Are Charles Manson's Kids Still Alive? Here's What We Know About Manson's Genetic Legacy
Manson's third son says his father was not the evil person he was painted out to be.
Published March 7 2025, 4:15 p.m. ET
The name of serial killer Charles Manson is enough to strike fear in the hearts of California locals who were once terrorized by his crimes. Across the world, his name still leaves chills in its wake as people struggle with the enormity of the legacy of brutality and death he left behind.
Convicted of orchestrating the deaths of seven people and sentenced to life in prison, Manson's capture along with the arrest of his accessory "family" made Southern Californians breathe a deep sigh of relief.
But for at least three people and their loved ones, Manson's memory strikes a lot closer to home. They weren't victims, and they weren't related to victims, but they were touched by the serial killer in a different and equally disturbing way: They are his sons.
Manson died in 2017 with three known biological children, leaving behind questions and heartache. However, are any of his kids still alive? Here's what we know about Manson's genetic legacy and the sons he left behind.
Are Charles Manson's kids still alive? Here's what we know about his oldest son.
On April 10, 1956, Manson follower Rosalie Jean Willis gave birth to Manson's first son, and she named him Charles Manson Jr., according to Los Angeles Magazine.
However, Charles Jr. did not embrace the legacy of his father and reportedly struggled with it his whole life.
According to CNN, he changed his name to Jay White to try to escape his biological father's legacy, but the darkness of his father's memory haunted him, and Jay took his own life in 1993.
He left behind a son of his own, Jason Freeman, who has long sought to understand his family's legacy better, lamenting the fact that his father missed out on so much in his life, according to the outlet.
Jason has said that he spoke with his grandfather on the phone occasionally before his death. He also said his grandfather told him that his "hands [were] clean" due to the fact that he ordered the murders, but did not commit them himself (excerpt via People).
Charles's second son died in 2007.
Manson's second-born son, Charles Luther Manson, is somewhat of an enigma. Little is known about the second Manson son, who was born in 1960 according to Las Cruces Bulletin.
The Bulletin reports that Charles Luther never knew his father and his mother, Leona Rae "Candy Stevens" Musser, divorced Manson three years after he was born. People reports that he mentioned his son Charles Luther in a 2002 letter, but knew as little about him as the general public.
Charles reportedly changed his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976 and died in 2007, according to the Bulletin.
Charles's third son was raised far from his biological father's legacy.
Perhaps the most is known about Manson's third son, who goes by Michael Brunner. He was born in 1968 to Mary Theresa Brunner. She dubbed him Valentine Michael Manson, but Michael's name was changed when he was officially adopted by Mary's parents, Eloise and George Brunner, in 1976.
In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Michael shared that he had a normal life, and his grandparents raised him far from the specter of his biological father.
Although Manson wrote to Michael, trying to initiate contact, Michael says he never got around to it.
He acknowledges his father's crimes, yet Michael says he believes his father was "not this evil incarnate cartoon character that the media and the courts and now the public have believed in as the scapegoat."
As Manson's only known living son, Michael farms with his family in the Midwest and was still alive as of 2025.
Are there more kids we don't know about?
We mentioned that Michael is the only known son still alive, but are there others out there?
The answer is, there might be.
Manson was prolific in his relationships, and at least one other man has claimed to be the biological son of the serial killer.
In 2012, a man by the name of Matthew Roberts compared DNA with the above-mentioned Jason Freeman, known biological grandson of Manson.
Although CNN reports that the results indicated they shared a common ancestor, Matthew reported feeling "robbed" by the discovery rather than enlightened.
In August 2024, Matthew announced that he had definitively discovered he was not the son of Manson, after finding a relative on the other side of the family whom he could trace his ancestry from according to TheMansonBlog.
He died in September of 2024.
However, his presence raised questions about what other children Manson might possibly have out there.