A former Charles Manson pen pal wants a Los Angeles judge to order DNA testing of a 43-year-old Florida man who contends he is Manson’s grandson, saying the weight of evidence disputes the claim of the cult leader’s alleged kin.
Jason Freeman told Superior Court Judge Clifford Klein in December that he would not voluntarily agree to the DNA test requested by longtime Manson pen pal Michael Channels, whose lawyers filed court papers stating their reasons why the test should be ordered.
In papers filed last Thursday and obtained by City News Service, Channels said Manson’s 2002 will, filed in Kern County in November 2017, names him as the executor of Manson’s estate.
“The facts of this case are peculiar since (Manson) was a convicted murderer serving time in prison,” Channels’ court papers state. “There is not the usual ability of the court to evaluate whether Mr. Freeman would be considered a grandchild, such as visits or family dinners or reunions.”
Killer and Cult Leader Charles Manson Dies at 83
![[NATL] Killer and Cult Leader Charles Manson Dies at 83](http://geogen.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/manson-pen-pal-seeks-dna-test-of-killers-alleged-grandson-nbc-southern-california.jpg)
According to Channels’ court papers, Manson never held out Freeman as his grandson and an Ohio man has claimed to be Freeman’s actual father. Freeman maintains his father is Jay White, also known as Charles Manson Jr. But Channels’ court papers state that White is not listed on Freeman’s birth certificate as his father and has never acknowledged him as his son.
When Manson’s ex-wife died, Freeman never made a claim against her estate, according to Channels’ court papers, which say Freeman was not listed as her grandchild in her obituary. A hearing on the DNA motion is scheduled for Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Klein has extended until then attorney Dale Kiken’s role as temporary special administrator over Manson’s estate. Kiken originally was appointed to the role in August 2018, giving him authority to protect Freeman’s interests. Kiken is tasked with recovering property, on behalf of Freeman, that Manson left behind in prison when he died at age 83 on Nov. 19, 2017, at Bakersfield Mercy Hospital of heart failure triggered by colon cancer that had spread to other parts of his body.
Freeman won a significant court victory when a Kern County commissioner ruled in March 2018 that he was entitled to Manson’s remains. Freeman and Kiken maintain that a 2002 Manson will Channels alleges he possesses is a forgery. A trial on the competing petitions by Kiken and Channels to be the estate’s permanent administrator has not yet been set.
