Manson Family member Linda Kasabian died last month at the age of 73, it has been revealed. It was her testimony - as the lookout in the brutal murders of actress Sharon Tate and four others on August 9, 1969 - that helped convict Charles Manson and several of his cult members.

News of her death was broken by American tabloid news organization TMZ, today (Tuesday, February 28). It claimed it had obtained a copy of Kasabian's death certificate.

It shows that she passed away at a hospital in Tacoma, near Seattle, in Washington State. According to the document, she died on Saturday, January 21. Her body was cremated, however, the cause of death was not recorded.

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TMZ reports that, according to the death certificate, she had changed her surname to Chiochios in a bid to protect her identity. She had shunned publicity for much of her life after turning her back on the Manson Family. However, her original name was adopted by Countesthorpe rockers Kasabian when the band was formed in 1997.

Linda Kasabian gave evidence in the trial of Charles Manson, Charles "Tex" Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel and Susan Atkins in 1970 and 1971. As a member of the cult, she had been tasked as the lookout, waiting outside film director Roman Polanski's residence at 10050 Cielo Drive, in Los Angeles.

Kasabian testified that she had witnessed Watson, Krenwinkel and Atkins - under the orders of Manson - commit the murders. However, she claimed that she did not participate in the killings.

Charles Manson
Charles Manson

Tate, who was Polanski's heavily pregnant wife, died with the couple's unborn son from multiple stab wounds. Her friend and hairdresser to the stars, Jay Sebring, was shot and stabbed to death. Coffee heiress Abigail Folger, and her boyfriend, Wojciech Frykowski, also perished in the bloodbath.

Steven Parent, who had been visiting a friend living in a guest house next door, was also shot to death by Watson. Polanski had been away in London working on a film at the time of the massacre.

During 18 days of evidence, Kasabian outlined how Manson had directed his cult followers to murder the occupants of 10050 Cielo Drive. She also described how they went on to butcher supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary the following night.

They were killed at their home in another part of LA the following night. This time, Kasabian said she was assigned the task of being the getaway driver. The killers were also joined in the LaBianca murders by Manson himself, and cult members Leslie Van Houten and Steve 'Clem' Grogan.

Kasabian was given immunity from prosecution in return for her testimony, which saw Manson and the killers handed life sentences. He died in prison in 2017, aged 83.

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