Shedding light on infamous cult leader Charles Manson and the views he instilled in his followers, Peacock’s ‘Making Manson’ is a three-part docuseries featuring former “Family” members who were closely associated with the criminal. Also made public are 20 years of prison conversations in which he talks about his life and the crimes of his cult. One of the biggest talking points of the show was the brutal murder of Gary Hinman in 1969; This is said to be the first of many crimes committed by the Charles Manson Family.

Gary Hinman Found Dead at His Topanga Residence

On Christmas Eve 1934, Robert and Frances Hinman were rewarded with the birth of their first child, Gary Alan Hinman, in Grand Junction, Colorado. He became a big brother a few years later when his parents gave birth to two daughters, Carole Ann Hinman Romberg and Barbara J. Hinman. Although he was born in Grand Junction, he grew up in Fort Collins, where he developed a passion for musical instruments such as piano, guitar, drums, trombone and bagpipes. He attended the University of Colorado in the mid-1950s and soon after graduating, he married in 1959 and moved to the Los Angeles area.

After his marriage, Gary continued his studies while pursuing his doctorate. He has a degree in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At the same time, he worked as a music teacher to earn additional income to make ends meet. Since the piano was his favorite musical instrument, he had a small grand piano that he kept in his living room. Described as a kind and caring person, Gary purchased a home at 964 Old Topanga Canyon Road in Topanga, California, and allowed his friends to stay at the property whenever they wanted. Although he was busy with other things, he still ran a mescaline factory in his basement.

In the summer of 1969, Gary was immersed in Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and planned to travel to Japan. Unfortunately, fate had other plans when he was found brutally murdered in his Topanga home on July 27, 1969, at the age of 34. There’s blood and paw prints on one of the walls. The autopsy report determined that he was stabbed to death. Thereupon, a murder investigation was immediately launched.

Gary Hinman’s Killer Set Up the Crime Scene to Direct Authorities

During the investigation of Gary Hinman’s murder, detectives learned that he had been involved with several members of the organization in the late 1960s. Charles Manson Family. The victim reportedly even allowed some of them to stay at his house occasionally. When they investigated the cult members further, they learned that he was allegedly killed over a sum of money related to a drug deal gone wrong with “The Family”. According to prosecutors, Robert Kenneth “Bobby” Beausoleil and Susan Atkins and Mary Brunner went to Gary’s house on July 25, 1969, to demand the money he owed.

When Gary did not comply with his orders, Charles Manson went to his own home and reportedly struck Gary in the face with a samurai sword or bayonet, severely damaging his face and ear. While the injured Gary sought treatment for his wounds, Charles Manson and his cult members reportedly held him captive in his own home and tortured him for several days before killing him. Charles Manson allegedly instructed his followers to write “political piggy” on the wall where the victim’s blood was found, to make it seem like the murder was committed by black revolutionaries. Bobby fled the scene in Gary’s car.

Perpetrator Brought to Justice Despite Inconsistent Story

As investigators moved place and place to get to the bottom of the case, they eventually found that on August 6, 1969, Gary’s Fiat had been pulled over on the side of the highway on Cuesta Grade between San Luis Obispo and Atascadero. Bobby was asleep inside and he arrested him immediately. Detectives examined the car and found the murder weapon in the tire well. A few months later, on April 18, 1970, 22-year-old Bobby Beausoleil was convicted and convicted of the first-degree murder of Gary Hinman in July 1969. He was sentenced to death for his crimes, but his death occurred in 1972. The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after the California Supreme Court ruled that death penalty laws were unconstitutional.

While serving his sentence in prison, Bobby claimed that Charles sent him to recover money Gary owed “The Family” and gave them some bad mescaline. However, Susan Atkins claimed that Charles instructed Bobby, Mary, and her to visit Gary and collect his $21,000 inheritance. Bobby later changed his story, claiming that the cult leader never came to the victim’s home and that he cut himself in the face with a knife while trying to get a gun. In the late 1990s, he changed the story once again and claimed that he had no part in the attack.

Read more: Dianne Lake: Where Is Former Manson Family Member Now?