Excavation work is to be carried out at a Californian ranch by US police, in order to search for more possible victims of Charles Manson, a notorious mass murderer.
Police believe more bodies might be buried in the Death Valley national park, where Manson and his followers hid after the killings.
In 1969, Manson was convicted of killing seven people, including the actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant and married to the film director Roman Polanski.
Manson and four of his followers, convicted of the spree of the murders, have reportedly claimed more victims are buried at the ranch.
In February, initial surveys of the remote ranch, some 200 miles (320 km) north of Los Angeles, proved inconclusive.
“I believe the only way to determine once and for all whether there are bodies buried at Barker Ranch from the time of the Manson family is to proceed with limited excavation in a very few areas” said Bill Lutze, Inyo County Sheriff.
Possibility of parole
The four-day excavation is planned to start on 20 May.
Charles Manson, 73, is serving a life sentence in California’s Corcoran State Prison. He was originally sentence to die in the gas chamber.
But the state Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional and Manson’s sentence, as well as those of the other inmates in Death Row, was reduce to life in prison, with the possibility of parole.
Later, California restored capital punishment.
Manson and three women (Patricia Krenwinkel, Susan Atkins and Leslie Van Houten) stood trial for murders. A fourth Manson followers, Linda Kasabian, present at the murders, was indicted with the others. But she turned state’s evidence and was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony.
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