| Introduction | xi |
| Section 1 | The Family: From the Beginning to Mid-1969 | |
| 1. | A Poor Risk for Probation | 3 |
| 2. | Out of the Slams in the Year of Flowers | 12 |
| 3. | Topanga Canyon and the Spiral Staircase | 22 |
| 4. | Visiting the Hog Farm--A Chance for Benevolence Lost | 25 |
| 5. | Back to the Zone of Flickers | 26 |
| 6. | The First Visit to the Spahn Movie Ranch (Spring 1968) | 32 |
| 7. | Meeting Dennis Wilson | 34 |
| 8. | The Witches of Mendocino and Some of the Family on the Haight (June-August 1968) | 39 |
| 9. | Sleazo Inputs | 43 |
| 10. | Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski through 1967 | 48 |
| 11. | Rosemary's Baby | 53 |
| 12. | Sharon and Roman in Married Life, 1968 | 55 |
| 13. | The Hunger for Stardom | 58 |
| 14. | The Spahn Movie Ranch (Late Summer/Early Fall 1968) | 66 |
| 15. | Death Valley (Fall 1968) | 84 |
| 16. | Abigail Folger and Wojtek Frykowski | 94 |
| 17. | From Death Valley to Canoga Park--Boredom and Stress in the High Desert | 95 |
| 18. | Back to Death Valley | 97 |
| 19. | Helter Skelter and Rock and Roll--a Difficult Mix | 99 |
| 20. | A Rival Guru Comes to the Barker Ranch | 102 |
| 21. | The White Double Album and the Keys to Truth | 104 |
| 22. | Bill Vance and the Gerard Agency | 113 |
| 23. | Beausoleil Also Cultivating the Wilson-Melcher Fame Funnel | 115 |
| 24. | Waiting for Melcher in a Miffed Mode | 116 |
| 25. | Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate in Early 1969 | 116 |
| 26. | Meanwhile, Back in Sleazoville | 121 |
| 27. | A Whirl of Polanski Projects in the Spring of 1969 | 122 |
| 28. | The Spahn Movie Ranch (April-June 1969) | 124 |
| 29. | Manson Records in Santa Monica--Gunmania at the Spahn Movie Ranch (Spring 1969) | 131 |
| 30. | Meanwhile, Helter Kept Skeltering | 138 |
| 31. | Stealing the NBC Video Equipment | 143 |
| 32. | Linda Kasabian Arrives | 146 |
| 33. | The Shooting of Bernard Crowe (July 1969) | 146 |
| 34. | Kasabian Ingratiates Herself Through Cultic Money-Foist | 152 |
| 35. | Melcher Hears about Crowe and the Dune Buggy Battalion Gets Ready (July 1969) | 155 |
| 36. | Getting the Fear | 162 |
| 37. | Films of Violence | 163 |
| 38. | Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate in Europe Abigail Folger and Wojtek Frykowski on Cielo Drive in the Spring and Summer of 1969 | 169 |
| Section 2 | The Murders (July 25, 1969-August 10, 1969) | |
| 39. | The Death of Gary Hinman | 177 |
| 40. | The Anvil into Tartaros | 189 |
| 41. | Death on Cielo Drive | 203 |
| 42. | Fear Swept the Poolsides | 222 |
| 43. | The Second Night | 230 |
| Section 3 | Manson Captured (August 16-December 1, 1969) | |
| 44. | The Search | 243 |
| 45. | A Swirl of Theories | 250 |
| 46. | Voodoo, a Reward and Moloch | 253 |
| 47. | Berserk! The Spahn Ranch (August 10-31, 1969) | 258 |
| 48. | The Great Spahn Ranch Raid | 262 |
| 49. | The Killing of Shorty Shea | 271 |
| 50. | Rommel: The Barker Ranch (September, 1969) | 273 |
| 51. | The Burning of the Michigan Loader | 279 |
| 52. | The Capture of Manson (September 20-October 12, 1969) | 283 |
| 53. | The Breaking of the Case (October-November 1969) | 298 |
| Section 4 | The Family on Trial (1970-1971) | |
