Her Own Father Let Her Live With the Manson Family

the story of one of Charlie’s youngest followers

Ruth Ann Moorehouse was just 14 years old when she met Charles Manson in the summer of 1967, introduced by her own father. A few months later, she was emancipated and went to live with the Manson Family.

Ruth Ann Moorehouse was born on January 6, 1953 in Toronto, Canada. Her parents both grew up in Minnesota. Her father, Deane, was a pastor. Her mother was the former Audrey Lucille Sirpless. Audrey and Deane had three children shortly after their 1939 marriage: Kathleen (born 1940), Deane Junior (born 1941) and Sharon (born in 1945). We don’t know what took the family to Canada but it was there that little Ruthie was born.

By the mid-60s, the family was living in San Jose, California and by 1967, Deane was no longer a pastor. That summer, while driving, he picked up a scruffy hitchhiker named Charles Manson. Charlie and old Deane started talking about the Bible, and Moorehouse soon invited his passenger to come to the house for dinner.

Charlie agreed, and accompanied Deane to his house. There, he found two objects that he greatly admired: a piano, and Dean’s 14-year old daughter Ruth Ann.

Deane later proved himself a creepy old man and this author suspects that he may have molested his own daughter. She was certainly highly sexualized for someone so young.

A week later, Charlie returned to the Moorehouse home and negotiated with one of Deane’s…