Chaos: The Manson Murders gives a new look at the Manson Family’s crimes, including Charles Manson’s shooting of Bernard Crowe. While the murders at the home of Sharon Tate are the most famous of the Manson Family’s crimes, they were involved in all kinds of other criminal acts throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. Charles Manson’s interaction with Bernard Crowe is one of the earliest instances of violent crime from within the Manson Family, and here’s who he is and what happened based on Chaos: The Manson Murders.

Chaos: The Manson Murders is Netflix’s new crime documentary about the Manson Family, one of the most notorious criminal groups in American history. The Manson Family was led by Charles Manson, with Charles somehow directing his young, drug-fueled followers to carry out a series of murders in California. The odd circumstances of the Manson Family’s crimes has led to a lot of conspiracy theories popping up about Charles Mason. Chaos: The Manson Murders mostly focuses on these theories, although it also touches on Bernard Crowe and some of the other notable moments from the Family’s life.

Who Bernard “Lotsapoppa” Crowe Is

He Was A California Drug Dealer

Bernard “Lotsapoppa” Crowe was an Los Angeles-based marijuana dealer in the 1960s, with him getting involved in a drug deal with Tex Watson of the Manson Family. Through Watson’s ex-girlfriend Luella, Watson planned to get money, buy marijuana, resell the marijuana, and keep the money for himself. Luella connected Watson to Bernard Crowe, with Crowe providing him with the money and waiting for him to return. However, Watson never returned, having stolen the money from Crowe.

Why Charles Manson SH๏τ Bernard Crowe

It Was A Product Of Tex Watson’s Scam

After Crowe realized that he had been scammed, he decided to do something about it. Knowing that Watson was from Spahn Ranch, Crowe called, with Charles Manson picking up. Crowe threatened that, if he did not get the money, him and his friends would go to Spahn Ranch and kill the Manson Family. After hearing this threat, Charles Manson and Manson Family member Thomas “TJ” Walleman decided to act. Manson sH๏τ Crowe, believing that he had killed him, stole a leather jacket, and fled.

What Happened To Bernard Crowe

He Testified At The Manson Trial

Manson told the Manson Family that he had killed a Black Panther, with this referring to Bernard Crowe. Unknown to Manson, Crowe was not a Black Panther, nor was he ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Instead, Crowe was called as a witness at the Manson Trial, where Manson realized that Crowe was still alive for the first time (via charlesmanson.com). Bernard Crowe was able to testify to Manson’s pattern of removing himself from the murders. This helped Manson get prosecuted, with this being a major detail that wasn’t featured in Chaos: The Manson Murders.