We know that he graduated from Arroyo High School in the spring of 1969. We know that he was a whiz in Electronics.
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| Arroyo High School |
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| Citrus Junior College |
And in the evenings Parent worked as a salesman at Jonas Miller Stereo on Wilshire Boulevard.
We know that on August 8th, 1969, he made a stop at Cielo Drive to see Bill Garretson. We know that he knew Garretson from picking him up hitchhiking on a previous evening, and Garretson had invited him to stop by "anytime".
We know that he had a clock/radio in his car. We know that clock/radio stopped at 12:15am.
We know that he was gunned down by Tex Watson at Cielo Drive, most likely when he was leaving the premises.
We know that the next day when the police were investigating the murders, he was tossed aside like a used Kleenex, toe tagged a "John Doe" and thrown into the meat wagon, obviously not as interesting as the other victims.
We know that on August 8th, 1969, he made a stop at Cielo Drive to see Bill Garretson. We know that he knew Garretson from picking him up hitchhiking on a previous evening, and Garretson had invited him to stop by "anytime".
We know that he had a clock/radio in his car. We know that clock/radio stopped at 12:15am.
We know that he was gunned down by Tex Watson at Cielo Drive, most likely when he was leaving the premises.
We know that the next day when the police were investigating the murders, he was tossed aside like a used Kleenex, toe tagged a "John Doe" and thrown into the meat wagon, obviously not as interesting as the other victims.
Now let's fill in the blanks about what we don't know...
35 comments:
Some people like to say Parent was gay and he was doing a gay hook up with Garretson, but I don't really even care if that's true at this point. I do think he was trying to sell the clock radio to Garretson, because HOW WOULD GARRETSON EVEN KNOW HE HAD A CLOCK RADIO if he hadn't brought it into his house?? We know there was a clock/radio, because it was found in Parent's car.
Let's start from there! :)
In truth, we know virtually sweet FA about Steven Parent. We know some things that have been said about him such as "he was described as having both sadistic and homosexual tendencies by a probation officer" which may be amazingly accurate or a load of bollocks because it's not elaborated on. Truth be told, we know very little about any of the victims, but in particular, Steven Parent.
And even his parents may not have known much about him. I know my parents had almost zero idea of what I was about from the age of 14.
Well that's true Grim. We basically don't know anything to be factual, except his attendance at high school could be documented and he probably was already registered to attend college by August of 1969 since the fall semester probably began in September.
The employment could be documented. But Steven's feelings & thoughts can never be documented.
I'm not sure if a "probation officer" was trying to "diagnose" him with "sadistic and homosexual tendencies" or if that was just an opinion. He never really expounded on that.
I logged-on to post a comment, but Grim Traveller has beaten me to the punch.
Grim posted exactly what I was going to say.
And bottom line, he's right.
"Parent was described as having both sadistic and homosexual tendencies by a probation officer..."
Over the years, that quote has spawned more discussion and conjecture regarding Steve Parent than any other piece of information we have on him.
In fact, for some bloggers, that quote has singlehandedly defined who Steve Parent was (as a person)... and moreover, why he was AT Cielo Drive.
But like Grim said, we have to keep things in perspective.
We know nothing about the "parole officer" in question, or his ability to make accurate character assessments.
As Grim said, the parole officer's opinion may have been quite reliable... OR, he may have simply been a quack.
One thing's for sure, parole officers are usually not board-certified doctors of psychology.
I'm not suggesting that we should dismiss the parole officer's assessment entirely. (It's a piece of evidence)
BUT, we should certainly take it with a grain of salt.
Heaven help us, if we were ALL defined (forever) by just one quote... or one person's assessment of us.
=======================================
Just a thought:
If this parole officer is still alive, it would be interesting to hear him interviewed "live" by Brian Davis.
How many of us gave "weight" to Bill Garretson's testimony, UNTIL we had the chance to hear Bill speak "live"??
After hearing Bill speak, I think it's universally accepted that he's a fruitcake.
But alas... I'm sure the parole officer in question is most likely dead.
====================================================
"Wrong place at the wrong time"...
This is another quote which will forever define Steve Parent... and I think we can all agree, it's most accurate.
Regardless of WHY Steve Parent was at Cielo... and regardless of one's "motive theory"... Steve is literally the poster boy for "being at the wrong place, at the wrong time".
