Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Diane Lake


Also known as "Snake" Diane was one of the youngest members of the Manson Family. She was born in the 1950's and lived most of her childhood at the Wavy Gravy Hog Farm Commune with her hippie parents. At the young age of 13 she had experimented with drugs and particpated in group orgies. When she was 14 she met Charlie and members of the Family at a house in Topanga Canyon and her parents gave her a note to carry around in her pocket which confirmed their approval to join and live with the Manson Family.


Diane was the subject of many beatings by Charlie, he would explain that it was his way of being her father figure. One of the Family members said they once witnessed Charlie whipping Diane with an electrical cord and punching her in the back.


She was close friends with Paul Watkins who said in interviews that Diane was his favourite of the girls and the most beautiful with her auburn hair and green eyes. He mentions her numerious times in his book "My Life with Charles Manson".


It has been said that Diane got the nickname "Snake" because of the movements she makes with her hips during sex but she has denied this and said she got her nickname after telling a story to Mary Brunner of relating with a snake slitthering around on hot day keeping cool.


During her time with the Family Diane participated in group sex, drug use and listening to Charlie's daily ramblings.


Diane tesitfied against Tex Watkins, Patricia Krenwickle and Leslie Van Houton disclosing what she knew about them participating in the Tate/LaBianca murders.


At the age of 16 Diane suffered from LSD flashbacks and was sent to Patton State Hospital to undergo treatment for Schizoprenia. She was released after six months and went to live with Jack Gardiner and his wife who had become her foster parents. With professional help and fostering of her new parents she graduated from high school and college and is said to be living a normal and happy life as a wife and mother.


9 comments:

  1. I respect Diane's privacy 100%, but please if anyone knows Diane's address, can you please privately forward it to me? I have been wanting to write to her for such a long time. This is much appreciated. If anyone has the correct answer to this question please email me at ------> emily.donovan@yandex.com

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    1. Diane looks completely different than before. I doubt you would recognize her today. There's an old taped telephone conversation of her with an unknown male that has been posted on You*ube. She discusses Paul and her days in The Family.

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  2. I went to UC Santa Cruz with Diane about 1971, and dated her for a short time. I could tell she wasn't totally normal because she drank alcohol a lot. John Aboytes

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  3. or rather "As if she would stay with Charlie if he treated her like that. What utter hogwash."

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  4. I'm listing to the Coast to Coast AM interview with her done by Dave Schrader. Absolutely fascinating. It's from November 2017.

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  5. GOT to understand further regarding parents who give a well-underage daughter a 'note' saying it's fine to go live with strangers in a commune.

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  6. I've seen a few interviews with her and others from the Manson family in interviews, and the way they speak about their experiences with Charles and their life is shocking, I'm not sure how The Manson Family isn't considered a cult tbh.

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