The Tate-LaBianca Homicide Research Blog

ColScott Said:

You know I was reading one of the recent articles, maybe one of the ones I posted (not going to go back and look, doesn't matter) and they referred to Cielo Drive as a HOME INVASION. Now true this was 1969 and I am not sure when I first heard the term but it was more likely than not the 90s so this is retrofitting of course.

But what word do we normally hear after "Home Invasion"? ROBBERY, right? I never heard of a Home Invasion Race War Startup, have you?

It was a robbery or drug deal burn or both. There IS a meaning to it I know there is.
 
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Lynyrd Responds:

Marlin Marynick, psychiatric nurse, and author of the book "Charles Manson Now", described the events at Cielo as a "botched home invasion", during his interview with "Good Day LA".

He makes his statement at 2mins/40 seconds into the interview. (video below)

 

Marlin's description of the event (and carefully chosen language) made an impact on me as well, as having some significance.

 

I agree with the Colonel on two things:

 

#1) "Home Invasion" implies that there was a goal to this event, which had nothing to do with a race war.

Marlin could have just as easily said "race war"... but he intentionally did not.

"Home invasion" suggests to me, that "the family" was there with a purpose.

The most likely purpose of a "home invasion" is robbery, or retribution (i.e., payback of some kind).

This is straight forward logic... and as I said... I agree with Colonel on this subject.

 

Marlin quickly follows-up with these statements:

"Drugs were definitely involved" and "all these people knew each other".

This suggests to me, a "payback" purpose for something drug-related.

But, either way you slice it... Marlin clearly implies a purpose for Cielo... and that purpose does not include a race war.

As I said... Marlin could have easily stated "race war", as his response to the interviewer... but, he intentionally did not.

 

#2) The word "botched" is also significant, as it implies that things went beyond the intended goal.

Bottom line:
The execution of the "home invasion" went awry... and the subsequent bloodbath was beyond the intended purpose of the "home invasion", which was robbery or payback (for something drug-related).

Marlin's chosen descriptor of "botched" makes sense... as the type of bloodbath which resulted, was not what one would expect from a routine robbery, or "tune up".

 

I agree with Colonel on all counts here.

 

The question becomes:

How much significance does Marlin's testimony carry?

That depends (I suppose) on how much weight, we give to Marlin's opinion.

Marlin strikes me as a grounded person... not prone to sensationalize or hypothesize without forethought and research.

He's obviously an educated man.

 

As always, there are no definites here... but I submit, Marlin's view is a piece of the puzzle, worthy of some thought.

 

Peace... Lynyrd

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Marlin's Interview 

Video from the Backporch Tapes Collection