Manson’s grandson hopes to fly out, claim remains
The grandson of the late mass murderer Charles Manson says he plans to come to California and claim the remains of the man he calls “my grandpa.”
Jason Freeman, 41, a personal trainer, boxer and martial arts fighter from Bradenton, Fla., said he would like to arrange for Manson’s cremation in California and then bring his ashes home with him.
“Until I can make a rational decision about what to do next, I’d just like to have my grandfather’s remains sitting there with me,” Freeman said. “I’ll be in California as soon as I can.”
Manson, convicted of a series of horrific 1969 slayings in Los Angeles committed by him and his “family” of followers, died of natural causes Sunday in a Kern County hospital. He lived the last 48 years of his life behind bars.
Freeman said he has been working with an attorney on the procedures he will need to follow to claim Manson’s remains and possessions. He said he has not decided whether to hold a memorial service.
Under state law, a dead prisoner’s relatives have 10 days to claim the body before the state contracts with an undertaker to handle the remains. Freeman says he is aware of that and plans to fly to California well before the 10-day period is up next Wednesday.
He said he also hopes to take possession of Manson’s belongings, which might include crayon drawings and a series of small sculptures of scorpions and spiders that Manson was known to fashion from string and human hair.
“Dealing with the prison system, I have no anticipation of being able to retrieve any personal items,” Freeman said. “He’s had things stolen from him and had people trying to take advantage of him. But if I could, I would cherish his artwork. I would be excited to have it.”
Freeman, son of the late Charles Manson Jr., said he understands that the world feels differently about his grandfather than he does.
“The world doesn’t share the heart and compassion for my grandfather that the Lord has given me,” Freeman said. “It’s my way of looking at life.”
The professional fighter says he views the effort to claim his grandfather’s remains the way he views his martial arts and boxing matches.
“You take each battle one at a time, as it comes,” he said. “You don’t look ahead past that.”
State prison officials said the disposition of Manson’s remains was the responsibility of the Kern County coroner, who was unavailable for comment.