Prison letters written by London gangster Reggie Kray and U.S. death-cult leader Charles Manson are to be sold at auction.
The 'murderbelia' has been put up for sale by a collector through McTear's auction house and offers a rare insight into the minds of two of the 20th century’s most infamous criminals.
The Kray brothers - Reggie and Ronnie - ran organised crime in the East End during the 1950s and 1960s but as nightclub owners they rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous including Judy Garland, Barbara Windsor and Frank Sinatra.
Reggie and his brother Ronnie were both jailed for life in 1969 for the murder of underworld figure Jack 'The Hat' McVitie.
Kray’s letters, written across 20 pages and dated over several days in mid-July 1998 while Reggie was incarcerated at Parkhurst Prison, are said to be coded instructions to outside associates. Kray also makes numerous references to 'Karl', said to be outside 'muscle for hire', who would do Kray’s bidding.
The letters state: '31st July at your place Karl will tell him to cook up. Talk later of him.'
In the spotlight: Ronnie Kray, right, and Reggie Kray, left, in 1966 after being questioned by police about the murder of George Cornell
Amid the hippie culture of the 1960s, Manson, a charismatic ex-convict, put together a collection of runaways and outcasts known as the Manson FamilyIn the summer of 1969 he became one of the 20th century's most infamous criminals when he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people.
Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969.
Four other people also were stabbed or shot to death in Tate's home that night by the Manson followers, who scrawled the word 'Pig' in blood on the front door before leaving.
The following night, Manson's group stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca to death, using their blood to write 'Rise,' 'Death to Pigs' and 'Helter Skelter' - a misspelled reference to the Beatles song - on the walls and refrigerator door.
Manson is serving a life sentence for those seven slayings and the murder of an acquaintance, Gary Hinman, who was stabbed to death in a separate murder in July 1969.
Manson originally was sentenced to death in 1971 but was spared execution after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional. In 1977, his sentence was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Among the victims was actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969.
Four other people also were stabbed or shot to death in Tate's home that night by the Manson followers, who scrawled the word 'Pig' in blood on the front door before leaving.
The following night, Manson's group stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca to death, using their blood to write 'Rise,' 'Death to Pigs' and 'Helter Skelter' - a misspelled reference to the Beatles song - on the walls and refrigerator door.
Manson is serving a life sentence for those seven slayings and the murder of an acquaintance, Gary Hinman, who was stabbed to death in a separate murder in July 1969.
Manson originally was sentenced to death in 1971 but was spared execution after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional. In 1977, his sentence was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Murderer: Charles Manson pictured left with shaven hair and a swastika tattoo on his forehead in 1971 after being jailed for the ordering the murders of seven people including actress Sharon Tate, pictured right
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