On Wednesday, November 5, 1969, the Venice Police Department responded to an incident at 28 Clubhouse Avenue. Inside, officers discovered the body of John “Zero” Haught, also known as Christopher Jesus, an associate of the Manson Family, lying on a mattress in a bedroom. Beside him were a leather gun case and a revolver. Haught had suffered a gunshot wound to the right temple.

Patricia Baldwin, also known as Little Patty and Madeline Joan Cottage, told police that she and Haught were in bed when he took a .22-caliber revolver, spun the cylinder, and shot himself. Other individuals present—members of the Manson Family, including Bruce Davis, Susan Bartell, and Catherine Gillies—confirmed the story. Based on these accounts, police initially ruled the death a suicide, even though the gun was fully loaded and wiped clean of fingerprints. The police were unaware that the individuals present were members of the Manson Family.

Later, an unnamed source told L.A. Times reporter Jerry Cohen that Haught may not have taken his own life. According to the source, a young woman present held the gun lightly by the trigger guard after the shot, suggesting someone else may have fired. The source also reported that two nights later, the same woman exhibited threatening behavior with a knife, prompting him to leave the group out of fear.

Det. Sgt. Art Hansbrough told the L.A. Times that the investigation remained open, as inconsistencies in the accounts had left lingering doubts. Shortly after Haught’s death, other Manson Family members living at the house reportedly fled to Death Valley, where the group maintained its final commune.

The circumstances surrounding John “Zero” Haught’s death remain murky, leaving unresolved questions about whether it was truly suicide or something far darker.

Excerpt from the L.A. Times (1969)

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 — Christopher Jesus, also known as “Zero,” was found dead on a bed in the beach community of Venice, Calif., a gun beside him and a bullet wound in his head. A young woman said he had been playing “Russian roulette” and the death formally was listed as a suicide.

“But I’ve never been satisfied with that whole thing,” said Det. Sgt. Art Hansbrough, who revealed the death still is under investigation. Not a single fingerprint was found on the gun.

Other cultists who had been living at the residence scattered shortly afterward. One who did, a slight young man who held Christopher Jesus’ head as he lay dying, said he is convinced the death was not a suicide. He said when he heard the gunshot, he entered the bedroom and found a young woman, another Manson follower, holding the gun lightly by the trigger guard.

“She told me: ‘Jesus shot himself,’” the young man said. “But she had this strange far-away smile on her face, as if she were saying to me: ‘His time had come, time for me to shoot him.’

It is believed that the young woman and other Manson cultists present that night fled to Death Valley, site of the clan’s last commune. The young man fears for his life because of his belief that Christopher Jesus’ death was not a suicide.

He said two nights after Jesus’ death the young woman stared glassily at him for several hours, while running her thumb across the blade of a long knife. “That’s when I decided I had to get out,” he said.

John Haught Obituary

Funeral services and burial for John Philip Haught, 22, of Los Angeles, Calif., a former area resident, will be held in the Dunlope Funeral Home, Wintersville, at the convenience of the family.

Mr. Haught, a Navy veteran of Vietnam, died Nov. 5 in Venice, Calif.

He leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Lowe of Grissom AFB, Peru, Ind., former area residents; two sisters, Paula Haught and Patricia Haught, both of Peru, Ind.; his maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Byron Boyles of RD 1, Richmond.

John Haught Death Police Report

The following is a careful transcription of the handwritten police report—a challenging task (see original files below).

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT – CASE FILE TRANSCRIPTION

DR #: 69-652-900 / 69-658-800 Date: November 5, 1969 – November 13, 1969

PART 1: DEATH REPORT (Page 1)

HEADER INFORMATION

Deceased: Doe, John – 118

Type: Suicide

Rpt Dist: 1402

DESCRIPTION OF DECEASED

Sex: M | Descent: Cauc | Hair: Brn | Eyes: Brn

Height: 5’9″ | Weight: 135 | Age: 21 –

Marks: TT [Tattoo] Zorro & picture devil L arm [Left arm]

Clothing: Levis

LOCATION & TIMING

Address: #28 Clubhouse Ave Ven. [Venice]

Date/Time Occurred: 11-5-69 1945 [7:45 PM]

Probable Cause: Gun shot

INITIAL NARRATIVE R/C [Radio Call] Amb. [Ambulance] shooting 14A-1 assigned at #28 Clubhouse Ave. Investigating Ofc. [Officer] arrived at scene at same time of 14A1 arrival.

