Steve Grogan

Background

Steve Dennis “Clem” Grogan (born May 24, 1952) was an American murderer and a former member of The Manson Family. He used the alias “Clem Tufts” and was described as a musician who dropped out of high school. He had a criminal record that included “Disturbing the Peace” and “Possession of Marijuana”.

Grogan was often considered dumb by other Family members and was given the nickname “Scramblehead”. Some other Family members believed he was “playing dumb”. He was friends with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys. During the time the Family hung around with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, Steve crashed Wilson’s uninsured Ferrari while racing through roads outside of Spahn’s Ranch.

Grogan joined the Manson family when they moved to Spahn’s Ranch in the spring of 1968. He ended up at Spahn’s Movie Ranch in the spring of 1967.

Other details

The case material stated that Grogan allegedly wrecked Wilson’s uninsured Ferrari. It also stated that it was rumored that Donald “Shorty” Shea was cut up into 9 pieces and buried behind Spahn’s Ranch. When Shea was later located, it was stated that the remains were in one piece.

The offence

Grogan was convicted of murdering Donald “Shorty” Shea, a Hollywood stuntman and actor.

Donald “Shorty” Shea (September 18, 1933 – August 26, 1969) was described as a stuntman, actor, and victim of the Charles Manson murders. The material stated that Shea’s body location was not discovered until December 1977, nearly a decade after his death. Shea was described as standing almost 6'5". He worked as a bouncer and a ranch hand at Spahn Ranch, and it was stated that he had co-existed peacefully with other ranch employees at first. The material stated that Charles Manson began to look down on Shea because Shea had married a black woman named Magdalena, and it described Manson as having “a well documented hatred and mistrust of black people”. The material further stated that Shea planned to help George Spahn remove the Family from the Spahn Ranch when the Family’s brushes with the law grew out of control.

The material stated that Manson decided to have Shea killed because they believed Shea had turned them in, resulting in a raid on the ranch on August 16 where the family were taken into custody on suspicion of car theft. It stated that Bruce Davis claimed that the decision came from Manson because he considered Shea to be a “snitch”. Manson told Davis, Tex Watson, and Steve Grogan to ask for a ride to a nearby car parts yard on the ranch. According to Davis, he sat in the back seat with Grogan, who then hit Shea with a pipe wrench and Watson stabbed him. They brought Shea down a hill behind the ranch, and the material stated that they stabbed and brutally tortured him to death.

The material included Bruce Davis’s recollections at his parole hearings, including the following verbatim quotation:

“I was in the car when Steve Grogan hit Shorty with the pipe wrench. Charles Watson stabbed him. I was in the backseat with...with Grogan. They took Shorty out. They had to go down the hill to a place. I stayed in the car for quite a while but what...then I went down the hill later on and that's when I cut Shorty on the shoulder with the knife, after he was...well, I don't know...I...I don't know if he was dead or not. He didn't bleed when I cut him on the shoulder.”
“When I showed up, you know, he was...he was incapacitated. I don't know if...you asked if he was unconscious, I don't know. He may or may not have been. He didn't seem conscious. He wasn't moving or saying anything. And it started off Manson handed me a machete as if I was supposed to...I mean I know what he wanted. But you know I couldn't do that. And I...in fact I did touch Shorty Shea with a machete on the back of his neck, didn't break the skin. I mean I just couldn't do it. And then I threw the knife..and he handed me a bayonet and it...I just reached over and...I don't know which side it was on but I cut him right about here on the shoulder just with the tip of the blade. Sort of like saying 'Are you satisfied, Charlie?'. ”
“And I turned around and walked away. And I...I was sick for about two or three days. I mean I couldn't even think about what I...what I had done.”

The material also stated that after Tex, Pat, and Leslie were dropped off at the Labianca home, Manson, Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Grogan continued to Venice Beach where Manson sent Grogan, Atkins, and Kasabian to kill actor Saladin Nader, but Kasabian led them to the wrong apartment and the plan was aborted. It also stated that Grogan later helped Manson, Watson, and Bruce Davis to kill ranch hand Donald “Shorty” Shea.

Investigation

Grand jury testimony from Family member Barbara Hoyt described hearing screams and stated:

“It was about 10:00 pm when I heard a long, loud, blood curdling scream”,
“Then it went quiet for a minute or so and the screams came again and again, it seemed to go on forever, I have no doubt that Shorty was being murdered at that time”.

When Shea was dead, Grogan buried him, and the rumor was that he had been “dismembered into nine pieces”.

The material stated that on December 9, 1969, Shea’s 1962 Mercury was found with a footlocker of Shea’s possessions and a pair of bloodstained cowboy boots. It stated that a palm print of Davis was found on the footlocker. The material stated that Shea’s remains were discovered in December 1977 when Steve Grogan, one of those convicted of the murder, agreed to tell authorities the location of the body.

The material named Sgt. Bill Gleason (LASO Homicide), Deputy Coroner John Mossberger, and Deputy Sheriff Barry Jones (LASO Homicide) as being on the site when Shea was exhumed in 1987. It also stated that Gleason had been the officer who obtained the Spahn Ranch Raid search warrant in August 1969.

Arrest and detention

The material stated that Grogan was arrested in connection with the October 10, 1969 Barker Ranch raid. It stated that when police realized the Family’s involvement in the Tate murders, Grogan became an early suspect.

