Steve Grogan (Scramblehead)

Steven Dennis Grogan was born on July 13, 1951, in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in the San Fernando Valley area. He attended Simi Valley High School but dropped out during his junior year. As a teenager he became involved in petty crime and developed interests in music and art before gravitating toward the counterculture emerging around Los Angeles during the late 1960s.

Grogan became associated with Spahn Ranch before Charles Manson and his followers established the property as their principal base. He performed odd jobs around the former movie ranch and became acquainted with Donald Jerome "Shorty" Shea, a ranch hand, horse wrangler and occasional Hollywood stuntman. Shea reportedly befriended the younger Grogan during this period.

After Manson's group settled at Spahn Ranch, Grogan became absorbed into the Family and was given the nickname "Clem." He was one of the younger male members of the group and became increasingly involved in its criminal activities as Manson's influence over his followers intensified during 1969.

In August 1969, tensions between the Manson Family and Donald Shea had escalated. Manson believed Shea had provided information to police and blamed him for law-enforcement attention directed toward Spahn Ranch. Shea also reportedly wanted Manson and his followers removed from the property. Manson consequently decided that Shea should be killed.

Grogan participated in the attack alongside Manson and Bruce Davis, with accounts of the murder also placing Charles "Tex" Watson at the scene. Shea was attacked and taken away from the main ranch area before being killed. Grogan was subsequently prosecuted alongside Manson and Davis for his participation in the murder.

Shea's body was concealed in a remote area of Spahn Ranch and remained undiscovered for years. Grogan was convicted solely for Shea's murder and was not convicted of participating in the Tate-LaBianca murders. Contemporary reporting initially confused his connection with those crimes, but the Los Angeles Times subsequently corrected its report to state that he had instead been implicated, though never prosecuted, in connection with the LaBianca murders.

Grogan committed the Shea murder collectively with other Manson Family members rather than operating independently or displaying a recurring individual method of killing. The crime resulted from Manson's belief that Shea represented a threat to the Family and had cooperated with authorities.

Shea was isolated from others at Spahn Ranch before being attacked and killed. His body was then buried on the property, preventing its discovery during the original investigation. The precise roles of individual participants have been described differently across later accounts, but Grogan's direct participation formed the basis of his first-degree murder conviction.

Grogan was arrested as authorities investigated the Manson Family and the series of crimes surrounding its activities during 1969. By this time, investigators were examining crimes extending beyond the highly publicised Tate-LaBianca murders and focusing on other people who had disappeared or been killed after coming into conflict with Manson and his followers.

The investigation into Shea's disappearance ultimately resulted in murder charges against Manson, Grogan and Bruce Davis. Although Shea's body had not yet been recovered, prosecutors proceeded with the case using testimony and other evidence establishing that he had been murdered and identifying the Family members responsible.

Grogan was tried with Charles Manson and Bruce Davis for the murder of Donald Shea. In 1971, he was convicted of first-degree murder. The jury returned a death sentence for Grogan, while Manson and Davis received life sentences in the Shea proceedings.

Superior Court Judge James Kolts subsequently concluded that death was an inappropriate punishment for Grogan. The judge considered him heavily influenced by drugs and intellectually incapable of independently planning a crime of that magnitude, viewing Manson as the dominant force behind the murder. Grogan's death sentence was therefore reduced to life imprisonment.

While incarcerated, Grogan eventually provided authorities with crucial information about Shea's remains. In 1977, he drew a map identifying the burial location at Spahn Ranch. Investigators followed his directions and recovered Shea's remains, finally confirming the location where the victim had been concealed for approximately eight years.

Grogan's cooperation became an important factor when his suitability for parole was later considered. After serving approximately 14 years, he was released on parole in November 1985. He became the first member of the Manson Family convicted of murder to be paroled.

Grogan's life after prison differs significantly from those of most other Manson Family members convicted of murder. Following his release, he largely withdrew from public attention and settled in Northern California. California corrections officials later reported that he had committed no further criminal offences in the state. He returned to music and has reportedly performed with bands while maintaining a relatively private life.

His cooperation in locating Shea's remains was particularly significant because it provided a measure of resolution in a murder whose physical evidence had remained concealed since 1969. Unlike Bruce Davis, Charles "Tex" Watson, Bobby Beausoleil and several other surviving Manson-associated killers who spent decades seeking parole, Grogan's assistance to investigators contributed substantially to his eventual release. As of 2026, he remains one of the very few Manson Family members convicted of murder to have been released from prison.

Sources:

• Los Angeles Times
• Associated Press
• CBS News
• LAist
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation