE A
PERSON.
PERSON.
HE SEEMED TO RESPOND TO THAT. SOMETIMES HE WOULD BE RAMBLING.
SOMETIMES HE WOULD BE VERY
COHERENT.
COHERENT.
BUT HE SEEMED TO RESPOND TO THE IDEA THAT I KNEW WHEY WASTO THE
IDEA THAT I KNEW WHEY WAS TALKING ABOUT AND I WAS
CHALLENGING THE CONVENTIONAL
NARRATIVE.
NARRATIVE.
>> DIANEEANEDIANE, HE REELED YOU
YOUR PARENTS LET YOU OUT IN THE WORLD AT 14 WITHOUT ANYT IN THE
WORLD AT 14 WITHOUT ANY RESPONSIBILITIES, ON THEIR PART.
HE FOUND YOU.
HOW DID IT BEGIN?
>> I WAS INVITED TO GO MEET HIM
WITH TWO OF MY FRIENDS.
AND WALKED IN.
AND THE TWO GIRLS JUMPED UP AND
SAID, DIANE, DIANE.
CHARLIE, DIANE IS HERE.
I WAS SHOCKED.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY KNEW ME.
>> SO, YOU WERE 14.
HE WAS 34, RIGHT?
>> I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN
33.
33.
I DONT KNOW.
>> BUT THERE WAS -- IT BEGAN AS
SEX, WHICH WAS NONCONSENSUAL ON
YOUR PART BECAUSE OF YOUR AGE.
WAS IT A SEDUCTION IN THE BEGINNING?EDUCTION IN THE
BEGINNING? >> DEFINITELY A SEDUCTION.
YES.
YES.
>> WHAT WAS HE LIKE? >> WHEN I FIRST MET HIM, HE WAS
PLAYING THE GUITAR.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
AND THE GIRLS WERE, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO HIM, YOU KNOW,W,
LISTENING TO HIM, YOU KNOW, RAPTUROUSLY.
RAPTUROUSLY.
AND HE WAS JUST VERY PLAYFUL. HE OFFERED ME THE REST OF HIS
ROOT BEER.
ROOT BEER.
>> AND THEN, IT BECAME ABUSIVE. >> THE ABUSE WAS SPRINKLEDSIVE.
>> THE ABUSE WAS SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT.
THROUGHOUT. AND IT GOT INCREMENTALLY WORSE
AND HARSHER.
AND HARSHER. >> YOU REMEMBER THE MANSON
FAMILY COMING HOME AFTER THE
MURDERS AND BRAGGING ABOUT THEM.
SHE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
MURDERS.
MURDERS. LETS MAKE THAT CLEAR.
AND BRAGGING ABOUT THEM.
THERES NO DOUBT IN YOUR MIND
THEY WERE COMMITTED.
THEY WERE COMMITTED IN A BRUTAL
FASHION AND THERE WAS ZERO
REMORSE
REMORSE REMORSE.
REMORSE. >> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. THEY DIDNT TELL ME THE DAY THEY
GOT BACK.
GOT BACK.
IT WAS A WEEK OR SO LATER.
>> WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN THEY ARE DESCRIBING --ING WHEN
THEY ARE DESCRIBING -- >> SHOCK AND AWE.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THESE
PEOPLE THAT I HAD SPENT, YOU
KNOW, THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH OR
THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, THAT
THEY COULD -- THEY COULD TAKE
CHARLIE THAT SERIOUSLY.
LIKE, OH, MY GOSH.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
THEY TOOK IT TO THAT LEVEL?
>> HE MAINTAINED -- DIANE WOUND
UP TESTIFYING AGAINST THE OTHER
FAMILY MEMBERS FOR THE
PROSECUTION.
HE MAINTAINED TO YOU THIS WAS
NOT ABOUT STARTING A RACE WAR.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS
THAT HE HAD WANTED THE FOLLOWERS
TO START A RACE WAR.
HE CLAIMS THATS NOT TRUE.
>> THATS SOMETHING HE
MAINTAINED UNTIL HIS DEATH.
SOMETHING HE WAS ADAMANT ABOUT. THE IDEA THAT THE HELTER SKELTER
RACE WAR WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS
MANUFACTURED BY THE PROSECUTION
TO MORE EASILY CONVICT HIM.
THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE THEORY
TO THE MURDERS AND ITS
SOMETHING WE EXPLORE IN DEPTH IN
THE DOCUMENTARY, NOT JUST ON THE
WORD OF CHARLES MANSON, BUT IN
SPEAKING WITH EVERY OTHER
FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT WE COULD
GET THERE TO CORROBORATE
ANYTHING HE MAY HAVE SAID. >> Reporter: YOU WERESAID.
>> Reporter: YOU WERE >> DIANE, YOU WERE THERE.
DO YOU BELIEVE IT WAS A RACE WAR
OR HE THOUGHT ONE WAS COMING?
>> YES.
>> YES. MOST DEFINITELY.
MOST DEFINITELY. >> HE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THIS RACE WAR FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING.
BEGINNING.
HE HAD LEARNED ABOUT THIS FROM HIS, YOU KNOW, TIME IN JAIL AND
REFORM SCHOOL.
REFORM SCHOOL.
SO, HE HAD BEEN HEARING THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.EARING THIS FOR
A VERY LONG TIME. BUT WHEN THE WHITE ALBUM CAME
OUT.
OUT.
>> THE BEATLES. >> THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM, AND
AT THAT POINT, HE WAS, I THINK,
PSYCHOTICALLY DELUSIONAL ABOUT
HIMSELF BEING THE SECOND COMING
OF CHRIST.
OF CHRIST.
HE USED TO TELL US HIS NAME. MANSON. TO TELL US HIS NAME.
MANSON.
THAT HE WAS MANS SON.
THIS WAS ALL PROPHECY.
AND WHEN THE BEATLES ALBUM CAME
OUT, HE, YOU KNOW -- HE WOULD TELL US, THIS IS THE FOUROULD
TELL US, THIS IS THE FOUR PROPHETS.
PROPHETS.
THEYRE TELLING ME ABOUT THE RACE WAR.LLING ME ABOUT THE
RACE WAR. AND ITS HELTER SKELTER.
>> HOW DID HE GET THE ACTUAL
FAMILY MEMBERS TO COMMIT THE
MURDERS?
MURDERS? HE CLAIMS EVERYONE DID WHAT THEY
WANTED TO DO.
I NEVER ORDERED ANYBODY TO DO
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. HOW DID HI GET THEM TO DO IT?
>> I THINK, THEY WERE ALL -- WE
WERE ALL UNDER HIS KIND OF
SPELL.
SPELL.
HOW THEY COULD HAVE DONE THAT, I
DONT KNOW.
IM SURE I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT.RE I COULD NOT HAVE DONE
THAT.
NOR WAS I ASKED.
BUT IT JUST -- I THINK THE
DELUSION AND THERE HAD BEEN WITH
GARY HENMAN, THERE HAD BEEN
ISSUES.
AND BOBBY WAS ARRESTED IN HIS
WAR.
THERE WAS KIND OF THIS IDEA. AND I DONT HAVE SPECIFIC, YOU
KNOW, EVIDENCE.
KNOW, EVIDENCE. WAS IT A COVER-UP?
WERE THEY -- DID THEY DO THESE
OTHER CRIMES TO COVER UP --
>> OTHER CRIMES?
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS BEFORE I
LET YOU GO.
IS IT TRUE THAT YOURE
ARRESTED -- YOU WERE ARRESTED,
TOO.
TOO.
YOUR ARRESTING OFFICER WENT ON TO BECOME YOUR STEPFATHER?T ON
TO BECOME YOUR STEPFATHER? THE MAN WHO RAISED YOU.
>> HE TOOK ME AS A FOSTER CHILD.
>> AND YOU CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
BEFORE THAT. I WAS MADE A WARD OF THE COURT.
>> YOU WENT ON TO GET MARRIED,
TO HAVE A FAMILY.
>> I HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY
BLESSED.
BLESSED.
AND I OWE IT TO THE GRACE OF GOD.I OWE IT TO THE GRACE OF
GOD. THAT GOT ME THROUGH THE VALLEY
OF DARKNESS AND LIVED TO TELL
THE TALE.
THE TALE.
AND HOPEFULLY ITS A CAUTIONARY
ONE.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS, BOTH SO
MUCH.