Charles Manson’s prison life was even more disturbing than the Netflix documentary showed

Conversations with a Killer: The Charles Manson Tapes has landed on Netflix, taking people back through Manson’s rise as a cult leader, the 1969 murders and the trial that made him one of America’s most infamous criminals.

The series uses previously unreleased prison recordings alongside interviews and archival footage to revisit the disturbing story of Manson and his followers.

However, there are some seriously bizarre details from the 46 years Manson spent behind bars that don’t get much attention in the documentary.

Via Netflix

Manson was sentenced to death in 1971 after being convicted of first-degree murder for orchestrating the Tate-LaBianca killings, despite not personally carrying out the murders.

His death sentence was later changed to life imprisonment after California temporarily abolished the death penalty.

Over the following decades, Manson was moved between several California prisons, including San Quentin State Prison, Folsom State Prison, Pelican Bay State Prison and the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

Prison wasn’t exactly a period of quiet reflection for him. During his incarceration, staff recorded more than 100 rule violations. These included everything from possessing weapons and assault to starting fires and, bizarrely, hiding mobile phones.

He was literally set on fire by another inmate

One of the most horrifying incidents of Manson’s time in prison happened in 1984. While incarcerated at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, another inmate, Jan Holmstrom, poured paint thinner over Manson and set him on fire.

Manson suffered second and third-degree burns across more than 20 per cent of his body. Holmstrom later said he had attacked Manson because Manson objected to his Hare Krishna chanting and had verbally threatened him.

Via Netflix

He somehow got hold of a mobile phone

Even being one of America’s most notorious prisoners apparently wasn’t enough to stop Manson from getting access to modern technology.

In 2009, he was caught with a mobile phone in prison. By the time the story was reported in 2010, officials said Manson had used the phone to contact people in California, New Jersey, Florida and British Columbia.

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A spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections said at the time that it wasn’t known whether Manson had used the phone for criminal purposes.

He recorded an album while in prison

Perhaps one of the strangest details of Manson’s later life is that he also continued making music.

He recorded an album of acoustic pop songs called Completion, with additional production from musician Henry Rollins. Only five copies of the album were pressed. Two were reportedly owned by Rollins, while the other three were believed to have been with Manson.

The album was never officially released.

Via Netflix

He became engaged to a 26-year-old woman in prison

Manson’s relationships didn’t exactly stop once he was incarcerated either.

In 2014, he became engaged to 26-year-old Afton Elaine Burton, who had reportedly been visiting him in prison for at least nine years. Manson gave Burton the nickname “Star”, and she ran several websites proclaiming his innocence.

The pair even obtained a marriage licence on November 7, 2014. Tey never actually made it down the aisle. The licence expired on February 5, 2015 without a wedding taking place. Manson was 80 at the time.

Manson’s final years were marked by declining health. In late 2017, his condition deteriorated severely and he was taken from Corcoran State Prison to a hospital in Kern County, California.

He died on November 19, 2017, aged 83. His death was attributed to cardiac arrest and respiratory failure linked to metastatic colon cancer.

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Featured image via Netflix