| World / USA / California / Searles Valley, 30 km from center | Coordinates: 35°51'34"N 117°5'19"W |
Built by Bluch and Helen Thomason after Bluch retired from the Los Angeles Police Department. After Bluch died, the property was sold to Jim and Kirk Barker. Just beyond the Barker Ranch is the Myers Ranch.The Barker and Myers Ranches are places that became notorious in the national press in December of 1969. In the first edition of Death Valley Jeep Trails, published that year, a local contributor wrote: “During the past year these isolated retreats have been inhabited by a small band of hippies, doing whatever it is hippies do”. Little did they know that these squatters were the Charles Manson "family." It was at the Barker Ranch that Charlie was arrested, although at the time his role in the Tate-LaBianca murders was not yet known. Manson moved his followers into the Barker Ranch sometime in 1968. Mrs.Arlene Barker, who owned the property and whose granddaughter Cathy Gillies was one of Manson’s followers, gave permission for Charlie to camp there. Perhaps she thought he meant only a few days. Manson purportedly had a plan to kill Mrs. Barker and obtain title to the land through Ms. Gilles.
"Sexy Sadie" Atkins, speaking rather too freely to a cellmate on 1 November 1969, boasted that there were three more bodies "out there in the desert that they done in." For nearly four decades there was no official response to that claim. In February-March 2008, after some lobbying by Sharon Tate's younger sister, among others, the National Park Service allowed some exploratory excavation in the area. Chemical analysis of the soil indicated that there might indeed be one or more bodies down there. Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze announced that, beginning 20 May 2008, the area would be closed to allow for several days of serious digging. After four days of digging, the search was caled off. No trace of human remains had been found.
Black & white AP file photo dated 5 December 1969 shows the front porch as it was on the day the ranch was raided and Manson taken into custody.
May 20 2008 photo by Marcio Sanchez shows Inyo County forensic investigators beginning the dig.
www.syncrosafari.com/deathvalley/warmsprings.htm
www.totalescape.com/active/campstuff/NP/interest/barker...
Category: valley charles death ranch cabin manson barker ballarat hideout
 | add your comment in English |