Charles Manson news: Fundraising page for funeral shut down by GoFundMe

Charles Manson during a 1989 interview.REUTERS/File Photo

The notorious convicted American criminal, Charles Manson has recently passed away, and there is still the matter of what to do with his remains. Recently, reports have surfaced that a fundraising website which was created in order to aid Manson's next of kin to move and properly bury his body has been shut down. This has caused for public debate on whether or not the cessation of the funding page was an act of prejudice and discrimination.

In a report by the New York Daily News, Manson's grandson, 41-year-old Jason Freeman, has stated that he and his family will find other means to retrieve Manson's body despite the fundraising site being shut down by GoFundMe. Before the plug was pulled on the site, it was able to amass $979 — which was more than enough to transport Manson's body from California to Ohio, as well as cover funeral costs.

Freeman has claimed that numerous people have been willing to help him with this endeavor. As of now, Freeman has no idea as to why GoFundMe had abruptly decided to pull the plug on the funding site, and has provided no explanation towards Freeman or to the public. According to Newsweek, GoFundMe spokesperson, Nadia Gilani, stated that the full amount that the page was able to raise was returned to their original donors.

According to Newser, the fundraising account was set up by a man named John Michael Jones, who is a friend of Manson's grandson. Upon hearing the news of the website being shut down, Jones stated that Freeman is also being subject to "the same prejudices, hate, discrimination and deliberate lies that his grandfather endured for 48 years." It is safe to assume that Jones set up the page for Freeman since the latter lost his job sometime in October.

Given that Freeman is currently jobless, it appears that he really needs the money in order to cover all of the fees needed to claim his grandfather's remains. Manson died of natural causes in the State Prison of Corcoran in California at the age of 83.