For most people, a father is one of the earliest role models in life. For Valentine Michael Manson, that father was Charles Manson, one of the most infamous cult leaders in American history.
Also known as Michael Brunner, Valentine Michael Manson was born into the inner circle of the Manson Family and spent his earliest days surrounded by chaos, ideology, and instability. His story is not one of crime, but of distance, survival, and the long effort to live a normal life with an infamous name.
Who was Valentine Michael Manson?
Valentine Michael Manson was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1968. His name came directly from Charles Manson’s obsession with the science-fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein.
The novel’s protagonist is Valentine Michael Smith, and Manson frequently quoted the book, folding its themes of alienation and rebirth into his own belief system. Valentine’s full name was not accidental. It reflected his father’s worldview long before the child had any say in his identity.
Meet the father: a notorious cult leader
Charles Manson led the Manson Family, a loosely organised cult that became nationally infamous after the Tate–LaBianca murders in 1969.
The group was responsible for nine murders, including the killing of actress Sharon Tate. Although Manson did not personally carry out the attacks, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and spent the rest of his life in prison.
Meet the mother: the first member of the Manson Family
Valentine’s mother was Mary Brunner, the first known follower of Charles Manson. She met him in 1967, quickly became devoted to him, and helped form the early core of the cult.
Mary Brunner was present during the murder of musician Gary Hinman and later became one of the most prominent figures among the women of the Manson Family. She also used several aliases throughout her life, including Linda Dee Moser and Christine Marie Euchts.
A birth inside the cult
Valentine Michael Manson was born during a home birth in Topanga Canyon, surrounded by members of the Manson Family. Charles Manson rejected hospitals and encouraged natural births within the group.
According to multiple accounts, Mary Brunner smoked marijuana during labour to cope with the pain. It has also been widely reported that Charles Manson cut the umbilical cord himself, allegedly using his teeth, an act consistent with his rejection of conventional authority and medicine.
Arrested days after birth
Just days after Valentine’s birth, Mary Brunner and several cult members were arrested after being found naked in a ditch near a stolen bus. Valentine, only one week old, was discovered with them, undressed and suffering from exposure.
He was taken into hospital care, marking his first separation from the cult environment. Mary Brunner reportedly called him “Pooh Bear”, a rare glimpse of tenderness amid instability.
Life inside the Manson Family hierarchy
Charles Manson enforced a rigid internal hierarchy. Children ranked above adults, males above females, and Manson himself above all, occupying a god-like role rather than that of a father.
Even though Valentine was too young to remember much of this environment, the structure shaped the circumstances of his earliest days.
Is Valentine Michael Manson still alive?
Charles Manson had three biological sons: Charles Manson Jr., later known as Jay White; Charles Luther Manson; and Valentine Michael Manson. Charles Manson Jr. died by suicide in 1993, while Charles Luther Manson changed his name and disappeared from public view. Valentine Michael Manson is believed to be the only surviving son.
The next generation of those connected to infamous American criminals also includes Rose Bundy, the daughter of Ted Bundy, whose life, like Michael Brunner’s, has remained largely hidden…
Why did Valentine Michael Manson change his name to Michael Brunner?
After Mary Brunner’s arrest and increasing radicalisation, her parents petitioned for full custody of Valentine. They were successful and legally renamed him Michael Brunner, intentionally severing ties to the Manson name.
He was raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a world away from Topanga Canyon, in a stable and conventional household that emphasised normalcy and privacy.
His mother’s sentencing and radicalisation
After the Tate–LaBianca murders, Mary Brunner and other cult members organised protests demanding Charles Manson’s release.
In 1971, Brunner and others attempted to rob a Western Surplus Store and planned to hijack a Boeing 747, intending to kill passengers until Manson was freed. The plan failed after a police shootout, and Brunner was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
A sibling-like relationship with his mother
Mary Brunner was paroled in 1997, but she did not resume a traditional maternal role. In later interviews, Valentine described their relationship as more like siblings than parent and child.
Since her release, Mary Brunner has remained largely out of public view.
“Your father is a murderer”
Despite the name change, Michael Brunner could not completely escape his past. In third grade, another child passed him a note stating simply that his father was a murderer.
It was the moment he realised that anonymity might never be fully possible.
The 1993 KCBS interview
In 1993, Michael Brunner gave a televised interview with KCBS, appearing on screen alongside his grandfather George Brunner, Mary Brunner’s father.
The visual contrast was striking. Brunner spoke calmly about having no emotional connection to his father, crediting his grandparents with giving him stability, structure, and a normal upbringing.
Cutting ties with his father
Friends later stated that Charles Manson attempted to contact his son through letters. Michael Brunner reportedly tore them up unread, determined to erase any connection.
When asked whether he feared inheriting his father’s psychosis, Brunner replied that he did not, attributing his emotional stability to how he was raised.
Legal disputes after Manson’s death
After Charles Manson’s death in 2017, Brunner became involved in a legal dispute with Jason Freeman, who claimed to be Manson’s grandson.
Michael Brunner provided a DNA sample confirming that he was Charles Manson’s biological son. Freeman’s claims were contested for years before Manson’s remains were ultimately released to him for cremation.
Where is Michael Brunner now?
Michael Brunner lives at an undisclosed location in the rural Midwest with his family. He continues to avoid public attention and does not use the Manson surname.
Caption: Michael Brunner has spent his adult life out of the spotlight.
Title: Michael Brunner today
Alt: Recent photograph of Michael Brunner, son of Charles Manson
His final thoughts on his father
Following Charles Manson’s death, Brunner began researching his father more deeply and later stated that he believed Manson was misunderstood, though he did not excuse his crimes.
While working as a military contractor in Afghanistan, Brunner considered writing to his father. After returning home, he found a postcard waiting for him.
“Write on. Write on. Write on.”
Brunner intended to respond but never did. Charles Manson died on November 19, 2017.
A wider context of overlooked victims
The Manson Family legacy is often told through notoriety rather than humanity. One of the most overlooked victims of the cult’s violence was Abigail Folger: the unsung victim of the Tate murders, whose life is frequently overshadowed by the crimes themselves.
Sources
Yes. Valentine Michael Manson, now known as Michael Brunner, is alive and believed to be the only surviving biological son of Charles Manson. He lives privately in the rural Midwest.
He was renamed Michael Brunner after his grandparents gained full custody. The name change was intended to sever legal and social ties to Charles Manson and give him a chance at a normal life.
No. Valentine was removed from the Manson Family as an infant and raised by his maternal grandparents in Wisconsin. He did not have a traditional father–son relationship with Charles Manson.
Michael Brunner has stated that he felt no emotional connection to Charles Manson. Friends later claimed he tore up letters sent by his father and avoided all contact.
In interviews, Brunner said he did not fear inheriting his father’s psychosis and credited his stable upbringing for his mental health and sense of identity.
Michael Brunner lives at an undisclosed location in the rural Midwest with his family. He avoids public attention and does not use the Manson surname.
