But with the “fantasy take” on the infamous killing spree to hit UK cinemas in August – 50 years after it shocked the world – mystery surrounds the death of at least four other believed victims.
Pregnant actress Sharon Tate, 26 (wife of film director Roman Polanski), and eight others were butchered by Manson’s followers with the aim of sparking a race war.
But Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, starring Margot Robbie as Tate alongside Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Pacino, has no clues for the real-life mystery that haunts detectives half-a-century after the horrifying events of July and August 1969.
They are convinced the cult leader, who died behind bars aged 83 in November 2017, ordered at least four more murders, three of which bear chilling similarities to the nine other killings.
Los Angeles police say all four cases are still active and retired detective Cliff Shepard declared: “I still hold out hope that they will eventually be solved but, after all this time, it’s going to take some luck.”
Student Marina Habe, 17, was repeatedly stabbed and her body was found dumped near Mulholland Drive on January 1, 1969.
Police have looked at the evidence using modern forensic methods but detective Tom Kerfoot says: “We didn’t find a trace of DNA that could identify her attacker or attackers.”
Reet Jurvetson, 19, was stabbed 150 times and her body was found in brush on the same road on November 16, 1969.
The attack bore the hallmarks of the Manson Family and one member later said she looked like a hippie, “Sherry”, who had briefly spent time with the cult.
Doreen Gaul, also 19, was found savagely stabbed to death in an LA alley on November 21, 1969.
She briefly lived in the same apartment block as Manson henchman Bruce Davis, who was later questioned in prison but denied ever having met her.
John ‘Zero’ Haught, 22, a Manson follower, was found dead on November 5, 1969.
Other family members said he died while playing Russian roulette.
Police, however, found that all his gun’s chambers had bullets and there were no fingerprints, suggesting it had been wiped clean.
They think Manson may have ordered his execution.
Sharon Tate’s sister also believes the murders were the work of Manson’s followers.
Debra Tate, 66, said: “All these people are either known or thought to have had contact with the Manson Family.
The way they were murdered – the stabbing techniques and the overkill – is the same.”
