George Spahn George Spahn George Spahn (February 11, 1889 – September 22, 1974) was an American rancher who once owned the Spahn Ranch near Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California. Spahn (as did previous owner William S. Hart) rented the ranch to the movie industry to film Westerns. Spahn is chiefly remembered for his association with the Manson Family, due to his tolerance of the Manson group's residence on his property. At the ranch, Spahn housed Charles Manson and his followers in the late 60s. The 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others by Manson's devotees were allegedly hatched at the Spahn
Manson Family despite precautions taken by the court, Manson flashed the jury a "Los Angeles Times" front page whose headline was "Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares". This was a reference to a statement made the previous day when U.S. President Richard Nixon had decried what he saw as the media's glamorization of Manson. Voir dired by Judge Charles Older, the jurors contended that the headline had not influenced them. The next day, the female defendants stood up and said in unison that, in light of Nixon's remark, there was no point in going on with the trial. On October 5, Manson was denied