A GoFundMe page that was started up to raise money for Charles Manson's funeral arrangements has been shut down by the crowdfunding site.
The initiative, which sought to solicit funds for travel, legal fees, and burial costs, began on Wednesday, November 22, and didn't last more than a day before it was deactivated. The page was reportedly started up by a man named John Jones, who has been identified as a friend of Manson's grandson, Jason Freeman. It is reported that Freeman recently lost his job, and as a father of three doesn't have the means to catch a flight and put himself up in a hotel in California before the November 29 deadline the state has set for a next of kin to claim Manson's remains.
"It's going to be a lot of money. There's a lot of people who want to contribute, and then there's a lot of people who want to protest," the New York Daily News cites Freeman as saying. The fund had reportedly raised to $979 before it was yanked.
Freeman descends from Manson through the only child the dead cult-leader had with his first wife, Rosalie. That child, Charles Manson Jr. would grow estranged from Manson, and eventually, change his name to Jay White to distance himself from Manson's dark legacy. Tragically, White would take his own life in 1993, leaving Freeman, 41, with a major disconnect from his infamous grandfather. Freeman would begin talking with Manson on the phone eight years ago, however, and thus he was able to gain some closure over the family's history. Although Manson would continue to reject his attempts to meet him in person, Freeman says that he bears no resentment, and views Manson's funeral and burial as a "family obligation."
“His whole life he lived with the pain of feeling unclaimed. We must not let this happen in death. Together we can help Jason bring his grandfather home & prove to the world Charles WAS LOVED & WILL BE CLAIMED!” the now-defunct GoFundMe page read.
Source: nydailynews.com
