Sharon Tate was 26 years old and 8 months pregnant when she was murdered by members of the Manson Family Cult in August 1969.
8th August 1969: early in the evening, Debra Tate (Sharon’s younger sister) called and asked her sister to come over. But Sharon declined, as she was tired. Her husband, Roman Polanski, was away in Europe at the time.
She decided, instead, to spend the evening with friends Jay, Wojciech and Abigail. The four had a late dinner at El Coyote, the Mexican restaurant on Beverly Boulevard. They arrived back at Cielo Drive shortly before 11:00pm, when Abigail took a phone call from her mother.
After the call, she went to her bedroom. There, she changed into a long white night gown and laid down to read. Sharon and Jay retreated to the master bedroom, where Sharon slipped into a bikini bathing suit and a sheer peignoir layered over the swimsuit. It was all she could do to keep cool that sultry evening. Wojciech remained in the living room, and began to nap on the sofa.
Shortly after midnight (now Saturday, August 9th) four members of the so-called Manson Family hopped over the fence at 10050 Cielo Drive. They included Charles ‘Tex’ Watson, Patricia ‘Katie’ Krenwinkel, Susan ‘Sadie’ Atkins and Linda Kasabian.
The first person they killed was Stephen Parent, an 18-year old high school graduate who had briefly visited the caretaker of the property and was leaving as the killers approached. Stephen was shot and stabbed in his car.
Jay was was shot after he tried to stop the gang attacking Sharon and then stabbed seven times.
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 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.
Tate was stabbed 16 times. Her mutilated and broken body was found with the cord used in the killing still around her neck.
The killers — Charles “Tex” Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Linda Kasabian — painted the word “PIG” on the home’s front door with Tate’s blood.
The killers then approached the house where they killed Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski and Sharon Tate.
Sharon’s unborn baby died as well, still in his mother’s womb.