Manson Loses His 6th Bid for Parole : Board Cites Prison Conduct, Childhood in Rejecting Plea

Mass killer Charles Manson’s sixth bid for parole was rejected today after he read from a bizarre, rambling statement and heard himself described as a “caged, vicious, wild animal.”

A three-member panel of the state Board of Prison Terms met in private for about 30 minutes before announcing they had found Manson unsuitable for parole and had set his next hearing for the maximum period of three years.

Panel chairwoman Loretta Collier cited four reasons for turning the killer down: “The coldblooded and senseless murders” of six people; his violent childhood; his prison behavior; and a psychiatric evaluation that showed he is a schizophrenic who is potentially violent.

‘An Unreasonable Risk’

“It would present an unreasonable risk to society of monumental proportions to release Charles Manson,” Los Angeles County chief deputy Dist. Atty. Stephen Kay, one of the team that prosecuted Manson, told the panel before its decision.

“He’s like a caged, vicious, wild animal who, if released, would once again be free to prey on innocent victims.”

Manson, who had vowed not to attend the hearing, made a surprise appearance and suggested that he might go to Libya, Iran, South America or France to “catch somebody I’m upset with” if he was freed.

Manson appeared before the panel with long gray hair and beard, a swastika on his forehead and his hands in manacles.

Brings 20-Page Document

He told the panel he had a 20-page document to read at the end of the hearing, objected to the presence of a state-appointed attorney and then answered a question on what he would do if released with a discourse on his options.

“I’d probably try to stop the rain forests from being cut down,” he said. “I’d probably join the revolution down south somewhere and try to save my life on the planet Earth. I might go to Libya. I might go see the Ayatollah (Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran). I might go to France, catch somebody in France I’m upset with.”

He was halted after reading for about 15 minutes from the rambling, often unintelligible statement which covered politics, religion and philosophy.

“From the world of darkness, I did loose demons and devils in the power of scorpions to torment,” he said. “I could have a parole and have no soul. I will keep my soul and have no parole.”

Manson told the panel he doesn’t like to read and spends much of his time in his cell making dolls.