Candy Stevens – Interesting Facts about Late Charles Manson’s Ex-wife

Candy Stevens is famous as the ex-wife of late notorious murderer Charles Manson. Stevens and Manson tied the knot in the late ’50s and remained married for a few years before the latter’s imprisonment. Candy also became a mother with her then-husband, Charles Manson.

Even though Manson died some years before, people have been searching him over the internet for his outrageous and heinous crimes. Likewise, people are also curious to know about Manson’s ex-wife Candy Stevens. She has been living out of the media limelight for many years which has further made people curious.

So, in today’s episode, we are bringing forward all the information about Candy Stevens, including her early life, parents, and more.

Candy Stevens Early Life – Where is She From?

Since Candy Stevens rose to fame after she started her relationship with Charles Manson, so details about her life before that are not well documented. Nevertheless, we have found some vital information about her early life.

She was born Leona Rae Musser. Her exact birthday is not known, but it’s believed to be in the year 1940. The fact is also reported in Jeff Guinn’s 2013 book, Manson, The Life and Times of Charles Manson-Simon & Schuster. Meanwhile, Candy’s birthplace is still unclear, however, she reportedly hails from Los Angeles, California. Likewise, Candy is of Caucasian ethnicity.

Besides, other details about her early life such as her parents, siblings, and education are unavailable as of yet.

Candy Stevens was a Prostitute

While many details regarding Candy Stevens’ early life and early younghood days are missing, one thing is known about her. And that is her work as a prostitute. It’s not clear when and how she got into the profession, however, she worked as a prostitute for some years across many cities in the United States. Besides, she also worked for her then-husband Charles Manson, who took many women for prostitution.

Her Relationship with Charles Manson – She Marriage to Him Ended Short

Candy Stevens met her then-future husband, Charles Manson around the mid-1950s when she was in her teens. As reported, Stevens quickly started working as a prostitute for Manson. Meanwhile, it is not clear if she was already working as a prostitute before meeting her future spouse.

In December 1959, Charles drove her and another girl from California to Mexico for prostitution. However, police apprehended them and charged Charlie with violating the Mann Act. The act prohibited transporting women across state lines for prostitution.

After the arrest, Charles tried to avoid the possible imprisonment by marrying Candy Stevens. They tied the knot in 1959, and as per the law, wives were restricted from testifying against their husbands at the time. Meanwhile, The Sun reported Candy and Charles tied the knot in 1958. After their marriage, Candy lied about her pregnancy a couple of times to save her then-husband from a possible sentence. Nevertheless, Candy later testified against Charles and he was subsequently sentenced.

Candy Stevens’ Child with Charles Manson

Candy and Manson weren’t married for a long time, however, they gave birth to a child, a son. After Charles’ imprisonment, Candy gave birth to their son, Charles Luther Manson in September 1960. Meanwhile, a book named The Life And Times of Charles Manson mentions Candy’s son was born in early September 1961.

Later on, Candy’s son legally changed his name to Jay Charles Warner. Moreover, he remained out of the media limelight for most of his life. So, there aren’t many details about his life. However, several media outlets have reported that Jay died in 2007, but the reason for his death is unknown.

Stevens’ Late Ex-Husband’s First Marriage

Before Candy Stevens, her late ex-hubby was married to a woman named Rosalie Jean Willis. She was a hospital waitress. As per the records, Charles and Willis walked down the aisle in January 1955 in West Virginia when the Ohio-native criminal was 21 years old.

Back then, Charles was a thief and he supported his and his wife’s life through car thefts while he also worked as a part-time auto repairman at the same time. While he was still married to Willis, Charles was arrested for taking a stolen car across state lines and imprisoned for three years.

Charles Manson and Rosalie Willis gave birth to a son, Charles Manson Jr. As a matter of fact, Charles was in prison while his then-wife gave birth to their first child. Shortly after the baby Charles’ birth, Willis left Charles Sr. and started living with another man. And by 1958, Willis and Manson finalized their divorce.

Charles Jr. Committed Suicide – What was the Reason?

Charles Manson’s son, Charles Jr. didn’t prefer living in the vicinity of his father. Besides, he also legally changed his name to Jay White. However, no matter whatever he did, his identity of being the son of the notorious criminal, Charles Manson never faded. This might be the reason why he decided to end his life.

In 1993, Charles Manson Jr. stopped along a lonely stretch of Kansas highway and shot himself to death. Even though the official reason for his suicide is not revealed, people believe it was due to the embarrassment of his relationship with his father.

Charles Manson’s Other Relationships and Death

Charles Manson was originally sentenced to death in 1971, however, his sentence was later reduced to a life sentence after the California Supreme Court invalidated the state’s death penalty statute in 1972. Despite the fact that Manson was inside the cell, he famously had a relationship.

As a matter of fact, Manson made headlines in November 2014 after becoming engaged to a 26 years old girl, Afton Elaine ‘Star’ Burton. Moreover, Manson had even got a marriage license, but they couldn’t tie the knot on time and their license expired in February 2015.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Burton, she would frequently visit Manson in prison. She frequented her visit for at least nine years while on the other hand, she maintained several websites that claimed Manson’s innocence.

Unfortunately, Manson died on November 19, 2017, in prison in Bakersfield, California at the age of 83. He died of cardiac arrest resulting from respiratory failure. Following his death, Burton confessed that she only wanted to marry Charles so that she and her friend could later use his corpse as a tourist attraction after his demise. However, she couldn’t marry Manson due to his illness.

Candy Stevens’ Life at Present

Candy has been living a low-key life out of the media radar ever since she ended her relationship with Charles. Not only her, but Candy has also kept her children from the media outlets as well. Due to this, there is little to no information about Candy Stevens’ life at present. Nevertheless, we hope she is doing pretty well.