Naman Shrestha
Apart from being one of the most notorious criminals in American history, Charles Manson was also the cult leader of a group called “The Family.” Over the course of several years, he took various people into his cult, especially young teenage girls. One of them was Catherine Share, who was referred to as “Gypsy” within the Manson “Family.” In Peacock’s ‘Making Manson,’ the crimes of Charles and his “Family” are highlighted, including the August 1969 brutal murders of Sharon Tate and four others. Providing insight into the “Family,” Catherine claimed that she had not committed any of the murders linked to the cult.
Catherine “Gypsy” Share Was a Devoted Member of Charles Manson’s Cult
On December 10, 1942, in Paris, France, Catherine Louise “Gypsy” Share was brought into the world by a Hungarian violinist father and a German mother, both of whom reportedly took their lives during the war to avoid the wrath of the Nazis. Shortly after she was put up for adoption, she was taken in by Sidney and Patricia Share, who relocated to Hollywood, California, along with her. During her time at Hollywood High School, she became popular for her violin-playing skills and other musical talents. After graduating high school in 1961, her life turned upside down when her adoptive mother died of cancer and her stepfather went blind. Forced to drop out of college, Catherine reportedly worked in the music industry and soft-porn movies as well, including ‘The Ramrodder’ as Cochina.
For a period of about three years, from 1961 to 1964, she was married to Harold Alan Kannenberg. A few years after her divorce, she came across Charles Manson while he was traveling across South California along with his cult “Family,” which consisted of mostly teenage girls. Soon, she became his devoted follower and one of his lovers, helping him recruit more members to his “Family.” Catherine was not directly involved in any of the murders committed by Charles Manson’s cult, but she had a hand in the armed robbery at a Hawthorne, California, Western Surplus Store in August 1971 as she and others demanded the other “Family” members to be released from prison.
Suffering from three bullet wounds herself, she was arrested along with the others involved in the crime. After her conviction, she was sentenced to several years in prison. Once she was released from prison, she claimed that the thought of her son allowed her to separate herself from Charles Manson’s cult and ideologies. Since she was an orphan too, Catherine did not want her son to be one too. Thus, prioritizing her son, she detached from the “Family” and surgically removed the “X’ she had carved into her forehead during Charles’ trial. In January 1976, she reportedly tied the knot with Kenneth Davalos Como, but after about seven years, they got divorced when their marriage deteriorated.
Catherine “Gypsy” Share Detached From the “Family” and Focused on Bettering Her Life
However, during her married life with Kenneth, Catherine got involved in a credit card scam. When she was found guilty in the case, she was sentenced to a few years in prison yet again. That was reportedly the last time she ever got into trouble with the law. From what we can tell, she worked on turning her life around after that. Several decades later, in 2017, she became a key witness in the parole hearing for Leslie Van Houten. Catherine told the judge that Charles Manson had beaten Leslie and gave her a death threat if she ever tried to leave his “Family.”
“Some people could not leave. I was one of them that could not leave. I don’t think (Van Houten) felt like she was free to leave,” said Catherine. She also talked about how much she regrets persuading Leslie to join the cult. In November of the same year, Charles Manson passed away in prison at the age of 83. Over the years, she has made an appearance in several documentaries about the cult leader, including ‘Manson’s Missing Victims,’ ‘Manson: The Women,’ ‘Inside the Manson Gang,’ ‘Will You Kill for Me? Charles Manson and His Followers,’ ‘The Family: Inside the Manson Cult,’ ‘Manson: The Lost Tapes,’ and ‘Helter Skelter: An American Myth.’
Reflecting on her past and time with Charles Manson’s “Family,” Catherine claimed that she felt bad for the brainwashed members of the cult. “I felt very, very sad for the victims. … I also feel very sad for the young people who were turned into murderers,” she said. Catherine went on to become a counselor, educator, and victim advocate, especially for those who had trauma related to cults. After getting her life back on track, she decided to stay away from the limelight and focus on the important things in life. At some point, the born-again Christian got married again, this time to a man named Patrick Michael Shanahan, with whom she reportedly resided somewhere in Texas.
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