Knifing suspect a Manson devotee

Press, 8 March 1989, Page 1

Knifing suspect a Manson devotee

By PAM MORTON A man sought by the Greymouth police in connection with a knife assault at White Horse Creek on Sunday night is thought to be a Charles Manson devotee. He has been described by the police as unstable and dangerous and not to be approached. The Greymouth police set up road check-points between Greymouth and Westport on

Monday but the man is thought to be hiding in bush in the Barrytown area, 29km north of Greymouth. A Barrytown resident said the man was known in the area as a Charles Manson follower and carried a book with him on Manson. Manson was sentenced to life imprisonment in the early 1970 s for the bizarre ritual killing of the pregnant American actress,

Sharon Tate, and four others. Women and children on their own have been advised to stay with .friends or relatives and residents have been told not to go out alone at night The victim of the attack, a youth, aged 18, was admitted to Buller Hospital and treated for minor knife wounds to the face and body. Constable Peter Hamilton, of the Greymouth police, said the

search had been scaled down.

“There is a lot of bush there and until we have a positive sighting we can’t really do anything,” he said. The man sought by the police is described as European, aged 20, with short brown hair, about 1.77 m tall and with a red cross tattooed between his eyes. He was last seen wearing a brown jersey and carrying a faded blue pack.