to charlie manson. >>> coming up, manson's unshakable hold on his "family." >> he dances, he sings, heeautiful. he looks happy. and this draws a lot of people. >> and a possible motive behind the murders. >> charlie would be king of the world. >> but that's crazy talk. >> it wasn't to us. >> when "dateline" continues. - it's okay when you see something different to have questions. a good question is a great start to understanding. take a little time out of your day to learn something new about someone else. all the greatest adventures start with an interesting question. the more you know. >>> october 1969, after two months of false leads in the tate and labianca murders, suddenly there was news. >> police apparently got their break in the tate case when this girl, susan atkins, a member of manson's family, was arrested in another los angeles murder and talked to a cellmate about the tate killings. >> that information led investigators, and eventually the media, to a hippie cult called "the family," and their leader, charles manson. >> he dances, he sings, he looks beautiful. he looks h

. >> charlie manson is a great presenter. >> people who are curious go to the los angeles hall of justice where they wait in long lines. some people are so interested that they get to the court at 4:00 a.m. >> i am writing to you because i don't think i'm getting a fair trial. i'm an individual one man standing alone. defending myself. contrast this with the facilities you have available to you. >> i noted, for example, the coverage of the charles manson case. here is a man who was guilty, directly or indirectly, of eight murders without reason. this is a man yet who, as far as the coverage was concerned, appeared to be rather a glamorous figure. >> l.a. times next morning, "manson guilty nixon declares." manson got ahold of the paper. stands up in front of the jury with a silly little smile on his face and he shows the jury the headline. >> a tight ring of security surrounds the hall of justice today as the manson jury deliberates. meanwhile, members of the manson clan continue their vigil outside of the hall of justice. they have been there since the start of the trial. >> if charlie we