Manson family member, participant in the "family" Satanic rituals, communal living, orgies and promiscuity, accessory before and after the fact to murder one.
Catherine Gillies, aka Cappy, was born August 1, 1950 and joined the Manson Family in 1968. It was not long after she joined the group that they all moved to her grandmother's ranch in Death Valley which sat next to the Barker Ranch. Eventually the family took over both ranches which became infamous after the Barker Ranch police raid in October 1969.
It is alleged that Manson sent Gillies and other family members to kill her grandmother in order for her to get an early inheritance, but the mission failed when they got flat tire.
During the sentencing phase of the Tate-LaBianca murders, Gillies testified that Manson had nothing to do with the murders. She said the real motivation behind the murders was to get Bobby Beausoleil out of jail by making it appear that the Hinman murders and the Tate-LaBianca murders were racially motivated by a group of black revolutionists. She also said the murders did not upset her and that she had volunteered to go, but was told she was not needed. She also admitted that she would murder in order to get a "brother" out of prison.
On November 5, 1969, Gillies was in a Venice house when Manson follower John Haught "Zero" allegedly killed himself during a game of Russian roulette.
She is said to have never completely denounced Manson and after the Family broke up, she joined a motorcycle gang, married, divorced and had four children.
