Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Charles Luther Manson |
| Later legal name | Jay Charles Warner |
| Date of birth | September 24, 1960 (reported) |
| Place of birth | Denver, Colorado (reported) |
| Date of death | 2007 (reported) |
| Place of death | Colorado (reported) |
| Father | Charles Manson (1934–2017) |
| Mother | Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens (Musser) |
| Half-siblings | Charles Manson Jr. (aka Jay White; 1956–1993); Valentine Michael Manson (aka Michael Brunner; b. 1968) |
| Name change | 1976 (reported) |
| Occupation | Not publicly documented |
| Marital status / children | Not publicly documented |
| Notable for | Second-known son of Charles Manson; legal name change; lifelong privacy |
Early Life and Parentage
Charles Luther Manson entered the world on or about September 24, 1960, in Denver, Colorado, at a moment when his father’s name was already orbiting the criminal justice system. His mother, Leona Rae Musser—better known by her alias “Candy Stevens”—married Charles Manson around 1959. The marriage flickered against a backdrop of charges, courtrooms, and headlines; it did not last long.
Accounts of the era suggest Charles Manson was incarcerated during stretches of his children’s early years, including the period surrounding Charles Luther’s birth. There is no evidence that the elder Manson played a sustained role in raising him. Instead, the child’s early life unfolded far from the chaos that would later define his father’s notoriety.
The Name Change and the Pursuit of Anonymity
In 1976, Charles Luther Manson reportedly took a decisive step: he legally changed his name to Jay Charles Warner. In one act, he put distance between himself and a surname that had become a cultural synonym for darkness. The underlying reasons were not publicly detailed, but the change reads like a closing of a heavy door—an attempt to begin again, unburdened by a headline.
From that point forward, he kept an extraordinarily low profile. No reliable public record ties him to a prominent business, a political cause, or a high-visibility career. He lived quietly, and the public trail he left behind is faint by design.
The Mother: Leona “Candy” Stevens
Leona Rae Musser, who went by “Candy Stevens,” briefly occupied a peculiar corner of mid-century true-crime lore. She married Charles Manson when he was navigating legal trouble and later separated from him. Beyond those brushstrokes, the public portrait is thin. She is remembered primarily as the mother of Charles Luther and as a transient presence in the early corridor of Manson family history.
Half-Siblings: Three Sons, Diverging Paths
The elder Manson is widely acknowledged to have three sons:
- Charles Manson Jr. (by Rosalie Jean Willis), who later took the name Jay White and died in 1993. His life, too, seemed to reflect a desire to escape the gravitational pull of a last name that drew too much attention.
- Charles Luther Manson (this subject), who changed his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976, lived privately, and reportedly died in 2007 in Colorado.
- Valentine Michael Manson (by Mary Brunner), later known as Michael Brunner, born in 1968 and raised by his maternal family. He has occasionally commented on his life in interviews, framing his path as one of distance and deliberate normalcy.
Though bound by blood to a figure who cast a long cultural shadow, the three sons chose different routes away from notoriety. If their father’s saga was a megaphone, theirs read more like whispered footnotes—short, careful, and protective.
Public Footprint: What’s Known and What Isn’t
Public documentation on Charles Luther (Jay Charles Warner) is notably sparse. No widely cited, verifiable career milestones surface in public databases. There are no prominent social media traces. Vital events—birth in 1960, a reported legal name change in 1976, and a reported death in 2007—form the backbone of what can be said with confidence.
What remains unknown is equally telling: no clear record of marriage, children, or major civil litigation is part of the accessible public archive. The overall pattern suggests a man who worked to become unremarkable, to reclaim ordinary life beyond a notorious surname.
Timeline Highlights
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Charles Manson marries Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens (approximate) |
| 1960 | September 24: Birth of Charles Luther Manson in Denver (reported) |
| 1960s | Charles Manson in and out of incarceration; limited role as a father |
| 1976 | Legal name change to Jay Charles Warner (reported) |
| 2007 | Reported year of death in Colorado |
| 2017 | Death of Charles Manson; renewed public interest in family lines |
Family Snapshot
| Relation | Name(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Father | Charles Manson (1934–2017) | Infamous cult leader |
| Mother | Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens (Musser) | Briefly married to Manson, later divorced |
| Half-brother | Charles Manson Jr. → Jay White (1956–1993) | Son by Rosalie Jean Willis |
| Half-brother | Valentine Michael Manson → Michael Brunner (b. 1968) | Son by Mary Brunner |
| Subject (self) | Charles Luther Manson → Jay Charles Warner | Second-known son; private life |
Geography and Privacy
Colorado bookends his known life story, with a reported birth in Denver and a reported death in the state in 2007. That geographical consistency mirrors the larger theme: discretion. He chose plainness over publicity, a quiet zip code over the noise of a media circus. In a family narrative that often spirals into spectacle, his chapter reads like a closed book.
Myths, Claims, and Caution
After the elder Manson’s death in 2017, a thicket of estate claims, contested wills, and tabloid-ready tales sprouted overnight. In that noise, Charles Luther’s story remained largely untouched. No credible, public record shows him seeking the spotlight or stirring dispute. As with many high-profile estates, the prudent approach is skepticism: separate documented relationships from rumor, legal filings from folklore.
What Stands Out
- He is the second-known son of Charles Manson, born in 1960 to Leona “Candy” Stevens.
- He legally changed his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976 (reported).
- He kept his life private, with few public records beyond vital events.
- He reportedly died in 2007 in Colorado.
- Among Manson’s three widely acknowledged sons, he may be the least visible in the public eye—and likely by choice.
FAQ
Who were Charles Luther Manson’s parents?
His father was Charles Manson and his mother was Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens (Musser).
Did he change his name?
Yes, he reportedly changed his name to Jay Charles Warner in 1976.
When and where was he born?
He was reportedly born on September 24, 1960, in Denver, Colorado.
When did he die?
Reports indicate he died in 2007 in Colorado.
Did he have a public career?
No public career or high-profile occupation is reliably documented.
Did he have children?
There is no publicly documented record of his marriage or children.
Who are his half-siblings?
Charles Manson Jr. (later Jay White) and Valentine Michael Manson (later Michael Brunner).
Was he involved with the Manson Family crimes?
No; there is no indication he was involved in those crimes.
Why did he change his name?
The reasoning was not publicly stated, but the change aligns with a desire to live privately.
Is there a birth or death certificate available online?
Public scans are not widely available; most details are drawn from reported vital events and retrospective accounts.
