Sharon Tate's final words as she was stabbed to death by Charles Manson's Family (2024)

The 26-year-old wife of Roman Polanski was eight-and-a-half months pregnant when she was killed

She was a Hollywood actress about to become both a mother and a mega star.

Sharon Tate was married to then acclaimed film director Roman Polanski and was nine months pregnant.

After roles in Eye Of The Devil, The Fearless Vampire Killers, she finally had her big break as the star in Valley Of The Dolls and bigger parts in bigger films looked set to follow.

But on August 9, 1969, her life ended in the most brutal way imaginable when she was stabbed 16 times by crazed members of the Charles Manson Family.

Tate, along with friends Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski and Abigal Folger had been enjoying a dinner when the Manson Family burst into the home she was renting with husband, Roman, who was away in Europe at the time.

Each of the murders was brutal - Jay was was shot after he tried to stop the gang attacking Sharon and then stabbed seven times.

Steven Parent, a friend of the house's caretaker, was shot and killed as The Family, minus Charles, burst into the home in Los Angeles.

He was just 18.

Wojciech was asleep on the sofa when The Family barged in and was kicked in the head by Tex Watson.

When Wojciech asked him what he was doing he chillingly replied "I am the devil and I'm here to do the devil's business".

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Watson then started to tie Sharon and Jay together with a rope round their necks and slung it over the beam in the living room.

Abigail was ordered into the bedroom to get her purse and handed $70 over to The Family.

She managed to flee out of a bedroom door but was followed by Patricia Krenwinkel, who caught her and stabbed her.

But worse was to come for Abigail who was eventually killed by Watson, who stabbed her 28 times.

Wojciech's hands had been bound by a towel but he managed to free himself and started to struggle with Atkins.

She kept stabbing at his legs but as he struggled out of the house, he was caught by Watson and hit over the head with a gun.

He was then stabbed multiple times, shot twice but still fought to escape the house.

Wojciech was eventually killed when he was stabbed 51 times.

Sharon herself was stabbed many times in the chest and strangled.

Her mutilated and broken body was found with the cord used in the killing still around her neck.

Tragically, her baby - due to be born within weeks - did not survive the horrific injuries suffered by his mother.

Meanwhile, Sharon was desperately not only fighting for her own life but also that of her unborn baby.

The 26-year-old actress made the ultimate sacrifice to keep herself alive for long enough for her baby to be born.

She offered herself up as a hostage - her pleas fell on deaf ears.

It's not clear if Watson or Atkins stabbed Tate and delivered the fatal blow.

But she was knifed 16 times and as she was being attacked she cried out "mother... mother".

Once the killers had butchered their victims, they used the bloody towel that had bound Wojciech's hands to write the word 'pig' on the front door of Sharon's home in blood.

Just a day after the Tate murder, The Family struck again.

Supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, were killed at their home in LA.

Officers did not link the two crime scenes.

Then, in December 1969, members of the Manson Family were arrested for a series of car thefts and while Atkins was in custody she told her fellow prisoners of the other crimes she had been involved in - including the murders.

The rest of the gang were arrested a few days later and their trial began on June 15, 1970.

Guilty verdicts were returned on 27 separate counts and all four were sentenced to death.

Atkins died of a brain tumour in 2008, having had her application for parole refused 18 times.

Charles Manson died of a heart attack on November 19, 2017. He was 83.