Recently I was contacted by a woman we'll call Miranda. She is one of Gary Hinman's family members. Gary's friends and family have been trying to set the story straight about Gary now for some time. His family felt my blog was the best place to do it. They have entrusted me to tell their story for them.
Miranda has put out efforts in the past to do this on a few other blogs, but they did not give Gary's family the respect and decency they deserved. In Miranda's own words - "One site chose to bad mouth Gary, the man none of them knew about or wanted to learn about, then used the information as a stepping stone to bicker and lash out at one another". Another site chose to just not want to hear it. I know that MY members will give this family the respect and dignity they deserve. If I may speak for all of us here, I think it is safe to say we really do not know much about Gary Hinman's life. We only know what is written in books, portrayed in movies and spoken of by the Manson Family. I know my members want to hear this story. Other blogs claim their sole purpose is wanting the "truth". However when given the truth, many have turned a deaf ear or even chosen to make a mockery of it.
Miranda has also shared two letters written to the Hinman family by Bruce Davis and one from Bobby Beausoleil. The Bruce letters are here:
Gary's family has been kind enough to share some pictures of Gary. There are not many since he did not like to be photographed.
Above: In all these pictures, Gary is the tallest man. He was over 6 feet.
THE TRUTHS AND MYTHS ABOUT GARY HINMAN
Gary did not make his living as a drug dealer. A quote from Bobby Beausoleil's letter to Gary's family on the subject: "Far too much has been made of the "drug dealer" aspect. Gary sold small amounts of pot and occasionally some organic psychedelics to friends as a way to pad his income from giving piano lessons. Within the counter-culture he and I were both a part of, pot was not considered a drug, and the psychedelics had not yet been made illegal." Reading between the lines, I interpret Bummer Bob's statement as hinting that there was no mescaline lab in Gary's basement. And if this is true, then there was no gang of bikers after the Family for selling them bad mescaline that Gary made. Why doesn't Bobby tell the truth to the parole board? He writes this letter to Gary's family, Gary's family shows it to the parole board and Bobby wonders why they won't let him out? Bruce's response to Gary being a drug dealer is that "Gary being thought as a drug dealer is a terrible insult to those who know and loved him." Again, no mention of a mescaline lab. No bikers getting sick from Gary's bunk mescaline. Not the reason for the copycat murders to get brother Bobby off. Not the real reason for "Helter Skelter." Bruce - another one who refuses to tell the truth and wonders why he is still sitting.
We are not making this up, read the letters.
The way Gary made his living was giving piano lessons out of his home in Topanga. In his spare time he enjoyed playing the flute, bagpipes, organ and saxophone. You may have read that Gary was also very involved a troop called The Village Dancers. They performed dances from different cultures and countries wearing colorful costumes touring around California and a few other states. Gary didn't do much dancing: he was more focused on playing the piano and some other instruments for the group.
It is true that Gary did come into some money but not the amount that has been written about. Gary was preparing for a trip to Japan with some friends from his Buddhist group. No matter what the dollar amount was, why the hell did Charles Manson and Family think they were entitled to it?
Besides his mother and father, Gary's family consisted of two younger sisters. The Hinmans were known to be fairly quiet and reserved people. They were also very giving people and this trait was passed on to Gary. We all know how he helped Mary Brunner out with getting her and Charlie's son back from social services. Gary let Bobby stay at his home several times when Bobby found himself homeless. Miranda told me that Gary really liked Bobby, Susan and Mary. That's why he enjoyed helping them.
Gary was straight. The Manson Family also wants you to believe Gary was a homosexual. New flash: Gary had a girlfriend at the time of his death. Before that he was married - to a woman. Gary met his wife while they both attended the same college. They were married for about 7 years or so. Gary's family says that the information out there about him being anything other than heterosexual is completely wrong.
There it all is my friends/members. I am not making it up. You can read the letters for yourselves. This site is not one of the sites dedicated to finding "the truth". But when it knocks on my door I answer and don't turn people away. Thanks you very much to Miranda for sharing her family's story.
Below is a letter from Bobby to Miranda:
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(Miranda),
You are not the first person who has written to me claiming to represent Gary's family. There have been several others before you who have made this claim. I want to believe you, but I've been fooled before - and this whole thing is painful enough without being toyed with in this fashion.
