Charles Manson's Children: How Many Did He Have, and Where Are They Now?

Charles Manson remains one of the most infamous figures in American criminal history, a name synonymous with cult manipulation, senseless violence and the dark underside of the 1960s counterculture. More than half a century after the murders committed by members of his so-called “Family,” and years after his death in prison in 2017, Manson’s legacy continues to provoke fascination and revulsion. 

Born in 1934, Manson spent much of his early life in reform schools and prisons. By the late 1960s, he had gathered a group of young followers around him in California, preaching a distorted mix of apocalyptic prophecy, racial paranoia and pseudo-spiritual philosophy. In August 1969, members of the Manson Family carried out a series of brutal murders in Los Angeles, including the killing of actress Sharon Tate and eight others. Though Manson did not physically commit the murders, he was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy and spent the rest of his life in prison.

Even as Manson cycled through prisons, committed crimes and orchestrated the murders that made him infamous, an overlooked part of his life that unfolded largely in the shadows of his violence remains far less discussed: Manson was also a father. He had three known children by three women.

Manson’s first known child was Charles Manson Jr., born in 1956 to Rosalie Jean Willis. At the time, Manson was still a young man drifting in and out of trouble. The couple met at a bar in West Virginia shortly after Manson’s release from a reformatory. They married when Manson was 20 and Rosalie 15, and she became pregnant soon after. The couple moved to California to join Manson’s mother, but he was then arrested for car theft.

Their relationship collapsed when Manson returned to prison, and Willis eventually left him, taking their son with her. She remarried and Charles Jr. took his stepfather’s name, legally changing his name to Jay White. In 1993, at the age of 37, White died by suicide. White’s estranged son, Jason Freeman, believed his father never escaped the psychological weight of his own father’s infamy. His death underscored one of the enduring tragedies of Manson’s legacy: the collateral damage inflicted on people who never chose to be part of his crimes.

After Manson’s death in 2017, Freeman became involved in a multi-year legal case seeking to be named his heir, which was challenged by at least one person who claimed to be Manson’s secret son. There have also been rumors of other children, either the result of one-night stands or the children of Manson Family followers.

Charles Luther Manson was the son of Leona Rae Musser, who went by the name Candy Stevens. When Manson was facing new criminal charges, Stevens reportedly told the court that she was pregnant and the couple planned to marry. It was a lie, but it did result in Manson receiving a suspended sentence. She later did get pregnant, became Manson’s second wife and gave birth in 1960.

Little is known about Charles Luther’s life. His mother divorced Manson around 1963. As a teenager, he changed his name to Jay Werner and much of his adult life remains undocumented, a deliberate choice that reflects how toxic the Manson name became for anyone associated with it. He died in Colorado in 2007.

Manson’s third child, Valentine Michael Manson, was born in 1968 to Mary Brunner, one of Manson’s earliest and most devoted followers. Brunner, a former librarian, met Manson in San Francisco and became deeply embedded in his inner circle. She was pregnant during the height of the Manson Family’s activities and gave birth 14 months before the murders that would make headlines around the world.

Although he now goes by Michael, he was often called “Sunstone Hawk" or “Pooh Bear” by members of the Family. He spent his earliest years surrounded by chaos. After Manson and several followers were arrested, Brunner eventually relinquished custody. Michael was adopted by his maternal grandparents and raised in Wisconsin, with his surname changed to Brunner, effectively severing ties with his biological father.

He says he knew little about his father growing up, and he remained largely out of the public eye until Manson’s 2017 death. It was only then that he says he began digging deeper into the case. In a 2019 interview published around the 50th anniversary of the Manson killings, Michael admitted that his father was “a criminal for sure, but not this evil incarnate cartoon character that the media and the courts and now the public have believed.” Michael said he believes that Manson was not the mastermind that ordered the brutal crimes.

None of Manson’s known children followed him into crime or embraced his worldview. If anything, their lives reflect rejection rather than continuation of his legacy. But all lived with the consequences of a name that history refuses to forget.