Many have likely already heard the story of Charles Manson and the cult murders that lead to his arrest at the end of the 1960s. The crime spree shook the world, and went on to become one of the most notable events of that time period. However popular the story may be, though, most will be surprised to learn that Hollywood legend Doris Day may have saved one potential victim of the murders. Join Facts Verse as we explore how Doris Day saved her son from Charles Manson.
The Hollywood of Doris Day’s time and the Hollywood of Charles Manson’s time may seem like two entirely different places, but they are connected by many things. One thing that connects these worlds is Terry Melcher. While those who have more than a cursory familiarity with the crimes of Charles Manson have likely heard the name Terry Melcher before, not everyone knows that Terry Melcher was the son of Hollywood icon Doris Day.
Terry Melcher was a record producer that worked with such musical acts as the Beach Boys. It was this role that eventually saw Terry crossing paths with notorious murderer Charles Manson soon before the Manson Family cult went on to commit their infamous murders. Terry had no idea that the people he was interacting with were going to become some of the most notorious criminals of their time. However, his mother had a feeling, and that feeling is arguably what allowed her son to survive to tell his story.
Melcher was a close companion of the Beach Boys, including member Dennis Wilson. Terry Melcher had a rental home in Benedict Canyon, California. This home was the location of the Tate murders, the first murders that the Manson Family committed during their two-day spree. By all accounts, when the Manson Family committed those initial murders, they had been hoping that Terry Melcher was still living there. Many have speculated that Melcher was one of the intended victims. However, thanks to the intuition of his mother, Terry Melcher had vacated the premises several months before the murders took place.
The whole story starts when Terry Melcher and the Beach Boys were hanging out at that Benedict Canyon home. Dennis Wilson had recently met a musician by the name of Charlie Manson. According to Dennis, the musician had a lot of potential, and was part of an interesting scene. Through Dennis, Terry and Charlie Manson ended up meeting. However, Terry was skeptical of Charlie. Not only did Charlie’s musical talents leave a lot to be desired in Terry’s opinion, but there was a weird vibe around the young musician that started to give Terry a bad feeling whenever he was around.
Terry made numerous visits to the Manson Family’s notorious Spahn Ranch location, which is where the cult lived. However, after only two visits, Terry couldn’t take it anymore. Terry came clean to Charlie that he wasn’t interested in helping him develop his musical skills or record an album. Understandably, Charlie was upset. Charlie had learned where Terry’s home was located through Dennis, and eventually decided it was time to put that information to use. That home was to become the location of the first Manson Family murders, also known as the Tate murders.
While Terry Melcher was close with the Beach Boys, he was even closer with his mother. Doris Day and Terry Melcher had few people besides each other to rely on. They grew to look out for each other, even as Terry blossomed into adulthood. Doris was always protective of her son, and Terry was always protective of his mother. Given their close relationship, it’s not surprising to learn that Terry went on to eventually disclose his dealings with the young Charlie Manson to his mother. Charles Manson was still just Charlie at that time, still several months away from committing his crimes. However, Doris had a bad feeling when Terry shared the tale. Once Doris learned that Manson had ill will towards Terry and knew where he lived, she insisted that Terry abandon his Benedict Canyon home. Terry left the home, and went to stay at a spare property that was owned by his mother.
While the Beach Boys may have been aware of Terry’s new change in location, the news never made it to Charles Manson. Charles’ cult came looking for Terry Melcher on the night of August 9, 1969. They were sent there under orders from their leader, with specific instructions for what to do when they found their victim. However, when Melcher was nowhere to be found, they had to make do with the house’s new residents. If you’re captivated by this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to let us know! As well, subscribe if you’d like to be among the first to know when new and interesting Facts Verse videos are on their way in the future!
When Doris Day told her son Terry to move out of his rental home and stay in one of her spare properties, she could’ve had no way of knowing what was about to occur. The beloved Hollywood actress’s unprecedented intuition ended up being more valuable than either she or her son could’ve possibly imagined. Only seven months after she had convinced her son to leave his home, that very home was to become the location of one of the most notorious murders in Hollywood history.
After Terry Melcher left his Benedict Canyon home, it was taken over by a new set of residents. The new residents were the up-and-coming director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. Roman Polanski was coming off of the success of his most recent feature, 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby. The film centered around a Satanic cult. Although the Satanic cult in the film was simply a work of fiction, Polanski’s wife ended up having an encounter with a very real cult soon after moving into the home. She was about to become the very first victim of the Manson Family.
The Manson Family was the name given to a group of runaways that shacked up with Charles Manson at his Spahn Ranch location. Over time, Manson grew to exert a kind of hypnotic hold over these people, and the dynamic between the group eventually grew into that of a cult. The Manson Family were ready and willing to do whatever Charles Manson asked. When Manson asked several of the member of his cult to drive down to Benedict Canyon and kill the occupants of Terry Melcher’s home, they gladly accepted. Although Manson didn’t tag along for the ride, he was still blamed for the murders due to the fact that the cult members were acting under his orders.
Since the members of the Manson Family that were sent on this mission didn’t personally know Terry Melcher, it’s hard to say whether or not they knew that the people they were killing were the wrong targets. However, thanks to the intuition of his mother, Melcher was long gone at that point, having been living at one of his mother’s properties for the past seven months. The pregnant Sharon Tate and her guests were nowhere near as lucky.
Sharon Tate was murdered, along with several house guests that she had over. Her husband was away on business, and was devastated when he got the news. The headlines took California by storm, and then the world. The next day, two more gruesome murders took place only a few miles away. These were the LaBianca murders. The Tate murders and the LaBianca murders were the only murders that the Manson Family were able to commit before they were caught. All in all, the Manson Family killed seven people, five on the first night and two on the second night. If it wasn’t for Doris Day, Terry Melcher could’ve very likely been among the bodies being counted. Although the story of Doris Day saving her son from Charles Manson hasn’t been widely popularized, one man is looking to change that. Sgt. Bill Cassara, a cop who knew both Melcher and his mother, has recently publicized the story in his book, Hollywood in Monterey: Chronicles of a Cop.
The horrible crimes that Charles Manson and his cult committed took the world by storm. Many consider the events to have put an end to the hippie movement of the 1960s. Comment down below to share a personal bit of trivia from these notorious crimes, or if you have a unique perspective on these world-shaking events. As always, like the video if you were intrigued, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be the first to know when more interesting Facts Verse videos are being uploaded!
