Charles Manson cult survivor says he lured her in with ‘tender’ sex & admits she likely would have murdered for him
A CHARLES Manson cult survivor has revealed how he lured her in with ‘tender’ sex – and she would likely have murdered for him. Juanita Wildebush, 77, from Oregon, has lifted the lid on her time spent with the murderous cult, and how she escaped before the gruesome Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969. She wasn’t involved […]
A CHARLES Manson cult survivor has revealed how he lured her in with ‘tender’ sex – and she would likely have murdered for him.
Juanita Wildebush, 77, from Oregon, has lifted the lid on her time spent with the murderous cult, and how she escaped before the gruesome Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969.
She wasn’t involved in the horrific murders but said she fears she would have done terrible things as Manson’s hold over her was so strong.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Juanita said of her time with Manson and his followers at Spahn Ranch in Los Angeles County: “He was amazing.
“He was so tender, he would bring you just to the point of orgasm and then he would bring you back. Like a Kama Sutra kind of thing, you know, just bring you up, and bring you up, and bring you back.”
Juanita grew up in New Jersey and later went to university in Mexico City to study psychology, where she fell for handsome philosophy student Carlos.
She said she would often travel with Carlos and his friend round Mexico meeting hippies, and grew an interest for communal living.
When she graduated in 1967, Manson had been let out of prison after seven years behind bars for forging checks and transporting women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution.
Manson was 32 at the time and started for his Family in San Francisco during Summer of Love, before moving to LA.
That’s what the survivor’s guilt was about. I had no doubt that had I been there, I would have done (the same thing).
Juanita Wildebush
Juanita’s paths crossed with the commune in the summer of 1968 when she bought a Dodge van and planned to drive to Mexico to meet Carlos.
The then-24-year-old was intending to reach Phoenix, Arizona, but after the stereo was stolen out of the van, she had to locate a replacement.
She then stumbled upon a pregnant woman who was holding up a sign that said ‘Los Angeles’ and Junanita offered to give her and the two men she was with a lift.
The hitchhiking woman was Manson Family member Susan ‘Sadie’ Atkins, who was later convicted for her participation in the Tate-LaBianca murders.
As soon as Susan got in the van she started telling Juanita all about the Family, and Juanita liked her “right away.”
She dropped them off at the Spahn Ranch and Susan invited her to spend the night saying she couldn’t wait to introduce her to “Charlie.”
Her first sight of Manson was him walking out of his trailer naked with one of his lovers.
She said the commune welcomed her with open arms and she felt an immediate connection to them.
Manson even invited himself into her van when everyone else went to bed – but she turned him down despite him calling her “selfish.”
The next day, he met her with coffee and gave her a tour round the “magic property”, which was used as a movie set from time to time.
Juanita started to want to stay in the commune and had less interest in meeting Carlos in Mexico.
It wasn’t long before she gave into Manson’s advances, after he said: “You don’t need to worry about Carlos, because I am him, and he is me.”
The pair made love in the back of her van, and Manson invited Sadie and Steven ‘Clem’ Grogan to join them.
The same night, Juanita agreed to sign over her van to Manson and give him the $14,000 (£10,000) she had in a trust fund.
Juanita stayed with the commune and in November 1968, some of them relocated to Meyers Ranch in Goler Canyon in Death Valley, and later at the nearby Barker Ranch, which had more space.
Manson and some of his followers returned to Spahn Ranch in March 1969 to prepare for the ‘race war’ he had predicted.
Juanita was left at Barker Ranch to watch the place with a 19-year-old commute member called Brooks Poston.
After three months by themselves, gold prospectors Paul Crockett and Bob Berry arrived looking for lodging.
Although they were initially worried about Manson turning up and were wary of “outsiders”, Juanita and Brooks enjoyed their company.
Juanita eventually became romantically involved with Bob – and eventually decided Manson’s power had waned and she wanted to leave the Family.
She gave the news to visiting Family member ‘Little’ Paul Watkins.
Juanita said: “When he was leaving, we said, (Little) Paul, will you do us a favor? Some evening when Charlie and everybody are together in the living room, would you tell Charlie that we want him to release us from all agreements implied or direct? And we will do the same for him.
“And so Little Paul, I guess, went back and did it, and Charlie said something like, ‘That’s fine. I don’t care.’”
It was a lucky escape for Juanita, as on August 9, 1969, the famous murder of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and three friends, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Voytek Frykowski, took place at the hands of Family members.
The victims, along with Steven Parent, an 18-year-old man who was visiting the caretaker of the estate, were killed by Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Linda Kasabian, and Susan Atkins.
The next night, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their home in LA by the same barbaric group, along with Leslie Van Houten and Manson.
Juanita, who married Bob, knew Manson and the Family were responsible for the horrific murders – months before they were linked to the crime.
Manson, Watson, Krenwinkel, Kasabian, and Atkins were convicted of the murders and sentenced to death – but this was later changed to life in prison.
Susan and Manson died in prison in 2009 and 2017 respectively, but Watson, Krenwinkel, and Kasabian remain there.
Juanita went on to train as a licensed therapist, and remained married to Bob until his death two years ago.
They had one son together, who now has a child of his own, and Juanita is now retired.
She said that she has considered visiting Susan but her therapist has convinced her not to do it.
However, she does struggle knowing where her life might have gone had she not escaped.
She admitted: “That’s what the survivor’s guilt was about. I had no doubt that had I been there, I would have done (the same thing). Sadie (Atkins) and Leslie (Van Houten) were the people I felt the closest to.”
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