Jason Freeman, Charles Manson’s grandson and self-described great-grandson, had hoped to finally inherit the estate of the notorious killer but his hopes were crushed when Jason Freeman was contacted by a mysterious man who claimed to be Manson’s rightful heir.
Daniel Arguelles (62), claims that he is now the next contender. This claim stems from a one-night affair his mother had back in 1959 with Manson.
Freeman, 46, was hoping that at a Los Angeles probate court hearing Friday, Judge Ruben Garcia would declare him sole heir to Manson’s estate – his belongings plus potentially lucrative music and artwork rights.
The judge was likely to reject his claim against Michael Channels (memorabilia collector, Manson pen-pal), who claims he still has a 2002 will which leaves all of the property.
However, that did not happen.
Faced with Thursday’s last-minute court filing by Arguelles on Thursday, the judge extended Friday’s hearing until October 20, when details of the claim will be heard.
Jason Freeman, 46 is a Bradenton-based mixed martial artist fighter. Jason claims to be Charles Manson’s great-grandson
Charles Manson, a notorious killer who spent 47 years in death row for seven murders committed in 1969 against seven victims including Sharon Tate (pregnant Hollywood actress) died at 83.
Arguelles’s petition to ‘determination the existence parent/child relationship, and determination of succession’ stunned those involved almost five years ago in the legal fight over who gets what Manson’s estate.
“This completely took me by surprise. I only learned about it an hour ago,’ attorney Alan Davis – counsel to the temporary administrator of the Manson estate, Dale Kiken – told DailyMail.com after Friday’s hearing.
“I do not know Daniel Arguelles. He is a new name to me and I don’t know what his petition is based on. It’s still a mystery.
DailyMail.com found court documents that Arguelles claimed Arguelles is Manson’s biological son and is entitled to an equal amount of Manson’s estate.
Daniel Arguelles claimed that his DNA tests showed a close relative match with Michael Brunner (pictured). Brunner was one of many original claimants in Manson’s long-running battle over Manson’s estate. He insists that he was also a biological child.
Manson, who had been in prison for five years at Terminal Island in San Pedro in California in September 1958 was released. According to court papers, Arguelles met Arguelles in Los Angeles with Darlene Large Pons (also known as Darlene Large Whitt).
The petitioner (Arguelles), alleges that petitioner’s mother and dependent Manson (January 25, 1959) had conceived petitioner in one-night encounter. Arguelles, who was also born November 1, 1960, said this.
He said that his mother – who died in 2020 – had always told him his father was James Arguelles – until 1981 when his ‘mother informed him that James Arguelles was not his father and that she did not know who his real father was.’
Now, fast forward to July 2015. Arguelles attempted to find his biological father through Ancestry.com by sending in a DNA sample.
The results, said Arguelles, showed a ‘close relative match’ with Michael Brunner – who was one of the original claimants in the long-running fight over Manson’s estate, insisting he also was a biological son.
According to the court papers, DNA evidence proved that Arguelles and Brunner ‘have 99.99998% chance that they are related’.
Arguelles’s daughter Sophia – in a court declaration backing her father’s claim – said, ‘My grandmother told me that my grandfather was unknown to her….that she never saw my grandfather after the night my father was conceived.
I now see why my grandmother withheld any details regarding my grandfather.
“The Decedent (Manson), was convicted for heinous acts. In order to safeguard our family’s safety, I took my grandmother’s information to her tomb.
Arguelles’ claim is heavily based on Arguelles’ assertion that he was Michael Brunner’s halfbrother. He now faces a huge hurdle: Three years ago Brunner dropped out the race for Manson’s heir. Brunner asked the court to reject his claim that he is the killer’s child.
Daniel Arguelles, aged 62, claims that he is Manson’s “biological son” thanks to the one-night affair his mother had back in 1959. DailyMail.com has obtained court papers confirming Arguelles’ assertion that Arguelles was the biological child of Manson. He is entitled to an equal part of Manson’s estate.
Judge Garcia denied Nancy Claasen’s claim that Manson was her half-sister, and only heir, last month.
Claasen was granted her estate claim dismissal at her own request. The court had filed a July birth certificate which seemed to support the assertion that Freeman is Manson’s great-grandson.
