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{{Short description|American cultist and failed presidential assassin (born 1948)}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2008}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox Criminal
{{Infobox criminal
|subject_name= Lynette Fromme
|image_name= Lynfromme.jpg | image_name = Mugshot of Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme.png
|image_size= 180px | image_size = 220
| image_caption = Fromme's mugshot following her arrest on September 5, 1975
|image_caption=
| birth_name = Lynette Alice Fromme
|date_of_birth= {{Birth date and age|1948|10|22|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|10|22}}
|place_of_birth= ], USA
| birth_place = ], U.S.
|date_of_death=
| death_date =
|place_of_death=
| death_place =
|charge= ] of a ]
|penalty= ] | conviction_penalty = ]
| conviction_status = ]
|status= Incarcerated
|occupation= | occupation =
|spouse= | spouse =
| alias = Red
|parents=William Millar Fromme<br/>Helen Benzinger
| conviction = ]
|children=
| known_for = ]
| date = September 5, 1975
| targets = ]
| allegiance = ]
}} }}

'''Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme''' (born October 22, 1948) is an American ], former member of the ], convicted of attempting to ] ] ] in 1975. She is currently serving a ].
'''Lynette Alice''' "'''Squeaky'''" '''Fromme''' ({{IPAc-en|'|f|r|oʊ|m|iː}} {{respell|FROH-mee}}; born October 22, 1948) is an American woman who was a member of the ], a ] led by ]. Though not involved in the ] for which the Manson family is best known, she ] President ] in 1975. For that crime, she was sentenced to ]. She was ]d from prison on August 14, 2009, after serving approximately 34 years. She published a book about her life in 2018.


==Early life== ==Early life==
Fromme was born in ], the daughter of William Millar Fromme and Helen Benzinger.<ref>California Birth Index, Name: Lynette Alice Fromme, Birth Date: Oct. 22, 1948, Sex: Female, Mother's Maiden: Benzinger, Birth County: Los Angeles.</ref> Her father was an aeronautical engineer and her mother a homemaker. Fromme was born on October 22, 1948, in ], the daughter of Helen (née Benzinger) and William Millar Fromme, an aeronautical engineer.<ref>California BirIndex, Name: Lynette Alice Fromme, Birth Date: October 22, 1948, Sex: Female, Mother's Maiden: Benzinger, Birth County: Los Angeles.</ref> As a child, Fromme performed with a popular dance group called the Westchester Lariats, which began touring the United States and Europe in the late 1950s, and she made an appearance on '']'' and she also made an appearance at the ].<ref>{{cite news|first=Valerie J.|last=Nelson|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jun-24-me-hall24-story.html|title=J. Tillman Hall, 91; USC professor led Emeriti Center|newspaper=] |date=June 24, 2007|access-date=September 5, 2018}}</ref>


]
As a child, Fromme was a performer for a popular local dance group called the Westchester Lariats,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westchesterlariats.org/ |title=Westchester Lariats |publisher=Westchesterlariats.org |date= |accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref> which in the late 1950s began touring the U.S. and Europe, appearing on '']'' and at the ]. Fromme was in the 1959 tour.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.westchesterlariats.org/Dr.%20Hall%20Bio.htm |first=Valerie J. |last=Nelson |title=J. Tillman Hall, 91; USC professor led Emeriti Center |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2007-06-24 |accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref>
In 1963, the family moved to ], and Fromme began using alcohol and drugs. Her grades dropped at ], but she graduated in 1966. She moved out of her parents' house for a few months before her father convinced her to enroll at ]. She returned home for two months before her father kicked her out following an argument, rendering her homeless.<ref name=bravin>{{cite book
| first = Jess
| last = Bravin
| author-link = Jess Bravin
| title = Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme
| publisher = ]
| location = New York City
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6RHhAQAAQBAJ
| date = 1997
| isbn = 9780312156633
| access-date = March 16, 2019}}{{page needed|date=August 2022}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2022}}


==Charles Manson and her involvement with the Manson Family==
In 1963, the family moved to ], a suburb of ], in the ], and Fromme began drinking and taking drugs. Her grades in high school dropped, but she managed to graduate in 1966. She moved out of her parents' house for a few months before her father convinced her to consider ]. Her attendance there only lasted about two months, however, before an argument with her father rendered her ].
By 1967, at the age of 19, Fromme had dropped out of college. She went to ] after her parents threw her out of her family's house. Suffering from ],<ref name=bravin/>{{page needed|date=August 2022}} she sat on a curb and watched a bus arrive, and ] exited. Manson stopped and looked at her and said, "Your parents threw you out, didn't they?" Fromme immediately decided Manson was a psychic. Manson walked away as Fromme picked up her belongings and followed him.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLYHGs17zzo | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005031037/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLYHGs17zzo&feature=autoshare| archive-date=October 5, 2018 | url-status=dead|title=The Manson Women |publisher=Serial Killers Documentaries|date=January 4, 2018|access-date=December 28, 2019}}</ref> Manson had recently been released from the ], and Fromme became the second member of what would become the ].


Fromme found Manson's philosophies and attitudes appealing, and the two became friends and traveled together with other young people, including ] and ]. She lived with the Manson Family at ] where they worked for their keep,<ref>{{cite web |first=Hadley|last=Meares|url=https://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/10/the_story_of_the_abandoned_movie_ranch_where_the_manson_family_launched_helter_skelter.php|title=The story of the abandoned movie ranch where the Manson family launched Helter Skelter|website=Curbed Los Angeles|publisher=]|date=October 22, 2014|access-date=September 5, 2018}}</ref> and at the Barker Ranch in ], which was owned by the grandmother of one of the Family members.<ref name=bravin/>{{page needed|date=August 2022}} Ranch owner ] gave her the nickname "Squeaky" because of the sound that she made when he touched her.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/squeaky-fromme-20902443|title=Squeaky Fromme Biography|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=April 2, 2014|website=Biography.com|publisher=A&E Television Networks|access-date=September 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905023017/https://www.biography.com/people/squeaky-fromme-20902443|archive-date=September 5, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Charles Manson and Manson Family involvement==
In 1967, Fromme went to ], suffering from ]. ], who had been recently released from federal prison at ], between ] and ], saw her and struck up a conversation. Fromme found Manson's philosophies and attitudes appealing, and the two became friends, traveling together and with other young people such as ] and ]. She lived in Southern California at ], and in the desert near ].


After Manson and some of his followers were arrested for committing what would become known as the ]/] murders in 1969, Fromme and the remaining "Manson family" camped outside of the trial. When Manson and his fellow defendants, ], ] and Atkins carved Xs into their foreheads, so did Fromme and her compatriots. They proclaimed Manson's innocence and preached his ] philosophy to the news media, as well as to anyone else who would listen. She was never charged with involvement in the murders, but was convicted of attempting to prevent Manson's imprisoned followers from testifying, as well as ] when she herself refused to testify. She was given short jail sentences for both offenses. Manson and some of his followers were arrested for the ] and ] murders in 1969, and during the murder trial, Fromme and the remaining members of the Manson Family camped outside the courthouse. Manson and his fellow defendants Atkins, ], and ] carved Xs into their foreheads, and so did Fromme and her compatriots. They proclaimed Manson's innocence and they also preached his ] philosophy to the news media and anyone else who was willing to listen to them. Fromme was not charged with involvement in the murders but she was convicted of attempting to prevent Manson's imprisoned followers from testifying, and she was also convicted of ] when she refused to testify. She was sentenced to serve short jail terms for both offenses.<ref name=bravin/>{{page needed|date=August 2022}}


Fromme and ] moved into an older attic apartment in downtown ], because they wanted to be near Manson after he was moved to ]. She and Good lived in the third-floor apartment at 1725 P Street in Sacramento ({{coord|38.571136|-121.485786|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline}}).<ref>{{cite web|first=Alexa|last=Renee|date=June 14, 2017 |url=https://www.abc10.com/mobile/article/news/local/midtown-home-holds-connection-to-charles-manson-family/103-422645258|title=Midtown home holds connection to Charles Manson family|website=ABC 10}}</ref>
==Murder in Stockton California==
Fromme moved to ], with friends Nancy Pitman and Priscilla Cooper, a pair of ex-convicts named Michael Monfort and James Craig, and a couple, James and Lauren Willett. After the body of James Willett was found, the housemates were taken into custody on suspicion of murder. Lauren Willett was also then discovered to be dead as well. An infant girl believed to be the Willetts’ daughter was found in the house and placed in Mary Graham Hall.<ref name="stockton">Turner, Gene and Ben Remington. ''Stockton Record''. November 13, 1972.</ref> Fromme was released due to a lack of ].


Around 1973, Fromme started to write an extensive 600-page book about the Manson Family. It included intricate drawings and photos; other family members had also contributed to it. Fromme sent it to publishers, but she dropped her plan to get it published after she discussed it with ], deciding that the project was too incriminating.<ref>{{cite book|first=Ed|last=Sanders|author-link=Ed Sanders|title=The Family|date=2002|publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press|location=New York City|isbn=1560253967|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/family00sand/page/442}}</ref> The book, titled ''Reflexion'', was eventually published in 2018 by the Peasenhall Press.<ref>{{cite book|first=Lynette|last=Fromme, Lynette|title=Reflexion|publisher=The Peasenhall Press|location=Cobb, California|date=2018|isbn=978-0-9913725-1-5}}</ref>
The Sonoma County coroner’s office concluded that James Willett was killed sometime in September 1972 although his body was not found until the beginning of November 1972. He had been buried near Guerneville in Sonoma County.<ref name="stockton"/> On the night of Saturday November 11, 1972 the Stockton Police responded to information that a station wagon owned by the Willetts was in the area. It was discovered parked in front of 720 W. Flora Street. "Police Sgt. Richard Whiteman went to the house and, when he was refused entry, forced his way in. All the persons subsequently arrested were in the house except for Miss Fromme. She telephoned the house while police were there, asking to be picked up, and officers obliged, taking her into custody nearby. Police found a quantity of guns and ammunition in the house, and noticed freshly dug earth beneath the building."<ref name="stockton"/> The Stockton Police obtained a warrant and dug up the body of Lauren Willett around 5 a.m. the following day. Cooper told investigators that Lauren had been shot accidentally and had been buried when they realized she was dead.<ref name="stockton"/> Cooper contended that Monfort was "demonstrating the dangers of firearms, playing a form of Russian roulette with a .38 caliber pistol" and had first spun the gun cylinder and shot at his own head, and when the gun didn't fire, pointed it at the victim, whereupon it fired.<ref name="stockton"/> The Stockton Police indicated that Lauren Willett "was with the others of her own volition prior to the shooting, and was not being held prisoner."<ref name="stockton"/>


==Murder in Stockton, California==
Fromme then moved into a ] apartment with her friend, fellow Manson family member ]. The two wore robes on occasion and changed their names to symbolize their devotion to Manson's new religion. Fromme became "Red" in honor of her red hair and the redwoods, and Good became "Blue" for her blue eyes and the ocean.
Fromme traveled to ] in 1972<ref name=SJ>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/stockton-metro-columnist/2009/08/06/squeakys-connection-to-stockton/|title=Squeaky's connection to Stockton|date=August 6, 2009|author=Fitzgerald, Michael|website=esanjoaquin.com|access-date=September 18, 2019|archive-date=October 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011104303/http://blogs.esanjoaquin.com/stockton-metro-columnist/2009/08/06/squeakys-connection-to-stockton/|url-status=dead}}{{self-published source|date=August 2022}}</ref>{{self-published source|date=August 2022}} with Nancy Pitman, Priscilla Cooper, and ] members Michael Monfort and James Craig, in order to follow through with Manson's deal with the Brotherhood.<ref name=SHK>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o2eUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT157|title=The Summer of Helter Skelter|author=Kennedy, David|date=September 12, 2018|publisher=David Kennedy |isbn=9781386586548}}</ref> This group met James and Lauren Willett at a cabin. In November 1972, Monfort and Craig forced James Willett to dig his own grave and then shot him because he was going to tell the authorities about a series of robberies that they had committed after they were released from prison.<ref name="stockton" /> His body was found with his hand still sticking out of the ground.<ref name="stockton">{{cite news|title=Linked to Manson 'Family' 5 Held Here in Couple's Murder|work=]|location=Stockton, California|date=November 13, 1972|volume=78|pages=220, 226}}</ref> The housemates were arrested on suspicion of murder, after which Lauren Willett's body was discovered in the basement. She had been shot to death.<ref name="stockton"/> The Willetts' eight-month-old daughter, Heidi, was found alive in the house.<ref name="stockton"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Heidi Willett to be adopted by maternal grandparents. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4781617/heidi_willett_to_be_adopted_by_maternal/ |access-date=March 21, 2019 |newspaper= ]|location=Troy, New York |date=November 16, 1972 |page=2 |language=en}}</ref> Fromme was released for lack of evidence.<ref name=bravin/>

The ] coroner's office concluded that James Willett was killed sometime in September 1972, although his decapitated body was not found until the beginning of November. He had been buried near ].<ref name="stockton"/> On the night of November 11, 1972, the ] responded to information that a station wagon owned by the Willetts was parked in front of 720 W. Flora St. Sergeant Richard Whiteman forced his way into the house: "All the persons subsequently arrested were in the house except for Fromme. She telephoned the house while police were there, asking to be picked up, and officers obliged, taking her into custody nearby. Police found a quantity of guns and ammunition in the house along with amounts of ] and noticed freshly dug earth beneath the building."<ref name="stockton"/>

Fromme later told reporters that she had been traveling in California trying to visit "brothers" in jail and to visit Manson.<ref>{{cite news|title='Squeaky' had brief stay in S.J.|work=]|location=Stockton, California|date=August 9, 2009|page=A9}}</ref> She said that she came to Stockton on November 10 to visit William Goucher, who was in jail on a robbery charge, when Lauren died.<ref name="Visiting Friend">{{cite news|title='Visiting Friend' Clan Girl Says Murder Charge a 'Coincidence'|newspaper=]|location=Stockton, California|date=November 17, 1972|volume=78|issue=224}}</ref> When Fromme left the jail after visiting Goucher, she called the house on Flora Street to have someone pick her up, and the Stockton Police traced the call and arrested her at a phone booth.<ref name="Visiting Friend"/>

The Stockton Police exhumed the body of Lauren Willett the following day. Cooper told investigators that she had been shot accidentally, contending that Monfort was "demonstrating the dangers of firearms, playing a form of ] with a .38 caliber pistol" and had first spun the gun cylinder and shot at his own head, and then pointed it at the victim, when it fired.<ref name="stockton"/> The police determined that Lauren had been with them voluntarily.<ref name="stockton"/> Fromme was held in custody for 2½ months but never charged; she said she was innocent of any wrongdoing.<ref name="Visiting Friend"/> The other four people who were involved were convicted.

After leaving Stockton, Fromme moved into a Sacramento apartment with Sandra Good. The two wore robes on occasion and they changed their names to symbolize their devotion to Manson's new religion, Fromme becoming "Red" in honor of her red hair and the ]s, and Good becoming "Blue" for her blue eyes and the ocean; both nicknames were originally given to them by Manson.<ref name=bravin />