Trial

In 1971, Steve Grogan went on trial for the Shea murder. The jury returned verdicts of life imprisonment for Manson and Davis, but death for Grogan. The material described the sentence as being changed by Judge James Kolts on December 23, 1971.

Sentencing

The jury sentenced Grogan to death.

On December 23, 1971, Judge James Kolts changed Grogan’s sentence to life imprisonment. The material included Kolts’s statement verbatim:

“Grogan was too stupid and too hopped on drugs to decide anything on his own”
and also stated that it was Manson “who decided who lived or died”.

The material also stated that in prison Grogan transformed from a drugged-out zombie to a mature, remorseful young man.

Appeals

No separate appeal proceedings were provided in the case material.

Outcome

Grogan later assisted authorities and drew a map to where Shea’s body was buried. The material stated that Grogan was released shortly after the discovery of Shea’s remains in exchange for cooperation.

It was stated that Shea was 35 years old when he was murdered. The material also stated that when Shea’s remains were found in 1977 they were in one piece. The material further stated that Grogan was released from prison on November 18, 1985, and it was described as him remaining the only Manson Family member convicted of murder who was released from prison.

Timeline

• May 24, 1952 — Steve Dennis “Clem” Grogan was born.
• Spring of 1967 — Grogan ended up at Spahn’s Movie Ranch.
• Spring of 1968 — Grogan joined The Manson Family at Spahn’s Ranch after the Family moved there.
• June 1969 — Grogan was arrested for exposing his penis to a group of school children.
• June 1969 — Grogan was sentenced to 90 days observation at Camarillo State Mental Hospital and walked out after two days, returning to the ranch.
• August 10, 1969 — Grogan rode with members of the Manson family; Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten were dropped off at the house of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca; Manson sent Grogan, Susan Atkins, and Linda Kasabian to kill actor Saladin Nader at Venice Beach.
• August 16, 1969 — The material stated that a raid occurred in which the family were taken into custody on suspicion of car theft.
• August 26, 1969 — Donald “Shorty” Shea was described as murdered.
• August 1969 — Sgt. Bill Gleason obtained the Spahn Ranch Raid search warrant (month given).
• October 10, 1969 — Grogan was arrested in connection with the Barker Ranch raid.
• December 9, 1969 — Shea’s 1962 Mercury was found with Shea’s possessions and bloodstained cowboy boots; a palm print of Davis was found on the footlocker.
• December 1977 — Grogan agreed to tell authorities the location of Shea’s remains, which were discovered in December 1977.
• December 23, 1971 — Judge James Kolts reduced Grogan’s sentence from death to life imprisonment.
• 1985 — Grogan was released from prison on November 18, 1985.
• 1987 — Shea was exhumed in 1987 with Sgt. Bill Gleason, Deputy Coroner John Mossberger, and Deputy Sheriff Barry Jones on site.

People involved

• Steve Dennis “Clem” Grogan — defendant; convicted for the murder of Donald “Shorty” Shea; later cooperated by drawing a map to the burial location.
• Donald “Shorty” Shea (September 18, 1933 – August 26, 1969) — victim.
• Charles Manson — Manson family leader; sentenced to life imprisonment by the jury in the same trial described; also identified in Kolts’s sentencing remarks.
• Tex Watson — identified as involved in the killing of Shea and as being dropped off at the Labianca house during the described night of August 10, 1969.
• Patricia Krenwinkel — identified as dropped off at the Leno and Rosemary LaBianca house during the night of August 10, 1969.
• Leslie Van Houten — identified as dropped off at the Leno and Rosemary LaBianca house during the night of August 10, 1969.
• Leno LaBianca — identified as one of the residents of the house where Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten were dropped off.
• Rosemary LaBianca — identified as one of the residents of the house where Watson, Krenwinkel, and Van Houten were dropped off.
• Susan Atkins — identified as continuing with Manson, Grogan, and Kasabian to Venice Beach and as being sent to kill Saladin Nader.
• Linda Kasabian — identified as continuing with Manson, Grogan, and Atkins to Venice Beach and as leading the killers to the wrong apartment.
• Bruce Davis — identified as involved in Shea’s murder; received life imprisonment by the jury in the described trial.
• Saladin Nader — identified as the actor whom Manson sent Grogan, Atkins, and Kasabian to kill.
• Barbara Hoyt — Family member who provided grand jury testimony about hearing screams.
• Sgt. Bill Gleason (LASO Homicide) — identified as obtaining the Spahn Ranch Raid search warrant in August 1969 and as being on site when Shea was exhumed in 1987.
• Deputy Coroner John Mossberger — identified as being on site when Shea was exhumed in 1987.
• Deputy Sheriff Barry Jones (LASO Homicide) — identified as being on site when Shea was exhumed in 1987.
• Judge James Kolts — identified as reducing Grogan’s death sentence to life imprisonment on December 23, 1971.
• Detective Chief Inspector Alan Reid — not present in the provided material.
• Dennis Wilson — identified as a friend of Grogan and as a Beach Boys member at whom Grogan’s Ferrari crash occurred.
• George Spahn — identified as the person Shea had hoped to help remove the Family from Spahn’s Ranch.
• Magdalena — identified as Shea’s wife.

Other character or descriptive details included

Grogan was described as transforming in prison from a drugged-out zombie to a mature, remorseful young man. The material described that he kept away from fellow inmate Manson while in prison and headed the prison’s program to deter juveniles from a life of crime.

The material also stated that Grogan was featured in the Oscar-nominated 1973 documentary film Manson.