On November 12, 1934 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of the most sinister and evil criminals of all time was born. His name is Charles Manson. Born an illegitimate and unexplained child to a Kathleen Maddox, a teenage prostitute, his father was a man remembered only as "Colonel Scott." In order to give her bastard son a name she married William Manson. He quickly abandoned the both of them. Kathleen Maddox's parents loved her and meant her well but they were fanatical about their religious beliefs. The grandma dominated the household. She demanded that those that lived in her home would abide by her and of God's wishes. Kathleen's strict upbringing turned he into a rebellious teenager. She soon turned into a teenage whore in search of acceptance. .
Charles never had a father figure, nor a mother figure in his life. His mother had a habit of disappearing and leaving him for days or even weeks. It's no wonder why Charles Manson lived most of his life in institutions. He kept to himself, he watched and listen and he used his imaginative resources. At the age of nine he was caught stealing and sent to reform school and then later when he was twelve he was caught stealing again and was sent to the Gibault School for Boys. His criminal career started at a very young age. But was it his nature to be a criminal at such a young age or was he hard-pressed to live that sort of life. Escaping from the foster home, him and two other boys headed to California living entirely by them selves. He made it by means of robbery and auto-theft. How else would you survive? What would you do if you were hungry? Would your morale issues come into play? Would you allow yourself to starve because you know that stealing is wrong and it is a crime, or would you weigh your options and make a rational choice to do what you believe is right, what is best for you? Rational choice occurs when a person decides to risk breaking the law after considering both personal factors such as need for money, revenge, food, entertainment and situational factors such as how easy it is to clam that target.