The crimes of the Manson Family cult will be the focus of a new ABC News special, IMPACT x Nightline: “Evil: Manson Killers Freed?”. The episode, set to begin streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Thursday, October 16, will examine the controversial parole recommendation for 77-year-old convicted killer Patricia Krenwinkel.
The special arrives as one Manson follower, Leslie Van Houten, has already been released from prison. The program will report on Krenwinkel’s bid to become the second member of the cult to be granted freedom. ABC News chief national correspondent Matt Gutman leads the report, which features a new interview with Debra Tate, the sister of actress Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the cult in 1969. Tate has been a vocal opponent of parole for any of the killers.
To provide a full picture of the current legal battle, Gutman speaks with Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman about the case. The program also includes interviews with attorneys Keith Wattley and Rich Pfeiffer, who represent members of the Manson family and argue their clients have been rehabilitated.
The episode will re-examine the original crimes by using rare archival footage from ABC News. This includes Diane Sawyer‘s 1994 prison interviews with Charles Manson, Leslie van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkel. The special will also feature analysis from a panel of legal experts and authors, including former federal prosecutor Sunny Hostin, author Tom O’Neil, ABC News chief legal analyst Dan Abrams, and Cult Education Institute founder Rick Alan Ross.
