not for bugliosi. manson didn't personally commit the murders. no physical evidence to prove he manipulated his group. turned them into what bugliosi called blood-thirsty robots. >> i had to bring them in by way of circumstantial evidence. >> the prosecutor decided to use helter skelter. it played well on the white album. but how would it play with a jury? >> coming up, before o.j., this was the trial of the century. >> charlie always wanted to be famous and by god if this was how it was going to happen he was going to do it right. >> it's all a play, isn't it? >> and does one of the killers have a chance at freedom? ==rob chroma== (rob ad lib) ==peggy/cu== and breaking news in san francisco. a homicide investigation right now in the mission. we're live, ==close== next at 11 on nbc bay area news >>> the '60s gave us the summer of love. in 1970, the summer of manson. >> all the elements are present for one of the most sensational murder trials in american history. >> that summer, charles manson, "life" magazine cover boy and three of his followers