Charles Manson was an American criminal and cult leader who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California, in the late 1960s. Some of the members committed a series of at least nine murders at four locations in July and August 1969, including the film actress Sharon Tate. In 1971, Manson was convicted of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people, including Sharon Tate. Manson was sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison after California temporarily banned the death penalty in 1972. Manson died in prison of natural causes in 2017, just after his 83rd birthday. In total, he is thought to be responsible for around 35 murders.