Lynette Fromme

Lynette Alice Fromme was born in Santa Monica, California on October 22, 1948, but grew up in Westchester, California. Fromme was the eldest of three children. Her mother, Helen, was a stay-at-home parent, and her father, William, worked as an aeronautical engineer.

Fromme was a child performer, touring with a song and dance troop called the Westchester Lariats. In high school she was a member of Athenian Honor Society, and she was a member of Girls Athletic Club. Fromme also attended drama class, where she met Phil Hartman, who later gained fame on shows like Saturday Night Live and the Simpsons.

Self-Mutilation

Fromme’s relationship with her father was tense. He seemed to punish her for the smallest mistakes. She became rebellious and began experimenting with alcohol and different drugs. She also harmed herself by burning herself with cigarettes and shooting staples into her arm with a staple gun. Her grades dropped at high school, but despite this, she graduated in 1966.

Tate/LaBianca Murder Trial

Although Fromme was not involved in the Manson murders, she showed her support for her brothers and sisters in jail by camping outside the Hall Of Justice. Fromme shaved her head and carved an X into her forehead.

During the Tate/LaBianca murder trial, Fromme regularly got into trouble and was often arrested with charges ranging from contempt of court, trespassing and attempted murder for the LSD-laced hamburger episode. Ruth Ann Moorehouse gave Manson clan member Barbara Hoyt a hamburger spiked with 10 tabs of acid. They arrested several Family members for the attempted crime, they later reduced the charges to conspiracy to dissuade a witness from testifying.

After Manson was convicted, Fromme moved to San Francisco to be closer to Manson, who was serving time in San Quentin. Fromme kept in touch with her brothers and sisters in jail, but they did not permit her to see Manson. Around this time, she started to write a book about the Manson Family, which would be released in 2018.

Willett Murders

In 1972, Fromme was arrested in connection with the Willett murders. The authorities didn’t have enough evidence that she was involved with the homicides and discharged her from jail. After being released from lockup, Fromme moved into a Sacramento apartment with fellow Family member Sandra Good. The reason for the move was to be closer to Manson, who had been transported from San Quentin to Folsom Prison.

Life Sentence

Fromme was handed a life sentence after pointing a gun at former President Gerald Ford in 1975. Throughout her years in prison, Fromme corresponded with Manson, and she was one of the few who didn’t denounce Manson.

In March 1979, Fromme attacked a fellow prisoner with a claw hammer. Fromme got into a fight and hit the inmate on the head with the claw end of the hammer. In 1987, Fromme got the news that Manson was suffering from cancer. She escaped from prison and was on her way to Manson when she was arrested two days later. Fromme was released on parole on August 14, 2009, after serving 34 years.