EXCLUSIVE: 'Enraged' Charles Manson Allegedly 'Went Berserk' and 'Attacked' Doctor in Last Moments Before His Death, Source Claims
Charles Manson died at 83 years old.
Aug. 6 2026, Published 5:45 p.m. ET
Charles Manson allegedly flew into a rage and "attacked" a doctor shortly before he died imprisoned at a hospital in California in 2017, according to a source.
Nearly 60 years after the cult leader orchestrated the horrific August 1969 cult killings that took the lives of Sharon Tate, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca and several others, RadarOnline.com revisits his final days.
Charles Manson's Time in Prison After Tate-LaBianca Murders
Charles Manson was initially sentenced to death.
In 1971, Manson was found guilty on seven counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy. He was subsequently sentenced to be executed. However, his death sentence was adjusted to life in prison after the penalty was ruled unconstitutional the following year.
Throughout his sentence, the insidious cult leader spent more than 40 consecutive years behind bars and cycled through multiple California facilities, including San Quentin State Prison, Folsom State Prison, California State Prison–Corcoran, Pelican Bay State Prison and a medical facility in Vacaville.
In the months leading up to his passing, Manson suffered from colon cancer and was hospitalized for serious gastrointestinal bleeding.
Charles Manson Allegedly Woke Up During Medical Procedure
Charles Manson spent decades behind bars for multiple counts of first-degree murder.
However, according to an insider, he once woke up "enraged" in the middle of a medical procedure at Mercy Hospital in Bakersfield, California, "ripped off his armbands" and "went berserk" on the doctor attempting to save his life.
"He was clawing at his smock," the insider revealed in a resurfaced interview from 2017. "Guards came flooding into the room! It was a big commotion."
This incident allegedly took place a few days before he died.
Security Was 'Extremely Tight' Around Charles Manson
Charles Manson suffered from colon cancer in his final days.
Even in his old age and poor health, Manson was seemingly seen as a potential threat. The insider claimed hospital security around Manson was "extremely tight" before he died in his early 80s.
"Security was posted at each end of the hallway. One guard sat at the nursing station and another outside his door," the source continued. "Prison authorities were taking every precaution with him."
Manson allegedly also had bizarre artistic hobbies, including making voodoo dolls of people, according to retired Los Angeles County Prosecutor Stephen Kay.
"He would stick needles in them, hoping to injure the live person the doll was fashioned after," Kay said. "He said his main activity was making those dolls."
Another prison insider claimed that Manson believed his "work" would continue even after he "was dead."
"He would make these crazy witchcraft potions with soaps and his own beard trimmings," added the insider.
Charles Manson Died at 83
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Charles Manson's cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Manson died at 8:13 p.m. on November 19, 2017, at 83.
Medical examiners determined his cause of death was heart failure caused by respiratory failure and colon cancer that had spread to multiple parts of his body.
His passing sparked legal drama as relatives and others who knew him all wanted to claim his body, including a grandson, a man who claimed to be his offspring and a pen pal. He was not cremated until March 2018.
