As you may know, today the death of Charles Manson, the American who became one of the most notorious and controversial criminals of all time, was announced. According to officials in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, he died yesterday at the age of 83 from natural causes while serving nine consecutive life sentences.

Evil Icon (International Business Times / Getty)

The news, in fact, was not received with much regret around the world - which is understandable considering Manson's story. But what about you, dear reader, about the terrifying legacy of this figure? If the first thing that crossed your mind was that Manson was a famous serial killer, know that he was never proven to have killed anyone himself - which means that technically Manson should not be classified as a serial killer. Check out more information related to this sinister figure below:

1 - Macabre Cult Leader

As we have already revealed here at Mega Curious, Manson had a very difficult childhood and began to commit crimes and have trouble with the authorities at the age of 12. However, despite being considered semi-illiterate, Manson was very charismatic, had immense persuasive power, and in the 1960s became the leader of a kind of cult that became known as the "Manson Family."

Manson (ABC News)

Charles was deeply racist, believed in the imminence of an apocalyptic race war, and was able to indoctrinate a considerable following - and even today there are people who claim to be devoted to their ideals. Originally, Manson's "family" was made up of a group of young California hippies who were seduced by Charles's unconventional, non-standard lifestyle.

2 - Bizarre Ideals

Most of the youth who became followers of Manson came from middle-class homes - highly impressionable. Charles convinced the group that such a racial war would soon break out and induced cult members to commit crimes that he preached would be blamed on black people - and would serve as catalysts to increase the anger of the white US population against Afro-descendants.

3 - Followers

Following Manson's guidance, the crimes were committed by his most devoted followers in the late 1960s. It is estimated that the "family" may have caused the deaths of 35 people; However, it was after the murders that became known as Tate-LaBianca that the cult's members, as well as its leader, were captured, tried and sentenced to prison.

Manson during the trials (Pop Sugar)

More specifically, Manson and three of his followers — Leslie Van Houten, Susan Atkins, and Patricia Krenwinkel — were brought to trial in 1970, and investigations into the cult's followers' activities led to the disclosure of frightening details of the crimes committed and more. prisons.

4 - Blacklist

Despite not actively participating in the Tate-LaBianca murders, it was Manson who induced his followers to commit the crimes. They took place for two consecutive nights in August 1969 and resulted in the brutal deaths of nine people, including Sharon Tate, an actress married to 8-month-old film director Roman Polanski.

Sharon Tate (International Business Times / AFP / Getty Images)

Manson was sentenced to death - a pity that was later converted into nine sentences consecutive to life imprisonment - for orchestrating the murders. And during the trials, the authorities found that cult members kept a list of celebrities to be killed, including Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Steve McQueen, Tom Jones and Richard Burton.

5 - Shadow Icon

Manson was worshiped as a messiah by his followers and, over the decades, became a macabre icon. To this day he is considered an enigmatic figure by criminologists and specialists in human behavior, since no one can establish an accurate diagnosis for this man. Was he a paranoid schizophrenic, a sociopath, a psychopath completely devoid of empathy, a victim of his trauma and neglect?

Charles Manson (New York Post / EPA)

According to details released so far, Manson died in a California hospital of natural causes, but as he was hospitalized more than once throughout the year, there are suspicions that he had been living with some serious condition for some time. However, despite the lack of information related to a possible disease, one thing is certain: the death will not mark the end of discussions about the dark - and fascinating - personality of this sinister figure.