Boy, 11, Discovers Murder Weapon Linked to Sharon Tate Killings, Faces Challenges Convincing Police

An 11-year-old boy has revealed that he found the gun allegedly used in the mass killings at actress Sharon Tate's home, but struggled to get the police to take it seriously.

The youth, named Steven Weiss, testified in Los Angeles today, recounting how he discovered the 22-caliber revolver on a hill behind his Sherman Oaks home on September 1, 1969.

With the intention of preserving fingerprints, young Steven carefully handled the gun by picking it up from the tip of the barrel.

He did his best to avoid touching the rest of the weapon.

However, when the officer called to the scene by Steven's father arrived, he handled the gun without the same care, touching it all over.

The officer proceeded to remove two live cartridges and seven shell casings from the gun, handling them as well.

It wasn't until three and a half months later that Steven reminded the Van Nuys police about the gun's potential connection to the infamous Tate murders, which took place on August 9, 1969.

“We told him they had this gun and we thought it might be connected with the murder,” Steven testified.

Only then did the police realize that the gun matched the bullets found at the crime scene and in the victims.

It appears that the gun had been thrown over an embankment into Steven's yard, about a mile and a half away from where clothing supposedly used in the murders was discovered.

In related news, two fingerprints belonging to the slain actress were recently identified as belonging to two members of the “Manson family” who have been charged with her murder.

However, despite the efforts of fingerprint experts, 25 other fingerprints found at the Tate residence remain unidentified.

Similarly, during the trial of Charles Manson and three of his female followers, six unidentified fingerprints were found at the home of murdered market owner Leno LaBianca.

The presence of these mystery fingerprints, along with the absence of fingerprints in obvious places throughout both crime scenes, challenges the prosecution's claims that they have strong evidence linking the defendants to the murders.

One fingerprint belonging to Patricia Krenwinkel, one of the female defendants, was found on an inside back door of Sharon Tate's bedroom.

Another fingerprint, belonging to Charles “Tex” Watson, who is fighting extradition in Texas, was discovered near the edge of a front door.

During the trial, four fingerprint experts provided testimony to support the prosecution's case against Manson, Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, and Susan Atkins.

The final expert, Officer Harold J. Dolan, stated that he found 18 points of identity in Watson's fingerprints and 17 in Krenwinkel's imprint, surpassing the required 10 points for a match.

Dolan revealed that out of the 50 latent prints lifted from the Tate residence, 22 were matched with the victims' fingerprints, three were insufficient for comparison, and 25 could not be matched with any known persons.

Notably, the prints of Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, and Voityck Frykowski were found on furniture in the home, while only one print of hairstylist Jay Sebring was discovered on a beer bottle in the master bedroom.

At the LaBianca home, 19 out of 25 fingerprints were attributed to Mr. or Mrs. LaBianca or their son, Frank Struthers Jr.

The remaining six prints remain unidentified.

The presence of these mystery fingerprints, combined with the inability to match numerous other prints to specific individuals, raises questions about the evidence presented in the trial.

The investigation continues as authorities strive to uncover the truth behind these heinous crimes.