Charles Manson, the cult leader at the centre of Netflix's new documentary series Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes, fathered four children that are known of, according to reports.
Manson's Four Known Children
Manson had his first son, Charles Manson Jr., with his first wife Rosalie Jean Willis. Willis divorced Manson while he was serving time in federal prison in 1958. Charles Manson Jr. later changed his name to Jay White and died by suicide in 1993, according to Britannica.
Manson reportedly married Leona Rae Musser, also known as 'Candy Stevens', and they had a son named Charles Luther Manson. The couple divorced around 1963.
Later Children and DNA Revelation
The cult leader had a third son, Valentine Michael Manson, with Family member Mary Theresa Brunner. The child was later adopted by Brunner's parents and raised under a new name.
Manson was revealed to have a fourth son after Daniel Arguelles discovered through a DNA test in 2022 that the criminal was his father. His mother, Darlene Arguelles, had a one-night stand with Manson after meeting him at a bus stop when she was just 17. Arguelles' daughter, filmmaker Sophia Maddox, recently released her Hulu documentary My Grandfather Charles Manson, which explored her journey after discovering her father's DNA results.
Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes is streaming on Netflix now. Samaritans are available day or night, 365 days a year. You can call them for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
