PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE) – The pastor who presided over the funeral for cult leader Charles Manson is speaking out. 

Manson’s body was cremated and his ashes scattered, following a private service in Porterville. 

On noon Saturday, lead pastor of Porterville’s Church of the Nazarene, Mark Pitcher said 20 to 25 people gathered at Porterville Funeral and Cremation Center to say their final goodbyes to Charles Manson.

“There were a couple of men that visited him practically every week for the last 10 years,” said Pitcher. 

Pastor Pitcher said the service was open casket and he preached scripture about hope. 

Pitcher said he agreed not to talk about Manson being the mastermind behind a string of killings in 1969. Instead, he spoke about Manson’s upbringing.

“I talked about where he was born, and I wanted to really emphasize he was brought into an unhealthy environment, that as a baby, he was given birth by a 16-year-old woman who was ill prepared to be a mother and that created an atmosphere that was very unhealthy,” Pritcher said.

The funeral was organized by Manson’s grandson, Jason Freeman who he had never met. 

Freeman nor Manson have ties to Porterville, but Freeman chose the chapel based off a recommendation. 

The chapel then called Pastor Pitcher asking him to preside over the service.

“Then he told me, that Jason was a Christian, so that really was a key factor for me,” Pitcher said.

Pastor Pitcher said Freeman blamed Manson for his father’s suicide because he bore Manson’s name but has since forgiven him. 

When asked about what afterlife might be like for Manson, Pastor Pitcher had this to say: 

“From all of his actions we would say he is not heavenly bound, I, even, emphasize the fact, the one thing we know, is that Jesus loved him to the very end,” Pitcher said.

After the funeral, Manson’s ashes were spread in a river somewhere near Porterville, according to Pitcher.

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