Police to Dig for Graves at Manson Ranch

By GARANCE BURKE,

Posted: 2008-05-10 13:17:41

Filed Under: Crime News, Nation News

FRESNO, Calif. (May 9) - The sheriff of the remote region where Charles Manson hid after a killing spree in the summer of 1969 said Friday that he will allow researchers to begin digging into the sandy soil in search of possible human remains.

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Authorities said they'll begin digging for possible human remains at a California ranch where Charles Manson's infamous "family" of outcasts and drifters once made their home. Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze said he will allow a limited four-day excavation at Barker Ranch beginning May 20.

In February, a team of forensic researchers visited the Death Valley ranch where Manson took refuge and found at least two sites that could be clandestine graves holding the bodies of additional victims.

Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze said he will allow a limited four-day excavation at Barker Ranch beginning May 20 because forensic tests of the soil had produced mixed results.

"There was no consistent response from the dogs that searched, and no conclusive findings from the soil samplings tested by top experts in the field," Lutze said in a statement. "The only way to determine once and for all whether there are bodies buried at Barker Ranch from the time of the Manson family is to proceed with limited excavation."

National Park Service officials said Thursday that the ranch, located within Death Valley National Park in the rugged Panamint Mountain range, would be closed for as long as four days "to protect the integrity of the investigative process."

Lutze has jurisdiction over the dig because the park land lies within Inyo County boundaries, sheriff's officials said.

The ranch was briefly closed in April, but a decision to dig was put off because a piece of high-tech soil-testing equipment was damaged en route to the site. Authorities said they wanted to conduct tests using lasers before disturbing the soil.

Scientists completed four kinds of tests at five locations on the ranch and found some corroboration of a "possible find of human remains" at some of the sites, Lutze said.

Manson and his followers hid out in the decrepit ranch after a series of gruesome murders that set Los Angeles on edge in 1969. They were arrested there in a raid. CNN.com: More about the Manson case

Manson is serving a life sentence at Corcoran State Prison for the murders of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-05-09 22:18:15

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405 comments

judyspicerva 05:22:42 PM May 14 2008

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the only reason that they are up there now is because that crazy bastard is going to try and get out in 2012! fat chance, he is a freak and needs to stay right where he is until he dies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

nanny7719 07:04:53 PM May 12 2008

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HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GASSED YEARS AGO!!!

ww1621 11:00:09 AM May 12 2008

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Meet more guys like Charlie Manson at www.crazyloonscumbag.com. I went there and met lots of great people.

denise0812 10:51:14 AM May 12 2008

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They decided now to dig for graves? Didn't these people think there might be bodies buried on the ranch before? What a bunch of intellegent people.

tamtownmn 09:55:59 AM May 12 2008

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I lived in California at the time of "the families" deeds of death. Charlie should never be released from prison. "Tex", on the other hand, in my opinion, was Charlies tool.
Charlie, the little weasel that he is wasn't big enough, tough enough to stomp a spider to death, he used drugs, sex and intimidation to convince Tex and the rest of his followers to carry out the deeds Charlie didn't have the stomache for. If more victims are found buried, which is a very likely, you can bet it was Tex who bloodied his hands.