In typical left wing idiocy and irony, Bill Ayer's wife didn't even realize that Manson was targeting record producer Terry Melcher that had recently moved from the house and those who were killed were entirely innocent victims of circumstance.
I lived 25 miles from the crime scene when this happened. California demographics at the time were still somewhat like normal, traditional America. This crime spree had Southern Cal terrorized in a very real sense. People were fearful of every unexpected sound and knock on the door.
Up until the coming of Obama, Charles Manson was probably the man responsible for the greatest surge in firearm sales in the state.