Manson and members of his cult—the Family—were tried in 1970 and 1971 in the Tate-LaBianca murders, a spree in which seven people were killed over two days in August 1969 in California. 

In early October 1970, Manson was not given a chance to cross-examine a detective and tried to attack Judge Charles H. Older with a pencil. A bailiff tackled Manson in midair, and Judge Older was unharmed.

Artist Bill Robles knew he had no time to waste.

“It happened in a split second, and I quite literally had to freeze the moment,” he said. “… the adrenaline kicked in big time and I dropped whatever I was doing and started roughing out what I saw. Manson had flip-flops on and I drew them going flying.

“I finished the drawing with what seemed like supernatural powers and off it went to its place in history.”