| 54. | Flower-Waifs with Knives (December 1969-early 1970) | 323 |
| 55. | How I Became Involved | 328 |
| 56. | Moiling Months of Investigation (early 1970) | 332 |
| 57. | Secret Film Evidence? (March 18) | 338 |
| 58. | The Spahn Ranch in 1970 | 341 |
| 59. | Beausoleil's Second Trial | 343 |
| 60. | Caninoclapophobia at Spahn | 346 |
| 61. | Rostau Trunked | 347 |
| 62. | A Movie in M-Land--Goler Wash in 1970 | 349 |
| 63. | Plans for a Horrifying Escape | 354 |
| 64. | Up Goler Wash with Ron Hughes (June 11) | 356 |
| 65. | A Crucifixion Tableau in Front of Judge Older | 360 |
| 66. | A Trial Begins in the Hall of Justice (June 15, 1970-March 31, 1971) | 363 |
| 67. | A Trip with Abbie, Anita and Phil (June 18) | 367 |
| 68. | Maxwell's Silver Copycat | 370 |
| 69. | A Witchy Shirt | 372 |
| 70. | Fear of the Family Among Rockers | 379 |
| 71. | A Jury is at Last Selected | 382 |
| 72. | "This Case Might Finish Hollywood" (July 15) | 383 |
| 73. | I Mention Manson is a Racist in an Underground Newspaper | 384 |
| 74. | Revving up for Testimony | 385 |
| 75. | Lunching for the Films (July 22) | 386 |
| 76. | X Day | 388 |
| 77. | Trembling Testimony | 390 |
| 78. | Manson Comes Up with Questions for Kasabian | 394 |
| 79. | The Photo I Couldn't Bear to See | 396 |
| 80. | A Benefit Not To Be | 397 |
| 81. | Volunteers | 398 |
| 82. | The Intrusion of Nixon (August 3) | 400 |
| 83. | Blowing my Chance for the Films | 402 |
| 84. | Knives in the Corridor | 402 |
| 85. | Guenther, Whiteley and Gleason | 404 |
| 86. | McQueen Threatening Manson | 410 |
| 87. | Jesus until the Eyes (August 17) | 412 |
| 88. | A Purchaser for the Porn and Sadie Continues her Illness (August 28) | 415 |
| 89. | "When I Call Nixon I Get Put Straight Through" (September 4-7) | 418 |
| 90. | Getting to Lennon | 422 |
| 91. | Spahn Gone | 422 |
| 92. | Manson Tries to Pencil-Job Judge Older | 423 |
| 93. | Conspiring to free Manson | 428 |
| 94. | A Priest who Befriended Charlie | 431 |
| 95. | Family Fatigue | 434 |
| 96. | Larry Larsen, Private Investigator | 435 |
| 97. | The Strange Disappearance of Ron Hughes (Late November) | 436 |
| 98. | Manson Orders Davis & Pitman to Surrender | 438 |
| 99. | A Strange New Direction (December 7) | 440 |
| 100. | Sharon Tate's Postcard in the Wilderness | 444 |
| 101. | 1971--Guilty | 445 |
| 102. | Hideous Ends Hideous--Four Sentenced to Die | 449 |
| Section 5 | The Long Aftermath (1971-2002) | |
| 103. | The Schisms Begin | 453 |
| 104. | Justice for Donald Shea | 454 |
| 105. | Continuing My Investigation While Writing The Family | 455 |
| 106. | A Visit to Moonfire Ranch (April 2) | 466 |
| 107. | Waiting for the Film (April 4) | 467 |
| 108. | Crossing Wires with John Lennon | 470 |
| 109. | The Hinman-Shea Case (1971-1972) | 472 |
| 110. | Lieutenant Deemer Seeks to Solve the Gaul-Sharp Murders (Spring 1973) | 479 |
| 111. | 1974: The Order of Rainbow | 480 |
| 112. | An INS Agent Investigates (1974) | 483 |
| 113. | The Year Squeaky Fromme Went After President Ford (1975) | 484 |
| 114. | Hard Time A-Healin': The Family Breaks Up (1976-1988) | 492 |
| 115. | The Case That Won't Go Away (Late 1988-1989) | 507 |
| 116. | The 1990s and Beyond | 529 |