==Attempt to contact Jimmy Page== ==Attempt to contact Jimmy Page==
In March 1975, Fromme confronted ], the publicist for ] ] ], which was performing concerts in the United States as part of its ]. She said she had to see Led Zeppelin guitarist ] because she had foreseen something ] in his future and thought it might happen that night during the band's concert at the ]. She swore that the last time this had happened, she had seen someone shot to death before her very eyes. Goldberg persuaded her to write a long note to Page, after which she left. The note was burned, unread.<ref name=RS1985>{{cite journal |last=Davis |first=Stephen |title=Power, Mystery And The Hammer Of The Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin |journal=Rolling Stone |issue=451 |date=1985-07-04 |url =http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods |accessdate=2008-01-15 }}</ref> Prior to a ] concert in ] in 1975, Fromme knocked on the hotel door of Danny Goldberg, vice president of the band's record label, ]. Fromme, described as frantic and with a ] marring her face, asked to meet with Led Zeppelin guitarist ] to warn him, claiming to have foreseen the future and wishing to warn Page of imminent "evil" which she believed might take place that night at the concert. Goldberg stated that she could not see Page until the following night, to which Fromme responded "tomorrow night will probably be too late". After a long discussion, Goldberg agreed to deliver a message to Page if she wrote it down. Fromme was subsequently escorted away against her will and the note was ultimately burned and never read. Goldberg later saw Fromme on the television news after she had attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Davis|title=Power, Mystery and the Hammer of the Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin|magazine=] |location=New York City|issue=451|date=July 4, 1985|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods|access-date=January 15, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128165609/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods|archive-date=January 28, 2008}}</ref>


==Assassination attempt on President Ford== ==Assassination attempt on President Ford==
{{Main|Attempted assassination of Gerald Ford in Sacramento}}
On the morning of September 5, 1975, Fromme went to ]'s Capitol Park (reportedly to plead with President ] about the plight of the ]s) dressed in a ]-like red robe and armed with a ] ], that she pointed at Ford. The pistol's magazine was loaded with four rounds, but none were in the ]. She was immediately restrained by ] agents, and while she was being further restrained and handcuffed, managed to say a few sentences to the on-scene cameras, emphasizing that the gun did not "go off".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prop1.org/park/pave/rev8.htm |title=The Evolution of the Personal Protective Function |work=House Security Review |publisher=Prop1.org |date=1995-05 |accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref> Fromme subsequently told '']'' that she had deliberately ejected the cartridge in her weapon's chamber before leaving home that morning, and investigators later found a .45 ACP cartridge in her bathroom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.squeakyfromme.org/faq.htm |title=Frequently Asked Questions |accessdate= 2008-10-27 |work=Squeaky Fromme.org |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060709005016/http://www.squeakyfromme.org/faq.htm |archivedate=2007-09-28}}</ref>
] .45-caliber pistol used in Fromme's attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford]]


On the morning of September 5, 1975, Fromme went to Sacramento's ], ostensibly to plead with President Gerald Ford about the plight of the California redwoods, dressed in a red robe and armed with a ] .45-caliber ] pistol. The pistol's ] was loaded with four rounds, but there was no round in the ]. When Fromme pointed the gun at Ford she was immediately restrained by ] agent ]. As she was apprehended, she reportedly yelled "it wouldn't go off" and said "it didn't go off. Can you believe it? It didn't go off" when brought to the ground by Buendorf.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Star-News - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19751111&id=nLgsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4gkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3576,2154925 |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=news.google.com}}</ref> In 1980, Fromme told '']'' that she had deliberately ejected the round from her weapon's chamber before leaving home that morning, and investigators later found a round on her bathroom floor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.squeakyfromme.org/faq.htm|title=Frequently Asked Questions|date=February 27, 2003|work=SqueakyFromme.org|access-date=March 24, 2018|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612142354/https://www.squeakyfromme.org/faq.htm|url-status=usurped}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=September 2024}}
After a lengthy trial in which she refused to cooperate with her own defense, she was convicted of the attempted ] of the president and received a ] under a 1965 law (prompted by the assassination of President ]) which specified a maximum sentence of life in prison for attempted presidential assassinations. When U.S. Attorney Duane Keyes recommended severe punishment because she was "full of hate and violence," Fromme threw an ] at him, hitting him in the face and knocking off his glasses.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945442,00.html |title=Double Indemnity |work=Time |date=1975-12-29 |accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref>


Fromme refused to cooperate with her own defense during her trial. Despite claiming that "I was not determined to kill the guy",<ref>{{cite web |title=President Gerald R. Ford Testimony regarding Squeaky Fromme |url=https://geraldrfordfoundation.org/president-gerald-r-ford-testimony-regarding-squeaky-fromme/ |website=Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation |date=November 2, 1975 |access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> Fromme was eventually convicted of the attempted assassination of the president and received a life sentence under a 1965 law that made attempted presidential assassinations a federal crime. After ] Dwayne Keyes recommended severe punishment because she was "full of hate and violence"; Fromme threw an apple at him, hitting him in the face and knocking off his glasses.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945442,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031111301/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,945442,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 31, 2007|title=Double Indemnity|magazine=Time|date=December 29, 1975|access-date=October 26, 2008}}</ref> She told the press that she "came to get life. Not just my life but clean air, healthy water, and respect for creatures and creation."<ref>{{cite news|first=David|last=Casstevens|title=30 years later, a Manson disciple has no plans to leave prison|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=20051023&id=aJc1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=xY4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6730,3285131|newspaper=]|date=October 23, 2005|page=22A|access-date=October 8, 2016|archive-date=June 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603225142/http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=20051023&id=aJc1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=xY4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6730,3285131|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=September 2024}}
==Aftermath==
In 1979, Fromme was transferred out of the women's prison in ], for attacking a fellow inmate, ], with the claw end of a hammer. On December 23, 1987, she escaped from the ] in ], attempting to meet up with Manson, who she had heard had ]. She was captured again two days later and is now serving time in ] at the ]. Though she has been eligible for parole since 1985, Fromme has consistently waived her right to a hearing. Her projected release date is August 16, 2009.<ref> ''Federal Bureau of Prisons''. Accessed December 18, 2008.</ref>