"Drug burn"... "Spring Bobby from jail"... "Charlie's disdain for the upper-crust"... no matter what theory one holds... Parent had nothing to do with it.
He was simply at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
================================================
I agree with Katie on one point:
Because Parent was not connected to "Hollywood", he was given the least consideration, respect and research (of all the Cielo victims) by police and media.
That's unfortunate.
It's a sad statement about our society.
Peace!
I think that we also know that he wore glasses.
Thanks Slappy, I think we know he probably likes to smile a lot.
Steven was Catholic, as were all the Cielo victims, I believe.
Thanks Carol. I think Voytek was Jewish, like Roman??? Not sure...
Hi, Katie! I think Voytek is buried in St. Josef Cemetery in Poland, so I guess he's not Jewish.
katie8753 said...
I'm not sure if a "probation officer" was trying to "diagnose" him with "sadistic and homosexual tendencies" or if that was just an opinion. He never really expounded on that
It is kind of curious why that should show up in a report on someone who had stolen electrical items because they were fascinated by the workings of electronic products.
As a sort of related point, Charles Manson in 1952 was said by those assessing him at the reformatory in Petersburg that he "definitely has homosexual and assaultive tendencies." He had committed three serious homosexual offences at that point, plus the one where he held the razor at the guy's throat while he raped him. But it's interesting getting Manson's own view on that because he says that the thought of homosex made him sick to his stomach initially, but being locked up with other boys that told him it was the way to go {and I suspect he'd been raped} sowed the seed {no pun intended}. So, the question I ask is, did he actually have homosexual tendencies inherent within him or did he slide into that mode by dint of the circumstances he found himself in ? It's notable that his sexual problems and his sexual reputation on the outside were always concerned with females. His supposed prowess in the eyes of the Family that was commented on by those people from the free clinic that did the group study on the Family in 1968 was to do with women. Although not denying sex with guys, it rarely comes up in the narrative of Charlie on the outside.
LynyrdSkynyrdBand said...
Over the years, that quote has spawned more discussion and conjecture regarding Steve Parent than any other piece of information we have on him
While totally ignoring the other part of the phrase which, for me, is far more interesting. The definition of 'sadistic' is "deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others." That pain can be physical or emotional but I would hazard a guess that the emotional aspect of that has only really caught on in recent years. So it's arguable that what this probation officer was hinting at was that Steve Parent was or had it in him to be pretty violent. Even if not true, the fact that it was written in a report on him makes the mode of his death somewhat ironic.
In fact, for some bloggers, that quote has singlehandedly defined who Steve Parent was (as a person)... and moreover, why he was AT Cielo Drive
I think he was at Cielo for the reasons that William Garretson said he was ~ to sell a clock radio. Firstly, because of the time he arrived, secondly because of the time he left and thirdly because because the radio was found in his car. Why would Garrestson have mentioned it, not knowing whether it was still there ? How would he have known about it in the first place ?
Steven Parent was examined and the examination noted that no sperm was found about his person and that his genitalia was "unremarkable." Granted, there are many ways in which one can get one's rocks off but when you throw in the known facts like the times phone calls were made, arrivals, departures, the time on the clock, the fact that Garretson couldn't even identify Parent, the call Parent made on the phone, the fact Garretson said he'd not had sex with Parent nor was he gay {though he honestly admitted being blown once by a guy}, the fact that Garretson said Steve tried to make a big thing of the two women up at the main house, then it's not unfair to conclude that much ado about nothing has been read into Steven Parent's involvement. The thing that makes me laugh is when people throw suspicion on him turning up at nearly midnight to a stranger's pad, implying that one just didn't do this....like teens in the late 60s were all tucked up in bed at 21.45pm. Not when they had cars. For me, nothing about Steven Parent's actions that night were unusual, taking into account he'd only met Garretson once. Obviously, he could have been chancing his arm for a bit of a romp that night, but that strikes me as a bit of a stretch.
We know nothing about the "parole officer" in question
We don't even know his name.
One thing's for sure, parole officers are usually not board-certified doctors of psychology
The parole officers that Charles Manson went on to have have pretty much tainted the name and reputation of parole officers in regards to their reliability of judgement.
