What Happened To Sharon Tate? Revisiting The Actor’s Tragic Murder Case 55 Years After Her Death

by

As a dedicated follower of the annals of Hollywood history, I find myself deeply moved and saddened by the story of Sharon Tate, a shining star whose light was cruelly extinguished far too soon. Born with a natural talent for stardom, her journey from Dallas to Verona, Italy, and finally to Tinseltown is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination.

Her meteoric rise to fame tragically halted in 1969 when Hollywood actress Sharon Tate, one of the most notorious victims of an American murder spree, was murdered. She was nearly nine months pregnant with filmmaker Roman Polanski’s child at the time of her death, which occurred more than half a century ago.

55 years ago, on August 9th, the star of Valley of the Dolls met a violent end in her Los Angeles residence, alongside five others. This brutal crime was linked to the killings carried out by followers of the notorious cult leader and musician Charles Manson. The story you’re about to read offers an in-depth exploration of this murder and the events that followed, forever altering the landscape of Hollywood.

Who was Sharon Tate?

Hailing from Dallas in 1943, Tate (born Paula Maxine Tate) was the daughter of Col. Paul Tate and Doris Tate. Her natural talent shone brightly even at six months old, earning her the title of Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas. This recognition came after her grandmother submitted some photographs of her to the competition. As an army brat, she traversed the country and, at the age of 16, claimed the titles of Queen of the Tri-City Autorama in Richland and Miss Richland, Washington.

In 1960, the entire Tate family – which included Patricia and Debra, the younger sisters – moved to Verona, Italy. At her American high school, Tate was well-liked and even served as prom queen during her senior year. From a young age, Tate had a knack for capturing attention, working towards her goals with determination.

1960 marked the beginning of her journey towards Hollywood glamour and Tinseltown for her. It all started with her appearance in an episode of The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, filmed in Venice, as well as gracing the cover of Stars and Stripes, a popular American military publication. The following year, Tate made her first movie appearance as an extra in the film Barabbas, directed by Anthony Quinn. At just 19 years old, her mother allowed Jack Palance, a fellow actor from the movie, to take her out on a date. Later, she had a brief romance with actor Richard Beymer, whom she met on the set of a film in Verona.

In 1963, at the tender age of 20, I got my foot in the door of the glamorous world of show business. During an audition for the popular sitcom Petticoat Junction, I caught the keen eye of Martin Ransohoff, the chairman of Filmways production studio and the man behind The Beverly Hillbillies. Impressed by my charm, a producer escorted me to his office, where he wasted no time in conducting a screen test on the spot. The enchantress within me had clearly left an indelible mark on him.

Tate, who had no prior acting experience, was told by Ransohoff, “Sweetheart, we’re going to turn you into a star.” After numerous unacknowledged roles and commercial spots, she found success in Hollywood in 1967 with her consecutive appearances in Eye of the Devil, Don’t Make Waves, The Fearless Vampire Killers, and Valley of the Dolls, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

While filming “The Fearless Vampire Killers,” Tate came across Polanski, who directed and acted in it. Shortly after completing the movie, she began living with him at his home in London. The next year, 1968, they got married, and later that same year, she became pregnant with their first child.

What happened on the tragic night of August 9, 1969?

In February 1969, while she was pregnant, the couple took up residence at 10050 Cielo Drive, located in Benedict Canyon, Beverly Hills, within the Santa Monica Mountains. This property was leased from talent manager Rudy Altobelli.

On August 8, 1969, Tate dined out with her hairdresser and former lover Jay Sebring, friends Wojciech Frykowski, and Abigail Folger (heiress of the Coffee family) at El Coyote Cafe. Later that evening, she returned to her residence on Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills. Exactly at midnight on August 9, D. “Tex” Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins, and another Manson cult member, Linda Kasabian, arrived at Tate and Polanski’s house in Beverly Hills, with Kasabian waiting in a car nearby.

According to The New York Times, during the court proceedings, Atkins instructed Tate, Sebring, Folger, and Frykowski to enter the living room of their shared home. Later, Watson shot Sebring and tied together their necks with a rope. Subsequently, Atkins brutally stabbed Tate, and used her blood to scrawl “PIG” on the front door before exiting the house.

Following Frykowski and Folger’s escape through the front door, their pursuers caught up with them and ultimately stabbed them to death, leaving their bodies on the lawn. Watson then fatally shot an 18-year-old named Parent who had exited the house after encountering Willie Garretson, the house’s caretaker, at the front entrance.

In the courtroom, Atkins admitted she couldn’t recall exactly how many times she had stabbed Tate, who was 26 years old. However, Dr. Thomas T. Noguchi, the coroner, counted and testified that Tate endured a total of sixteen wounds. These included eight on her back, two on her upper right arm, one on her right thigh, and two shallow cuts on her left forearm.

As testified by Dr. Noguchi, Sharon Tate was still alive when she and Abigail Sebring were brutally hung by the Manson family in their living room. The ordeal left Tate with severe rope burns on her face and neck, and sadly, she succumbed to her injuries shortly afterwards.

What is the Manson cult?

Over time, detectives connected the killings to Charles Manson’s disciples, who had written messages on the walls using the blood of their victims. Before his death in 2017 at the age of 83, Manson and his followers were convicted for nine murders. Manson himself was serving nine life sentences in prison.

Despite this, Debra, Tate’s sister, suspects there could be additional victims from the Manson cult who have yet to be found. The book “Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders” suggests that Manson orchestrated a string of killings in Los Angeles with the aim of stirring up racial conflict, which he called the “Helter Skelter.”

Read More

2024-08-11 13:53