Larry Craven - CharlesManson.com

Larry Craven

Larry Craven, Spahn Ranch Hand, Propaganda Source

Larry Eugene Craven was an assistant ranch hand at the Spahn Ranch

Larry Craven was born on March 20, 1940. He was an assistant ranch hand to the foreman at the Spahn Ranch during the time of the Tate Labianca murders. He was also among those arrested during the raid with three other ranch hands in the early morning hours of Saturday, August 16, 1969. According to arrest records from that day Larry had brown hair, blue eyes, was short at only 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighed approximately 119 lbs.

During the raid Larry was found in one of the main buildings of the ranch with 10 other people; he has been photographed being handcuffed outside the ranch in police photos that day. Larry lived with another ranch hand named Randy Starr in a trailer situated behind the western end of the ranch next to what was called the “parachute room” at Spahn.

Although there is very little information about Larry Craven available, due to his minimal involvement with the Family, there consists of various Internet chatter which suggests Larry was less advanced in mental, physical, and social development than is usual for one’s age. For instance, the word “retarded” has been used to describe him, and suggestions that he would wet his own bed while sleeping and was mesmerized by another ranch hand named Juan Flynn, who he greatly looked up to due to his masculinity; Larry wanted to be just like him. Below is one of the instances where his challenges are referenced:

One time there was a fire in one the trailers and Larry ran to the phone and called the fire dept. and excitedly yelled into the phone “Fire-dept., we got a fire up here!!” and they asked “where? “And he answered “in the trailer!!” Click! He hung up the phone the fire dept. never made it and the trailer burned to the ground”

On January 25, 1970, a National Enquirer story was published which claimed Ranch Foreman Mike Armstrong and Larry Craven stated they saw Sharon Tate at Spahn Ranch with Charles Manson on several occasions. This has been widely circulated among propaganda and conspiracy websites leading to suggestions that the two knew each other beforehand.

Larry Eugene Craven died on January 10, 2010 in Bullhead City, Arizona.