===Aftermath===
Seventeen days after Fromme's assassination attempt, ] attempted to assassinate Ford in ]; she was also unsuccessful.
In 1979, Fromme was transferred out of ], for attacking fellow inmate ] with a hammer. On December 23, 1987, she escaped from ] in ] in an attempt to meet Manson. She was captured two days later and incarcerated at the ], in ].<ref name=bravin/>


Fromme continued to profess total allegiance to Manson. ] wrote in '']'' that she and Good were the only members of the Manson Family who had not renounced him. She once told an ] reporter, "The curtain is going to come down on all of us, and if we don't turn everything over to Charlie immediately, it will be too late."<ref>{{cite book|first=Vincent|last=Bugliosi|author-link=Vincent Bugliosi|title=Helter Skelter|publisher=]|location=New York City|date=1994|isbn=9780393087000|pages=|url=https://archive.org/details/helterskeltertru00bugl_0/page/661}}</ref>
==Depictions==
*Lynette Fromme's story is one of eight told in ] and ]'s musical '']''. She and ] appear in the ] "Unworthy of Your Love".


Fromme first became eligible for parole in 2005.<ref name="devoted">{{cite news|first=David|last=Casstevens|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9643351_ITM|title='Squeaky' Fromme unrepentant, still devoted to Manson|newspaper=]|date=September 26, 2005 |access-date=August 1, 2009}}</ref> She waived her right to request a hearing and was required by federal law to complete a parole application before one could be considered and granted.<ref name="devoted"/><ref name="cnn">{{cite news|title=After 34 years, Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme to be released |publisher=]|date=August 5, 2009|access-date=August 5, 2009|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/08/05/squeaky.fromme.release}}</ref> She was granted parole in July 2008, but she was not released because of the extra time which was added to her sentence because of her escape from prison in 1987.<ref name="cnn"/>
==References==
{{reflist}}


She was released on parole from the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, on August 14, 2009,<ref>{{cite news|title=Would-Be Assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme Released from Prison|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/MansonMurders/story?id=8327414&page=1|publisher=ABC|date=August 14, 2009|access-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Baltimore|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE57D3EJ20090814|title=Woman who tried to kill Ford released from prison|website=]|date=August 14, 2009|access-date=August 14, 2009}}</ref> and she moved to ],<ref>{{cite web|first1=Jennifer|last1=Fusco|first2=Rocco|last2=LaDuca|title=Would-be Ford assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme moving to Marcy|url=http://www.uticaod.com/article/20090915/NEWS/309159894/|newspaper=]|location=Utica, New York|date=September 15, 2009|access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CBS show catches up with Manson follower 'Squeaky' Fromme in Rome|url=http://www.uticaod.com/article/20100914/NEWS/309149913/|newspaper=]|location=Utica, New York|date=September 14, 2010|access-date=February 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Jennifer |last=Fusco |author2=Rocco LaDuca |title=Would-be Ford assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme moving to Marcy |url=http://www.uticaod.com/news/x211355264/Would-be-Ford-assassin-moving-to-Marcy |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919142357/http://www.uticaod.com/news/x211355264/Would-be-Ford-assassin-moving-to-Marcy |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-19 |work=Observer Dispatch |date=2009-09-14 |access-date=2009-09-28 }}</ref> where she and her boyfriend Robert Valdner live in a house which is decorated with skulls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/us/charles-manson-follower-lynette-squeaky-fromme-living-life-as-a-very-friendly-neighbor-in-rural-new-york|title=Charles Manson follower Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme living life as a 'very friendly' neighbor in rural New York|last=Norman|first=Greg|work=Fox News|date=January 18, 2019|access-date=October 16, 2019}}</ref> In a 2019 televised interview, Fromme said the following about Manson, "Was I in love with Charlie? Yeah, I still am."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lapin |first1=Tamar |title=Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme: I'm still in love with Charles Manson |url=https://nypost.com/2019/05/02/lynette-squeaky-fromme-im-still-in-love-with-charles-manson/ |access-date=June 9, 2020 |newspaper=] |date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>
==Bibliography==
{{cite book
| last = Bravin
| first = Jess
| title = Squeaky: The Life and Times Of Lynette Alice Fromme
| publisher = ]
| date = 1997
| isbn = 0312187629 }}


