While Charles Manson’s infamous “Manson Family” cult has been the focus of books, movies, and endless speculation, his biological family has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. Before he became one of America’s most notorious criminals, orchestrating the brutal 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others, Manson was a father to three sons — each from different women.
His oldest son, Charles Manson Jr., later changed his name to Jay White in an effort to distance himself from his father’s dark legacy. Born in 1956 to Manson’s first wife, Rosalie Jean Willis, Manson Jr. led a troubled life and tragically died by suicide in 1993 at the age of 40. He left behind a son, Jason Freeman, who would later fight a legal battle over Manson’s estate and remains one of the few public figures connected to the family’s name.
The second son, Charles Luther Manson, was born in 1960 to Leona Rae Musser, known as “Candy Stevens.” Very little is known about him. After changing his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976, he largely disappeared from public life and reportedly passed away in 2007.
Manson’s youngest son, Michael Brunner, was born in 1968 to Mary Theresa Brunner, one of Manson’s earliest followers. Michael was just 14 months old when the infamous murders happened. Raised by his maternal grandparents in Wisconsin and officially adopted in 1976, Michael grew up far removed from his father’s criminal world. Though he once reached out to Manson by email while working in Afghanistan, he never received a response before his father died in 2017.
Today, Michael Brunner leads a quiet life in the Midwest, working in manufacturing and living on a sprawling 56-acre property. He prefers to stay out of the public eye, focused on his family and simple living.
Despite the horror associated with their father’s name, Manson’s children each sought their own path — most choosing lives far from the infamy that followed their father’s legacy.
