6 Manson Followers Attempt to Rob Western Surplus in Hawthorne 1971

Hawthorne shootout

Manson Family members Mary Brunner, Catherine "Gypsy" Share, Dennis Rice, Charles Lovett, Larry Bailey, and Kenneth Como (Share's husband) drove a white van to a Hawthorne, California Western Surplus Store on August 21, 1971. The group had previously held up a liquor store. 

Western Surplus location today

The group brandished guns and ordered patrons and clerks to lie on the ground. They then took 143 rifles and loaded them into their van, while a store clerk tripped the silent alarm. According to police officers, the group then debated whether to kill all of those in the store.

A police squad car arrived, and Catherine Share opened fire on the vehicle, shattering the windshield. 

As more squad cars arrived, they blocked the van from fleeing, hitting it with more than 50 bullets; the Family members fired nearly 20 rounds at the officers. Police gained control and apprehended the group; Brunner, Share, and Bailey were injured.

Then and Now

Police alleged that the group's plan was to hijack a Boeing 747 and threaten to kill one passenger every hour until Manson and fellow Family members were released from prison. 

Catherine Share (left) and Mary Brunner

Brunner and Share were convicted of one or more crimes and incarcerated at the California Institution for Women where Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel were serving their sentences for their participation in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Brunner disappeared from the public eye after being paroled in 1977. Share served five years for her participation in the Hawthorne shootout and was released in 1975. Following her release from prison, Share disassociated herself from the "Family" and sought surgical treatment to remove the "X" she (and others) had carved into her forehead on Manson's orders during his trial.

Dennis Rice, Kenneth Como, Larry Bailey (left to right)

Charles Lovett

"Jigsaw John" TV Series (1976)

Jigsaw John is an American crime drama television series that aired from February 2 until June 14, 1976, based on the career of real-life LAPD Robbery-Homicide Detective "Jigsaw John" St. John renowned for his investigations of many of Los Angeles’s highest-profile murder cases. It was preceded, during the previous television season, by the TV-movie They Only Come Out at Night.

Premise: John St. John is an LAPD detective who solves murder cases.

Cast

Jack Warden as "Jigsaw" John St. John
Alan Feinstein as Sam Donner
Pippa Scott as Maggie Hearn
James Hong as Frank Chen

Special Effects Creator Stan Winston 2008 Hillside Cemetery

Stanley "Stan" Winston (April 7, 1946 – June 15, 2008) was an American television and film special make-up effects creator. He was best known for his work in the Terminator series, the first three Jurassic Park films, Aliens, the first two Predator films, Iron Man, Edward Scissorhands, and Avatar. He won four Academy Awards for his work.

Winston, a frequent collaborator with director James Cameron, owned several effects studios, including Stan Winston Digital. The established areas of expertise for Winston were in makeup, puppets and practical effects, but he had recently expanded his studio to encompass digital effects as well.

Death

Stan Winston died on June 15, 2008, in Malibu, California after suffering for seven years from multiple myeloma. A spokeswoman reported that he "died peacefully at home surrounded by family." Winston was with his wife and two children, actor Matt Winston and Debbie Winston. 

Stan Winston is buried at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger made a public speech about his death, and Jon Favreau dedicated his Spike TV Scream Award to him upon receiving the award for Best Sci-Fi Movie for Iron Man. Terminator Salvation starts and ends the credits with a dedication to him. After his death, his four supervisors (Shane Mahan, John Rosengrant, Alan Scott, Lindsay Macgowan) founded and built their own studio, Legacy Effects, named to honor his memory.

Ronni Chasen Murder Suspect SUICIDE - Harvey Apartments 2010

On December 1, 2010, the Los Angeles Times reported that a man believed to be involved with Ronnie Chasen's murder committed suicide after being confronted by police at the Harvey Apartments on Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood. The Times reported the man, a convicted felon known to neighbors at the complex as Harold Smith, was approached by police in the apartment lobby, at which point the man pulled out a pistol and shot himself in the head. On December 6, 2010, it was reported that Smith is no longer considered a person of interest in the murder. However, on December 8, 2010, it was reported by the Beverly Hills Police Department that Ronni Chasen's murder was a random act of violence, a robbery gone bad - committed by a man on a bicycle. According to BHPD, the gun that Harold Smith used to kill himself last week was the very same gun used to murder Chasen. Police say they believe Smith acted alone and it was in no way connected with road rage -- an operating theory last week. The big break in the case was a tip through "America's Most Wanted" -- after Smith began bragging to neighbors that he shot Chasen and got $10,000 for it. The "AMW" tipster -- who wants to remain anonymous -- stands to collect a $125,000 reward.