==In popular culture==
==External links==
* In 1975, Fromme was portrayed by ] on the third ever episode of '']'',<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Episode 3: Rob Reiner (host) |episode-link=Saturday Night Live season 1#ep3 |series=Saturday Night Live |series-link=Saturday Night Live |network=] |season=1 |number=3 |airdate=1975-10-25}}</ref> in a skit titled "Dangerous but Inept", in which she is interviewed on a talk show with that title by its host, ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75cinept.phtml |title= SNL Transcripts: Rob Reiner: 10/25/75: Dangerous but Inept |first=Don Roy |last=King |date=October 8, 2018 |publisher= SNL Transcripts Tonight |access-date=June 11, 2022}}</ref>
*
* Fromme is a character in ]'s '']'' (1990), a ] about nine people who attempted to assassinate a U.S. president.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/07/19/specials/sondheim-assassins.html | work=] | first=Mervyn | last=Rothstein| title=Theater: Sondheim's 'Assassins': Insane Realities of History| date=January 27, 1991|access-date=August 21, 2017}}</ref>
* Fromme is played by ] in the 2018 ]-directed autobiographical drama film '']''.<ref name="says">{{cite web|url=https://www.popsugar.co.uk/entertainment/photo-gallery/46103865/image/46103856/Kayli-Carter-Lynette-Squeaky-Fromme |title= Kayli Carter as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme |publisher=PopSugar |date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>
* Fromme is portrayed by ] in ]'s film '']'' (2019).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.avclub.com/dakota-fanning-to-play-lynette-squeaky-fromme-in-tara-1826642147 |title=Dakota Fanning to play Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme in Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood |first=Katie |last=Rife |date=June 7, 2018 |access-date=August 17, 2019 |work=] |publisher=] |archive-date=May 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508183514/https://news.avclub.com/dakota-fanning-to-play-lynette-squeaky-fromme-in-tara-1826642147 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Books==
* ''Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme'', 1997, Jess Bravin, St Martin's Press, {{ISBN|0312156634}}, {{OCLC|1014033645}}
* ''Reflexion: Lynette Fromme's Story of Her Life with Charles Manson 1967–1969'', 2018, Lynette Alice Fromme, The Peasenhall Press, Cobb, CA, {{ISBN|0991372514}}, {{OCLC|1151710773}}

==See also==
*], also tried to assassinate Ford

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Lynette Fromme|Squeaky Fromme}}
*
*{{IMDb name|0296369}}


{{Manson Family}} {{Manson Family}}
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Latest revision as of 20:23, 28 December 2024

American cultist and failed presidential assassin (born 1948)

Squeaky Fromme
Fromme's mugshot following her arrest on September 5, 1975
BornLynette Alice Fromme
(1948-10-22) October 22, 1948 (age 76)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other namesRed
Known forAttempted assassination of Gerald Ford in Sacramento
Criminal statusParoled
AllegianceManson Family
Conviction(s)Attempted assassination of the President of the United States (18 U.S.C. § 1751)
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
DateSeptember 5, 1975
Target(s)Gerald Ford

Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme (/ˈfroʊmiː/ FROH-mee; born October 22, 1948) is an American woman who was a member of the Manson Family, a cult led by Charles Manson. Though not involved in the Tate–LaBianca murders for which the Manson family is best known, she attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975. For that crime, she was sentenced to life in prison. She was paroled from prison on August 14, 2009, after serving approximately 34 years. She published a book about her life in 2018.

Early life

Fromme was born on October 22, 1948, in Santa Monica, California, the daughter of Helen (née Benzinger) and William Millar Fromme, an aeronautical engineer. As a child, Fromme performed with a popular dance group called the Westchester Lariats, which began touring the United States and Europe in the late 1950s, and she made an appearance on The Lawrence Welk Show and she also made an appearance at the White House.

A section from a wall of Fromme's Redondo Beach apartment

In 1963, the family moved to Redondo Beach, and Fromme began using alcohol and drugs. Her grades dropped at Redondo Union High School, but she graduated in 1966. She moved out of her parents' house for a few months before her father convinced her to enroll at El Camino College. She returned home for two months before her father kicked her out following an argument, rendering her homeless.

Charles Manson and her involvement with the Manson Family

By 1967, at the age of 19, Fromme had dropped out of college. She went to Venice Beach after her parents threw her out of her family's house. Suffering from depression, she sat on a curb and watched a bus arrive, and Charles Manson exited. Manson stopped and looked at her and said, "Your parents threw you out, didn't they?" Fromme immediately decided Manson was a psychic. Manson walked away as Fromme picked up her belongings and followed him. Manson had recently been released from the federal prison at Terminal Island, and Fromme became the second member of what would become the Manson Family.

Fromme found Manson's philosophies and attitudes appealing, and the two became friends and traveled together with other young people, including Mary Brunner and Susan Atkins. She lived with the Manson Family at Spahn Ranch where they worked for their keep, and at the Barker Ranch in Death Valley, which was owned by the grandmother of one of the Family members. Ranch owner George Spahn gave her the nickname "Squeaky" because of the sound that she made when he touched her.

Manson and some of his followers were arrested for the Sharon Tate and Leno and Rosemary LaBianca murders in 1969, and during the murder trial, Fromme and the remaining members of the Manson Family camped outside the courthouse. Manson and his fellow defendants Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten carved Xs into their foreheads, and so did Fromme and her compatriots. They proclaimed Manson's innocence and they also preached his apocalyptic philosophy to the news media and anyone else who was willing to listen to them. Fromme was not charged with involvement in the murders but she was convicted of attempting to prevent Manson's imprisoned followers from testifying, and she was also convicted of contempt of court when she refused to testify. She was sentenced to serve short jail terms for both offenses.

Fromme and Sandra Good moved into an older attic apartment in downtown Sacramento, because they wanted to be near Manson after he was moved to Folsom Prison. She and Good lived in the third-floor apartment at 1725 P Street in Sacramento (38°34′16″N 121°29′09″W / 38.571136°N 121.485786°W / 38.571136; -121.485786).

Around 1973, Fromme started to write an extensive 600-page book about the Manson Family. It included intricate drawings and photos; other family members had also contributed to it. Fromme sent it to publishers, but she dropped her plan to get it published after she discussed it with Clem Grogan, deciding that the project was too incriminating. The book, titled Reflexion, was eventually published in 2018 by the Peasenhall Press.