I'm not suggesting that we should dismiss the parole officer's assessment entirely. (It's a piece of evidence)
BUT, we should certainly take it with a grain of salt
I'd like to read the full probation report actually. The Tate Police report mentions just that one sentence about Parent's supposed tendencies.
Heaven help us, if we were ALL defined (forever) by just one quote... or one person's assessment of us
Well, that happens all the time. People are 'defined' at a young age for a particular action or set of actions and it stays with them in many instances. It happens to many people in the public eye, the great and the small.
In a real sense, many of us do this with the Tate/LaBianca killers. For many people who have looked into the case, it may as well be 1969 because that is where many of us have cast them and no matter what they say or do, they're not let out of '69. It's arguably a worse prison than the one they're actually in.
If this parole officer is still alive, it would be interesting to hear him interviewed "live"
It would interesting to find out if the officer even still remembered Steven Parent.
"Wrong place at the wrong time"...
One of history's most punishing coincidences, it would seem. But in reality that could be replicated a million fold. Lots of people have been maimed or died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Drug burn"... "Spring Bobby from jail"... "Charlie's disdain for the upper-crust"... no matter what theory one holds... Parent had nothing to do with it
People can make any conspiracy out of pretty much anything. A guy called Johnnysnickers throws out some ideas about Steven, drugs and Tex in the link. I personally dismiss it but a former parole officer called Will Cavanaugha says Parent was a probationer on a drugs charge in his book "My life in crime." Be warned though, in 5 pages he manages to utterly crush any credibility that might actually have been heading his way. The writing and inaccuracies are shocking.
They examined him for drugs and was found to have none of the big guns in his system at the time. Interestingly, there's nothing in the autopsy report about marijuana in the system or any other psychedelics. Curious again that one official source links him with drugs though, even if that source isn't someone I'd rely on to tell me what month follows April.
It does show that Parent hasn't been totally consigned to the vast outer reaches of forgetfulness.
Because Parent was not connected to "Hollywood"
As does this. JohnnySnickers puts together some interesting connections if they are true about Steven and the guy he called on the phone at Garretson's place, Jerold Friedman. When one does some digging, it's still inconclusive, but like many items in this case, offers food for thought.
On the link to the Will Cavanaugha book, scroll up to page 103 and read to 108.
That's one book I wouldn't buy even if it were free and you gave me 8 copies.
Oh, and in the sentence in the penultimate quote above that starts "They examined him for drugs", it's Steven I'm talking about, not that author, although maybe he should have been too !
That does seem over and above what a probation officer would or should know about someone who got caught doing a petty theft....he had to have SOME reason to put that in his report.
That doesn't seem like something that someone would make up for no reason.But even if its true chances are it had no relation to the murders.
Grim,
You are the best poster on the site. I really enjoy reading you. Thank you for all the great input.
Bobby
Thanks Carol, I guess he wasn't Jewish.
Matt, good to see you. Hi Bobby!
Grim I agree, I think he was there to sell a clock/radio and it was as simple as that. I also don't think it was unusual for him to be there right before midnight. He probably got off work between 11:00 & 11:30, so I don't find that unusual at all.
I think he was trying to sell electronics to help pay for college, but why he would try and sell anything to Garretson I don't know. That guy probably couldn't rub 2 dimes together. But maybe Parent thought he had some money since he lived on that estate.
And maybe he thought that Bill had some "pull" with the people in the main house and that might make it easier for him to sell electronics? We'll probably never know.
Venus! Could be. Good to see you! :)
I think Bill got $40/week for his "caretaking" duties. I'm not sure what those duties included. He didn't mow, trim or weed eat the yard, the trees or shrubbery. The gardener did all that. He didn't clean the main house, Mrs. Chapman did that. He didn't do maintenance on anything because the speaker on the gate was broken and the main house & guest houses were in general disrepair due to age. He didn't do painting because another guy painted the nursery.
But he did water the yard and take care of the dogs. Other than that, I'm not sure what he did.
The guy obviously didn't have a car, since he hitched all over the place, so if you don't have to pay for gas, insurance or car repairs, I guess $40/week will keep you in TV dinners, beer, cigs and some pot. LOL.
Not anymore thats for sure!
Do we really even know for sure that the parole officer said these things...I've seen the same quote over and over again but has anyone ever actually seen the report?
