Hinman House - CharlesManson.com

Hinman House

964 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, CA 90290

Hinman’s House is still lived in today and is considered a Mediterranean style home located about 8 miles south from where the Spahn Ranch was located.

On Thursday, July 31, 1969, police investigated the murder of Buddhist musician Gary Hinman at his Topanga Canyon home in Santa Monica. Hinman’s House is still lived in today and is considered a Mediterranean style home located about 8 miles south from where the Spahn Ranch was located and about four miles northwest of the Wilson Home.

At the time Hinman lived in the home it is believed that the actual living space was on the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor was considered more of a basement or storage area. It is not known if he rented or owned the home and according to public record it is a two-story residential with 3 beds, 2 baths and measures 2609 square feet. It is worth in the area of 1.3 million in today’s market.

There were several similarities between Hinman’s murder and those at the Tate house that pointed to Charles Manson and his Family. For instance, when police found the body of Hinman they also found the words “Political Piggy” on the wall written in his blood. Family members tortured him for three days before killing him in a dispute over what was likely drugs and money; some facts are still in dispute today as far as the exact and definite motive.

According to trial testimony and books on the subject, Charles Manson believed that Hinman had money so he sent Bobby Beausoleil, Susan Atkins, and Mary Brunner to the home to shake him up and get whatever cash he had including $1,000 they felt he owed them over some bad mescaline deal; Hinman and a partner would cook up their own mescaline in this house which one of the batches must have been no good. When Hinman said he had no money it led to a long hostage like situation where he was finally killed and his vehicle, a Volkswagen was stolen by Beausoleil.

During the three day ordeal, Manson himself showed up with Bruce Davis and participated in the violence for a short period of time where Manson tried, unsuccessfully, to further persuade Hinman to give up the cash but Hinman refused to give them anything. Before leaving Manson sliced Gary’s left ear and face with a sword causing a deep wound which Mary and Susan stitched up, supposedly with dental floss which no doubt was extremely painful. When Manson walked out he told the others to ‘finish up’.

Beausoleil stabbed Hinman in the chest twice; as he lay dying Hinman chanted Buddhist prayers.