How did Charles Manson, an illiterate ex-con, become such an influential cult leader and turn a group of peaceful hippies into cold-blooded killers? Journalist Tom O'Neill set out to answer this and more in his book, 'Chaos.' Read about Manson's early years—starting with his neglectful mother, then moving on to his stints in institutions for 'delinquent' children and ultimately, in federal prison.

During the 1970s, David Berkowitz, also known as 'The Son of Sam,' prowled New York City, fatally shooting couples in cars. By the time he was arrested in August 1977, he had killed six people and wounded seven others. Although the murders stopped after his arrest, several people who worked on the Son of Sam case are convinced Berkowitz didn't act alone.

Forehead mutilation, an LSD hamburger and a missing lawyer all made the Tate-LaBianca murder trial highly unusual.

From 'Kayak Killer' Angelika Graswald to cult leader Charles Manson, A&E True Crime looks at infamous criminals who profited in some way from their misdeeds, showing that sometimes crime does indeed pay.

A&E True Crime takes a closer look at what famous FBI profiler John E. Douglas and others in the FBI had to say about the cult leader.

The circumstances around the cult leader's death is still a mystery decades later. Was his gunshot self-inflicted? Or did someone kill him?

One element of the 1978 mass death at Jonestown that hasn't been explored much is leader Jim Jones' rampant drug abuse—and how he used substances as a tool of control in his church. A&E True Crime investigate the roles drugs played at Jonestown.

With the premiere of the new A&E series Cults & Extreme Belief, A&E True Crime explores some big questions about the groups Heaven's Gate, the Moonies and the Rajneeshees.

Journalist and therapist Nikki Meredith has corresponded with two of Charles Manson's most infamous followers for decades: convicted murderers Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel. Meredith spoke with us about what the former cult members are like today.

Read an exclusive excerpt about the early life of one of Charles Manson's female followers from The Manson Women and Me: Monsters, Morality, and Murder, by Nikki Meredith.