MATT!! Ou-yeah ott-gay at-thay ight-ray. You're a "good-an". LOL.
Hi, Venus!
Hi Katie, Carol and everyone! Hope everyone has a very happy new year!
Hey Venus, Happy New Year!!!!!! :)
matt prokes said...
Do we really even know for sure that the parole officer said these things...I've seen the same quote over and over again but has anyone ever actually seen the report?
I don't know if probation reports were or are public record, even after 30 years. If I had been a probationer, I wouldn't the world having access to what was said about me in the aftermath of my criminal pursuits committed in the folly of my youth.
That said, I'd still like to see Steven Parent's one ! That quote that gets bandied about again comes from the first Tate Police report. In the second one, Parent barely rates a mention.
Happy New Year everyone!
Because (for the sake of abstract reasons) a lot of people gate crashed Monterey Pop in 1967, and probably a lot of thievery occurred, some doing it because others did likewise, he may or may not have been there. (And his family all allegedly climbed into a bed and cried upon hearing the news)...
According to some records those public servants are grossly overloaded with clients and can be very terse in their comments;. wondering if their boss will even have the time to examine their evaluation s. In such a scene of celebrities ;and assorted off beats on the fringes of cultural norms the pressure had to be unbelievably high, with more than one supervisor looking over their shoulder. Even then-President Nixon nearly lost his courtroom demeanor, although a lawyer by profession, feeling the need to involve himself.
There’s a lot of new information about Steven in a podcast interview I conducted with his high school sweetheart/prom date. The interview premieres on Saturday, August 10, and can be found at http://www.moviegeeksunited.net/tinseltowntragedies.htm
I think SP was gay, and probably wanted sex with WG. The clock radio was just the excuse to go to Cielo. And no, he didn’t get sex. But the more interesting question, was he killed first, or last?
Also, I think the officer who said he had “sadistic and homosexual tendencies” didn’t really mean sadistic. He was lumping “perversions” together, as many people did then. Homosexual = molester, that kind of thing.
I agree with Deester. Steven Parent was gay; he was out looking for some seemingly-harmless fun. Oh but for the Grace of Dog, look what happened instead. Speaking of 'Dog'...He is one Defective Deity™, that's for sure!
Interesting post about Steven Parent from the Sci-Fi writer David Gerrold. Gerrold (aka Jerrold David Friedman) was the person Steven called from the guest house.
So, here is the post calling Gerrold, Gerrold's response, and a link to the page where it was posted. There are longer versions of the posts in the link.
Posted by Thomas December 23, 2020
David Gerrold was the lover of Manson Family victim, Steven Parent. Parent was a juvenile delinquent who was given a job at a stereo store where Gerrold shopped. He spent a lot of hours "installing stereo equipment" in Gerrold's home. When Parent was visiting 10050 Cielo Drive's landlord and Hollyweird talent agent Rudy Altobelli's kept boy William Garretson in the "guest house," he received a call there from Gerrold, who asked Parent to drive down the hill to that little park and fountain where the famous "Beverly Hills" sign is located on Santa Monica and Doheny, to "pick up a friend." That park was a notorious pickup spot for gay prostitutes. Parent was shot dead 30 minutes after he received that phone call from Gerrold.
Posted by David July 7, 2021
The implications of the poster who identifies himself as "Thomas" are offensive in the extreme.
Yes, did know Steven Earl Parent. (I never shopped at Jonas Miller Stereo on Wilshire Blvd. I knew him from elsewhere.) No, Steve was not a juvenile delinquent. He was planning to attend college in the fall of 69. He was a remarkably generous person, loved by his parents and his siblings. Yes, we were close. He was one of the best friends I ever had, he made a big difference in my life.
No, Steven Parent did not spend hours installing stereo equipment in my home. I never got any stereo equipment from him.
No, I did not call Steven Parent the night of the murders. He called me. Yes, I asked him to come to my apartment so we could hang out together. No, I did not ask him to meet me at a notorious pickup spot. (I did not even know that was a notorious pickup spot. How does Thomas know?)
Thomas' information is woefully wrong and I can only assume his intention was malicious.
In 1970, I testified in the Manson trial and my testimony is a matter of public record. Anyone wanting to know what actually happened that night can look up my testimony.
— David Gerrold
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/381514-david-gerrold-creepy-spoiler#comment_form
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