Leno and Rosemary LaBianca - The Murders

The Murders

Charles Manson, the leader of the Manson "family," orchestrated the murders for the sake of Helter Skelter, an apocalyptic war he believed would arise from tension over racial relations between blacks and whites. Displeased with the previous night's messy events at the Tate residence, Manson insisted on accompanying the next Helter Skelter mission, which he scheduled for August 10. The four "family" members who had participated in the Tate murders, Charles "Tex" Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian, were again summoned by Manson along with Family members Leslie Van Houten and Steve "Clem" Grogan. Manson drove the six members around the neighborhoods of Los Angeles in search of potential victims. They stopped at a church in Pasadena intending to murder everyone inside, but it was the middle of the night, doors were locked, and no one was inside. Manson's group went and looked into random people's houses through the windows and saw pictures of kids, but didn't want to kill the residents because they liked kids. Manson had a previous connection to Waverly Drive. In March 1968, Manson and other "family" members had attended a party at the rented home of Harold True. True's house was located at 3267 Waverly Drive, Manson didn't want to kill True because he thought it could be traced back to him so he settled for next door at 3301 Waverly Drive, the LaBianca's house.

LaBianca House 3301 Waverly Drive 34°06′50″N 118°16′23″W / 34.113914°N 118.273076°W / 34.113914; -118.273076 (Site of 3301 Waverly Drive)

In the early morning hours of August 10, 1969, Manson family members entered the LaBianca house. Manson and Watson awoke a sleeping Leno LaBianca, on the couch in his living room, at gunpoint. Leno was assured by Manson and Watson that he would not be hurt and that they only intended to rob him. Manson removed a leather thong from his neck and had Watson use it to tie up Leno's hands. Leno was then asked if there was anyone else in the house. He told Manson and Watson that his wife, Rosemary, was in the bedroom. Manson went to the bedroom and awoke Rosemary. He allowed her to put a dress on over her nightgown before leading her into the living room where Watson had Leno tied up. Manson and Watson reassured the couple that they wouldn't be hurt, and were just being robbed. After collecting all the cash in the house, Manson ordered Watson to take Rosemary back to her bedroom where Watson placed a pillowcase over her head, wound a lamp cord around her head, and gagged her with the lamp cord. He told her to stay quiet and remain in the room. Watson returned to the living room and Manson then left the house. Within a few minutes, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel entered the residence upon Manson's orders and were instructed to do everything Watson said, they then were told by Watson to go to the bedroom.

Watson then began stabbing Leno repeatedly, only stopping briefly when Leno screamed, "Stop stabbing me!" Rosemary, hearing her husband screaming, began screaming and flailing around the room, still blinded by the pillowcase on her head. Krenwinkel and Van Houten called Watson for help. Watson left the badly bleeding Leno in the living room, and entered the bedroom to find Rosemary swinging the lamp still attached to the cord used to gag her. Tex lunged forward and stabbed her until she fell to the floor. He then handed the knife to Van Houten and told her to "do something" as Manson wanted to make sure everyone got their hands dirty, Van Houten then stabbed Rosemary in the lower back 13 times; these blows were found to be post mortem. By the time the stabbing ended, Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten had stabbed Rosemary 41 times.

Leno was still alive when Watson came back to the living room and the stabbing resumed. After Watson finished stabbing Leno, Pat Krenwinkel carved the word "WAR" into Leno's stomach. Krenwinkel then stabbed him a number of times and left a carving fork protruding from his stomach and a knife from his throat. The girls then wrote messages in Leno's blood. "Death to pigs" and "Rise" were written on the living room wall, and "Healter Skelter" was written on the refrigerator door.

After the murders, the family members remained at the house. Some ate food from the LaBiancas' refrigerator, played with the couple's dogs and showered before hitchhiking back to the Spahn Ranch.