Murder in Stockton, California

Fromme traveled to Stockton in 1972 with Nancy Pitman, Priscilla Cooper, and Aryan Brotherhood members Michael Monfort and James Craig, in order to follow through with Manson's deal with the Brotherhood. This group met James and Lauren Willett at a cabin. In November 1972, Monfort and Craig forced James Willett to dig his own grave and then shot him because he was going to tell the authorities about a series of robberies that they had committed after they were released from prison. His body was found with his hand still sticking out of the ground. The housemates were arrested on suspicion of murder, after which Lauren Willett's body was discovered in the basement. She had been shot to death. The Willetts' eight-month-old daughter, Heidi, was found alive in the house. Fromme was released for lack of evidence.

The Sonoma County coroner's office concluded that James Willett was killed sometime in September 1972, although his decapitated body was not found until the beginning of November. He had been buried near Guerneville. On the night of November 11, 1972, the Stockton Police responded to information that a station wagon owned by the Willetts was parked in front of 720 W. Flora St. Sergeant Richard Whiteman forced his way into the house: "All the persons subsequently arrested were in the house except for Fromme. She telephoned the house while police were there, asking to be picked up, and officers obliged, taking her into custody nearby. Police found a quantity of guns and ammunition in the house along with amounts of marijuana and noticed freshly dug earth beneath the building."

Fromme later told reporters that she had been traveling in California trying to visit "brothers" in jail and to visit Manson. She said that she came to Stockton on November 10 to visit William Goucher, who was in jail on a robbery charge, when Lauren died. When Fromme left the jail after visiting Goucher, she called the house on Flora Street to have someone pick her up, and the Stockton Police traced the call and arrested her at a phone booth.

The Stockton Police exhumed the body of Lauren Willett the following day. Cooper told investigators that she had been shot accidentally, contending that Monfort was "demonstrating the dangers of firearms, playing a form of Russian roulette with a .38 caliber pistol" and had first spun the gun cylinder and shot at his own head, and then pointed it at the victim, when it fired. The police determined that Lauren had been with them voluntarily. Fromme was held in custody for 2½ months but never charged; she said she was innocent of any wrongdoing. The other four people who were involved were convicted.

After leaving Stockton, Fromme moved into a Sacramento apartment with Sandra Good. The two wore robes on occasion and they changed their names to symbolize their devotion to Manson's new religion, Fromme becoming "Red" in honor of her red hair and the California redwoods, and Good becoming "Blue" for her blue eyes and the ocean; both nicknames were originally given to them by Manson.

Attempt to contact Jimmy Page

Prior to a Led Zeppelin concert in Long Beach in 1975, Fromme knocked on the hotel door of Danny Goldberg, vice president of the band's record label, Swan Song Records. Fromme, described as frantic and with a nervous tic marring her face, asked to meet with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page to warn him, claiming to have foreseen the future and wishing to warn Page of imminent "evil" which she believed might take place that night at the concert. Goldberg stated that she could not see Page until the following night, to which Fromme responded "tomorrow night will probably be too late". After a long discussion, Goldberg agreed to deliver a message to Page if she wrote it down. Fromme was subsequently escorted away against her will and the note was ultimately burned and never read. Goldberg later saw Fromme on the television news after she had attempted to assassinate President Gerald Ford.

Assassination attempt on President Ford

Main article: Attempted assassination of Gerald Ford in Sacramento
The Colt M1911 .45-caliber pistol used in Fromme's attempt to assassinate President Gerald Ford

On the morning of September 5, 1975, Fromme went to Sacramento's Capitol Park, ostensibly to plead with President Gerald Ford about the plight of the California redwoods, dressed in a red robe and armed with a Colt M1911 .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol. The pistol's magazine was loaded with four rounds, but there was no round in the chamber. When Fromme pointed the gun at Ford she was immediately restrained by Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf. As she was apprehended, she reportedly yelled "it wouldn't go off" and said "it didn't go off. Can you believe it? It didn't go off" when brought to the ground by Buendorf. In 1980, Fromme told The Sacramento Bee that she had deliberately ejected the round from her weapon's chamber before leaving home that morning, and investigators later found a round on her bathroom floor.

Fromme refused to cooperate with her own defense during her trial. Despite claiming that "I was not determined to kill the guy", Fromme was eventually convicted of the attempted assassination of the president and received a life sentence under a 1965 law that made attempted presidential assassinations a federal crime. After U.S. Attorney Dwayne Keyes recommended severe punishment because she was "full of hate and violence"; Fromme threw an apple at him, hitting him in the face and knocking off his glasses. She told the press that she "came to get life. Not just my life but clean air, healthy water, and respect for creatures and creation."

Aftermath

In 1979, Fromme was transferred out of Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin, California, for attacking fellow inmate Julienne Bušić with a hammer. On December 23, 1987, she escaped from Federal Prison Camp Alderson in West Virginia in an attempt to meet Manson. She was captured two days later and incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fromme continued to profess total allegiance to Manson. Vincent Bugliosi wrote in Helter Skelter that she and Good were the only members of the Manson Family who had not renounced him. She once told an Associated Press reporter, "The curtain is going to come down on all of us, and if we don't turn everything over to Charlie immediately, it will be too late."