About 10 years ago, or more, I wrote a letter from my heart to the Hinman family. In this letter I expressed my deep regrets for having taken Gary's life, explaining that he had done nothing to deserve what I did to him, and offered to answer any questions they may have about what happened. My motivation for writing this letter was a sincere desire to make amends, to help facilitate a process of healing, and perhaps understanding. I entrusted this letter to a person claiming to represent the interests of the Hinman family, on his promise that he would deliver it to them. It is evident from some of your comments that you are unaware of this letter, which tends to indicate that either Gary's family did not actually receive my letter, or that you are not truly acting on their behalf. You see my dilemma.
This is not a game for me. Enough people have been hurt. If you are for real, then I apologize for my doubts - though I hope you understand why I might have some at this point.
Please refrain from judging me on the basis of what you might read on some of the websites out there - mansonkillers.com, or whatever - that exist only to exploit horrible tragedies, and to incite hatred and fear. As for Murphy's blog, I don't know what he has written about all this, but in any case I'm certainly not "having him" represent me in any way. The one place on the net you can be sure is representative of me is the beausoleil.net website. You might want to read the Dialogue section there more carefully. I have made comments in response to emails I've received, in relation to Gary and my responsibility to him that are at odds with how you have characterized me in your letter.
All of the things you have said in defense of Gary are true. He was a kind and peaceable man. How the young man I was 40 years ago could have become so confused and beleaguered by events and pressures that he could imagine Gary to be a threat to him is difficult to fathom. It was a long hard struggle to come to terms with all this. There was a time, before I did, when I attempted to rationalize a justification for my actions back then, but that was a very long time ago. I am in no way cavalier about my responsibility.
Far too much has been made of the "drug dealer" aspect. Gary sold small amounts of pot and occasionally some organic psychedelics to friends as a way to pad his income from giving piano lessons. Within the counter-culture he and I were both a part of, pot was not considered a drug, and the psychedelics had not yet been made illegal. All of this only circumstantially played into the events that led up to the tragedy of his untimely death.
Bobby
You are not the first person who has written to me claiming to represent Gary's family. There have been several others before you who have made this claim. I want to believe you, but I've been fooled before - and this whole thing is painful enough without being toyed with in this fashion.
About 10 years ago, or more, I wrote a letter from my heart to the Hinman family. In this letter I expressed my deep regrets for having taken Gary's life, explaining that he had done nothing to deserve what I did to him, and offered to answer any questions they may have about what happened. My motivation for writing this letter was a sincere desire to make amends, to help facilitate a process of healing, and perhaps understanding. I entrusted this letter to a person claiming to represent the interests of the Hinman family, on his promise that he would deliver it to them. It is evident from some of your comments that you are unaware of this letter, which tends to indicate that either Gary's family did not actually receive my letter, or that you are not truly acting on their behalf. You see my dilemma.
This is not a game for me. Enough people have been hurt. If you are for real, then I apologize for my doubts - though I hope you understand why I might have some at this point.
Please refrain from judging me on the basis of what you might read on some of the websites out there - mansonkillers.com, or whatever - that exist only to exploit horrible tragedies, and to incite hatred and fear. As for Murphy's blog, I don't know what he has written about all this, but in any case I'm certainly not "having him" represent me in any way. The one place on the net you can be sure is representative of me is the beausoleil.net website. You might want to read the Dialogue section there more carefully. I have made comments in response to emails I've received, in relation to Gary and my responsibility to him that are at odds with how you have characterized me in your letter.
All of the things you have said in defense of Gary are true. He was a kind and peaceable man. How the young man I was 40 years ago could have become so confused and beleaguered by events and pressures that he could imagine Gary to be a threat to him is difficult to fathom. It was a long hard struggle to come to terms with all this. There was a time, before I did, when I attempted to rationalize a justification for my actions back then, but that was a very long time ago. I am in no way cavalier about my responsibility.
Far too much has been made of the "drug dealer" aspect. Gary sold small amounts of pot and occasionally some organic psychedelics to friends as a way to pad his income from giving piano lessons. Within the counter-culture he and I were both a part of, pot was not considered a drug, and the psychedelics had not yet been made illegal. All of this only circumstantially played into the events that led up to the tragedy of his untimely death.
Bobby
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