The most famous of Charles Manson’s victims: Sharon Tate with her husband, film-maker Roman Polanski.The most famous of Charles Manson’s victims: Sharon Tate with her husband, film-maker Roman Polanski.

Infamous US mass murderer Charles Manson was refused parole, in what could be the 77-year-old’s last review for release after more than 40 years behind bars.

Manson... hatched a plot to commit murders in upscale, mostly white neighbourhoods of Los Angeles and then blame the crimes on African-Americans, in hopes of sparking a race war

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Mr Manson did not attend his parole review meeting − he was last refused in 2007 − and will not be eligible for parole again for another 15 years.

“The Board of Parole Hearings denied parole to inmate Charles Manson, 77, at a parole suitability hearing at California State Prison-Corcoran in Kings County,” said a CDCR statement.

“It was Manson’s 12th parole suitability hearing conducted by a BPH panel. He will be considered for another parole review in 15 years. Inmate Manson did not attend his hearing.” Manson would be 92 when next eligible for parole in 2027, if still alive.

Under a Californian law passed by popular vote in 2008 − Marsy’s Law, aimed at sparing victims’ families repeated parole hearings − officials could set the time until his next review at three, five, seven, 10 or 15 years.

“Today, the Board of Parole Hearings decided to give him the maximum amount of years before his next hearing,” CDCR spokesman Luis Patino said.

“Clearly, it signals that they found Manson quite unsuitable for parole, and that it would take some time before he would make the types of changes that might make him suitable for parole.”

A new photograph of Charles Manson, jailed for his role in a series of gruesome murders, was released last week. Dated June 2011, it showed the convicted murderer with dishevelled grey hair and a full beard. He still bears a tattoo of a swastika emblazoned on his forehead.

One of the most notorious inmates of the US, he is incarcerated at Corcoran state prison, 300 kilometres northwest of LA. In 2007, he was denied parole for the 11th time.

Charles Manson headed an apocalyptic cult and hatched a plot to commit murders in upscale, mostly white neighbourhoods of Los Angeles and then blame the crimes on African-Americans, in hopes of sparking a race war. He was sentenced to death with four of his disciples for having led an August 1969 killing of seven people, including Sharon Tate, the wife of film-maker Roman Polanski. She was eight and a half months pregnant.

The CDCR said the transcript of Charles Manson’s latest parole board hearing will serve as the official record and should be ready in about 30 days.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.