Upon arrival Ofc. obs. [observed] deceased lying on his back on the lt [left] side of a mattress which was on the floor of the back bed rm. [room]. Deceased warm to touch. No rigor.

There was a 22 Cal. 3″ B/S [Blue Steel] revolver and the leather revolver case lying on the bed, to the rt. [right] of deceased approx. 5″ frm. [from] his rt. hand. On deceased rt. temple Ofc. obs. what appeared to be an entrance wound with splotches of blk [black] substance around the edges of the wound. Under deceased temple where he was lying was a pool of blood on the pillow.

PART 2: WITNESS STATEMENTS (Pages 2 & 3)

WITNESS 1: BALDWIN, LINDA (Bedroom) Wit [Witness] Baldwin stated that she had been sleeping on the rt [right] side of the bed when deceased got onto the bed and woke her up. Deceased asked Baldwin when she was going to fix dinner. Deceased then turned on his rt. side and hugged Baldwin. As he was hugging her he stated “Oh, heres a gun,” Deceased then had the gun (in case) which he had obt. [obtained] frm. [from] the night stand rt side of bed. Deceased removed the gun frm. the case and put it in his rt. hand. Deceased stated “Theres only one bullet in it” He then spun the cylinder, placed the gun to his rt temple, and pulled the trigger.

There was no note found. Deceased apparently not despondent.

WITNESS 2: DAVIS, BRUCE (Kitchen) Davis, Bruce was in the kitchen, next to bed rm. [room] heard one shot which sounded like a firecracker. Obs. [Observed] Baldwin come out of the bed rm. & state “Zero just shot himself, like in the movies! I touched the barrel of the gun”. “Zero” is the name deceased goes by.

WITNESS 3: BARTELL, SUSAN (Bathroom) Bartell, Susan was in the bath rm, next to bed rm. heard one shot which sounded like a firecracker. She obs. Baldwin come out of the bed rm & state (see abv stmt) [see above statement].

WITNESS 4: GILLIS, KATHERINE (Living Room) Gillis, Katherine was in the living rm. frt. [front] of house, heard a sound (poss. [possible] firecracker) Went into the bed rm. & obs. [observed] deceased lying on the bed and Baldwin was checking his pulse.

RESIDENT INFO Deceased and wits [witnesses] Baldwin, Davis, Bartell and Gillis moved into the abv [above] address on 11-3-69. The house is being rented by Ross, Mark Stephen #28 Clubhouse Ave Ven.

PART 3: EVIDENCE & PROPERTY (Pages 2, 4, 5)

WEAPON DETAILS

Type: Iver Johnson Cadet Revolver, 8 shot, B/S [Blue Steel] w/ 3″ barrel.

Serial Number: H 61222

Grips: SMOOTH WOOD GRIPS

Caliber: .22

Registration: Gun regis. [registered] to Ross [Mark Stephen] as of 12-16-66.

Condition: Gun was loaded. Ofc. [Officer] unloaded gun at Ven. dets. [Venice Detectives].

Ammo Recovered: 7 live rounds — 1 spent round of .22 cal long.

LOCATION OF EVIDENCE Items 1-2-3 were found on bed to the rt. [right] of deceased near his rt. hand.

PART 4: IDENTIFICATION FOLLOW-UP (Page 6)

Report Date: 11-13-69 Topic: Positive Identification of Victim

NARRATIVE ON ORIGINAL REPORT I/O [Investigating Officer] WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT IDENTITY OF THE DECEDENT. DECEDENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS: CRISTOPHER, JESUS Sex/Descent: M-CAUC [Male/Caucasian] DOB: 4-20-49 Physical: 5’9″, 135 lbs, BRN [Brown Hair], BRN [Brown Eyes] CII#: 3863383

IDENTIFICATION MADE BY PRINTS – LAST ARREST INDEPENDENCE CALIF.