Fromme first became eligible for parole in 2005. She waived her right to request a hearing and was required by federal law to complete a parole application before one could be considered and granted. She was granted parole in July 2008, but she was not released because of the extra time which was added to her sentence because of her escape from prison in 1987.

She was released on parole from the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, on August 14, 2009, and she moved to Marcy, New York, where she and her boyfriend Robert Valdner live in a house which is decorated with skulls. In a 2019 televised interview, Fromme said the following about Manson, "Was I in love with Charlie? Yeah, I still am."

In popular culture

Books

  • Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme, 1997, Jess Bravin, St Martin's Press, ISBN 0312156634, OCLC 1014033645
  • Reflexion: Lynette Fromme's Story of Her Life with Charles Manson 1967–1969, 2018, Lynette Alice Fromme, The Peasenhall Press, Cobb, CA, ISBN 0991372514, OCLC 1151710773

See also

References

  1. California BirIndex, Name: Lynette Alice Fromme, Birth Date: October 22, 1948, Sex: Female, Mother's Maiden: Benzinger, Birth County: Los Angeles.
  2. Nelson, Valerie J. (June 24, 2007). "J. Tillman Hall, 91; USC professor led Emeriti Center". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  3. ^ Bravin, Jess (1997). Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme. New York City: Macmillan. ISBN 9780312156633. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  4. "The Manson Women". Serial Killers Documentaries. January 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  5. Meares, Hadley (October 22, 2014). "The story of the abandoned movie ranch where the Manson family launched Helter Skelter". Curbed Los Angeles. Vox Media. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  6. "Squeaky Fromme Biography". Biography.com. A&E Television Networks. April 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  7. Renee, Alexa (June 14, 2017). "Midtown home holds connection to Charles Manson family". ABC 10.
  8. Sanders, Ed (2002). The Family. New York City: Thunder's Mouth Press. p. 442. ISBN 1560253967.
  9. Fromme, Lynette, Lynette (2018). Reflexion. Cobb, California: The Peasenhall Press. ISBN 978-0-9913725-1-5.
  10. Fitzgerald, Michael (August 6, 2009). "Squeaky's connection to Stockton". esanjoaquin.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  11. Kennedy, David (September 12, 2018). The Summer of Helter Skelter. David Kennedy. ISBN 9781386586548.
  12. ^ "Linked to Manson 'Family' 5 Held Here in Couple's Murder". The Record. Vol. 78. Stockton, California. November 13, 1972. pp. 220, 226.
  13. "Heidi Willett to be adopted by maternal grandparents". The Record. Troy, New York. November 16, 1972. p. 2. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  14. "'Squeaky' had brief stay in S.J.". The Record. Stockton, California. August 9, 2009. p. A9.
  15. ^ "'Visiting Friend' Clan Girl Says Murder Charge a 'Coincidence'". The Record. Vol. 78, no. 224. Stockton, California. November 17, 1972.
  16. Davis, Stephen (July 4, 1985). "Power, Mystery and the Hammer of the Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin". Rolling Stone. No. 451. New York City. Archived from the original on January 28, 2008. Retrieved January 15, 2008.
  17. "Star-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  18. "Frequently Asked Questions". SqueakyFromme.org. February 27, 2003. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  19. "President Gerald R. Ford Testimony regarding Squeaky Fromme". Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. November 2, 1975. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  20. "Double Indemnity". Time. December 29, 1975. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  21. Casstevens, David (October 23, 2005). "30 years later, a Manson disciple has no plans to leave prison". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 22A. Archived from the original on June 3, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  22. Bugliosi, Vincent (1994). Helter Skelter. New York City: W. W. Norton. pp. 661–662. ISBN 9780393087000.
  23. ^ Casstevens, David (September 26, 2005). "'Squeaky' Fromme unrepentant, still devoted to Manson". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved August 1, 2009.
  24. ^ "After 34 years, Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme to be released". CNN. August 5, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  25. "Would-Be Assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme Released from Prison". ABC. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  26. Baltimore, Chris (August 14, 2009). "Woman who tried to kill Ford released from prison". Reuters. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  27. Fusco, Jennifer; LaDuca, Rocco (September 15, 2009). "Would-be Ford assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme moving to Marcy". The Observer-Dispatch. Utica, New York. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  28. "CBS show catches up with Manson follower 'Squeaky' Fromme in Rome". The Observer-Dispatch. Utica, New York. September 14, 2010. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  29. Fusco, Jennifer; Rocco LaDuca (September 14, 2009). "Would-be Ford assassin 'Squeaky' Fromme moving to Marcy". Observer Dispatch. Archived from the original on September 19, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
  30. Norman, Greg (January 18, 2019). "Charles Manson follower Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme living life as a 'very friendly' neighbor in rural New York". Fox News. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  31. Lapin, Tamar (May 2, 2019). "Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme: I'm still in love with Charles Manson". New York Post. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  32. "Episode 3: Rob Reiner (host)". Saturday Night Live. Season 1. Episode 3. October 25, 1975. NBC.
  33. King, Don Roy (October 8, 2018). "SNL Transcripts: Rob Reiner: 10/25/75: Dangerous but Inept". SNL Transcripts Tonight. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  34. Rothstein, Mervyn (January 27, 1991). "Theater: Sondheim's 'Assassins': Insane Realities of History". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  35. "Kayli Carter as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme". PopSugar. May 2, 2019.
  36. Rife, Katie (June 7, 2018). "Dakota Fanning to play Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme in Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2019.

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