Manson’s greatest possessions are his rights to the journals, stories, and lyrics he wrote.
Judge Garcia decided in June that he was satisfied Freeman – a former mixed martial arts fighter from Bradenton, Florida – is the son of Charles Manson Junior, based on an Ohio court’s 1986 finding that Manson Jr. was ordered to pay child support to Freeman’s mother.
But the judge said he still needed proof that Manson Jr., who committed suicide in 1993, was actually the offspring of Manson Sr., leader of the cult that killed eight-months-pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others in a brutal and bloody rampage through LA in 1969.
Last month, lawyers supporting Freeman’s claim seemingly sealed the deal by providing exactly what the judge was asking for – Manson Jr.’s birth certificate that they say proves his father was the infamous criminal.
Manson Jr. was reportedly born April 10, 1956, Los Angeles. It is stated on the birth certificate that Manson Jr. was a son of Manson Sr. and Rosalie Jean Willis (now 18).
Charles Manson, who was 47 years in death row at Corcoran State Prison (CA) on November 19, 2017, died naturally. He was 83 years old.
Manson’s possessions which are the most valuable include not his personal belongings and clothes from jail, but items that have been stored at storage facilities.
Judge said that Freeman was accepted by Charles Manson Jr. last month (pictured). Based on an Ohio court’s 1986 order that Manson Jr. pay support for Freeman’s mother,
According to a court filing last month, a birth certificate appears to confirm that Freeman was indeed Manson Jr. Freeman had his claim supported by legal counsel who presented Charles Manson Jr.’s birth certificate which proves his father to be the notorious criminal.
Freeman runs a construction contracting company and has sought Manson’s blessing for almost five years.
They own the right to his journal, stories, songs, as well as Look at Your Game, Girl, which Guns N’ roses released on the platinum 1993 album The Spaghetti Incident.
Marilyn Manson and the Beach Boys recorded Manson’s songs.
In the beginning, four petitions claimed their right to Manson’s estate. Matthew Lentz (Michael Brunner) and Matthew Lentz (Matthew Lentz), claimed they were each Manson’s family members.
Both of their claims were denied in 2019. Freeman was left with Channels.
Then, in April 2021, Claasen threw her hat into the ring, insisting she and Manson had the same mother – meaning she was ‘sole heir-at-law’ – and disputing the other claims.
Freeman filed birth and death certificates, which he claimed proved he was Manson’s grandchild.
According to him, he only learned of his connection with Manson at the age 11. However, Rosalie Willis his grandmother who was married in the 1950s to Manson, did not speak about her grandfather.
Michael Channels is a Manson pen pal and a Memorabilia collector. He claims to have an 2002 will that leaves all to him
Freeman maintained his belief that Charles Manson Jr. was his dad. However, he couldn’t accept his shameful name, so he changed it to Charles White and then committed suicide in 1993.
Channels claims he used to be friends with Manson and was pen pals for thirty years. He also claimed to have an original 2002 document that Manson wrote. It states: “I have disinherited both my known sons as well as any unidentified children, now and in the future.”
In 2018, Channels made a court order requesting that Freeman take a DNA test in order to determine if he is related to Charlie Manson.
Freeman appealed to the California Court of Appeals, which overturned the ruling of the judge. Freeman was not subject to the DNA test.
Freeman attacked Channels’ assertion that he was the sole beneficiary in a purported Manson will. He stated that it was the direct result of Channels exerting undue influence over Manson and was not and never will be the will of Manson.
Freeman’s case for claiming Manson’s estate was supported by a March 2018 court decision in Kern County – where Corcoran is located – that awarded him possession of his ‘grandfather’s’ corpse.
Kern County Commissioner Alisa knight, Bakersfield 100 miles north from LA, decided that Freeman was the competent next-of-kin and surviving competent. Freeman claimed that there was insufficient evidence to prove his claim.
Five days later Freeman was one of the speakers at a memorial service at a funeral home in Porterville, 50 miles north of Bakersfield, where some 30 people, including Manson’s one-time fiancé Afton Burton and former cult member Sandra Good, filed past the open coffin.
Manson – whose body had been in cold storage since his death – was cremated the same day and America’s most feared and hated killer’s ashes were strewn along a creek bed in a nearby forest.