7 Mind-Blowing Things We Learned From Joe Rogan's Charles Manson Podcast With Tom O'Neill 

7. Did A CIA Agent Infiltrate The Manson Family?

We mentioned at the very beginning that Manson had some powerful friends in the government who were making sure he stayed out of jail regardless of what he did. However, if you thought they were letting him roam around California without keeping on eye on everything he was doing, then you'd be very wrong.

One of the ways the CIA were able to keep tabs on the cult was by making agents grow their hair out, dress like hippies and join the Manson family in whatever commune they were in at the time. O'Neill explains how one specific agent, Reeve Whitson, claimed that he had infiltrated the cult prior to the Tate-LaBianca murders.

Not only was Whitson there to see Manson build his killer cult, he also stated that he'd gone to the house where the killings took place before the police arrived and regretted not being able to stop it from happening. Which makes you wonder, how much of this tragic tale could've been avoided.