Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties

O’Neill examines the relationship between Charles Manson, his followers, and key figures in the counterculture hub of San Francisco in the late 1960s. This chapter centers around the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic (HAFMC), founded by David Smith, and how Manson’s interactions with both Smith and his parole officer, Roger Smith, did not appear in the official narrative of the Manson Family. The clinic, a safe haven for the thousands of young people who flocked to the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, also became a focal point for Manson and his growing influence over his followers.

David Smith’s clinic treated many of Manson’s female followers, referred to as “Charlie’s girls,” for sexually transmitted diseases, malnutrition, and unwanted pregnancies. Despite Manson’s status as an ex-convict, the clinic’s open-door policy allowed him to remain closely involved. O’Neill suggests that Manson, who lived nearby, may have used the clinic’s environment to his advantage. Both David and Roger Smith were engaged in research into drugs like LSD and amphetamines, substances Manson would later use to exert control over his Family.

O’Neill implies that Manson’s relationship with Roger Smith may have been more than merely parole-related. Despite the cult-like

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