The Manson Family, led by Charles Manson, are now known as some of the most infamous criminals in modern history, but at the time of their crimes they were much less famous. Throughout the 60s the family would travel together from temporary home to temporary home, finding a place to crash for a year or two before moving on to the next location.

During the Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969, some of the Manson family were living at Barker Ranch. In October of the same year, Manson and several family members were arrested at Barker Ranch, but at the time they were only arrested for suspicion of vandalism in Death Valley National Park. Only later would it be discovered that they were responsible for the crimes that shocked the nation. At the time of his arrest, Charles Manson was found hiding under a sink in the small cabin at Barker Ranch, and he was almost missed by the authorities who conducted the raid.