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When did Charles Manson first go to California?
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Charles Manson
Cult leader Charles Manson being transported to a courthouse in Independence, California, 1969.
Charles Manson first went to California by at least 1956, as he was imprisoned at Terminal Island in the state from 1956 to 1958.1
While he later gained notoriety for forming the "Family" in San Francisco in 1967 following his release from prison, his presence in California dates back to his earlier years of incarceration and criminal activity.231