When House Crazy Sarah had her last blog, her most popular posts, by far, were in the category “Crime Scene Houses”. She’s not quite sure what that says about humanity (or her blog readers), but her being a binge-watcher of true-crime TV shows, she kind of gets the appeal.
So if you are a fan of the macabre when it comes to houses, you might recognize this unfortunate home on a sloping hill. It made headlines in 1969 when it became the second house in two nights to have all of its occupants massacred by deranged followers of Charles Manson.
It’s been 50 years this summer since supermarket chain owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary, were killed by members of the “Manson family” at their Los Feliz, California home. The previous night, the Manson Family brutally murdered a pregnant Sharon Tate and four others 11 miles across Los Angeles in Benedict Canyon on Cielo Drive.
On the night of August 10th, 1969, Rosemary had already gone to bed and her husband was reading the newspaper in his favorite chair when fate sneaked in their front door.
After viciously stabbing the couple to death, the killers used the victims’ blood to write “Death to Pigs” on the walls, and misspelled “Healter Skelter” on the refrigerator. The murderers then showered, ate food from the fridge, petted the LaBianca’s dogs, and left.
*shiver*
The perpetrators were all caught, tried, and found guilty. They are either dead or still in prison, which is where they belong.
The LaBianca house has had several owners since the LaBiancas died but is currently up for sale.
The once sloping front lawn, has largely been replaced with a two-car carport, but much of the house remains the same as it looked in 1969.
The news photo (below) was taken the day after the LaBianca murders and shows their young adult children and other family members sitting forlornly outside while the police investigate. It was Leno and Rosemary’s children who found their parents’ bodies.
Here’s how the house looks from the road today:
Built in 1922, the two-bedroom, one and a half bathroom home is only 1,655 square feet so it can hardly be called a mansion. Still, it is situated in a posh LA neighborhood on a large sloping lot with views of the nearby mountains. The property is gated and has a pool in the backyard. It is listed for $1.98 million.
Interestingly, the house was first bought by Leno’s father, Antonio LaBianca, in 1940. In August of 1943, the house was broken into and robbed, all while the occupants slept. Leno bought the house from his mother in 1968 and in the year that he and Rosemary lived there, the house was broken into several times.
House Crazy Sarah found some crime scene photos of the home’s interior on Pinterest so you can see how the house appeared back in 1969:
(She’ll spare you the gory photos)
The mirrors and the current decor look like they are right out of the ’80’s.
The house at 3311 Waverly Drive features Italian tile floors, a pink-tiled bathroom, a gas fireplace, and a formal dining room.
As with Sharon Tate’s former house on Cielo Drive, the address was changed from 3301 to 3311 in order to obscure the home’s notoriety.
But this house just can’t outrun its past. It’s been all over the news this summer since it was listed on the market in July.
Below is the dining room area:
The kitchen:
A 1969 police photo shows some of the kitchen and dining room…
Below is the original vintage bathroom where the killers showered:
The master bedroom where Rosemary’s brutalized body was found:
And this is how it appeared in 1969:
The photo below breaks House Crazy Sarah’s heart…
That poor, poor puppy 🙁
The agent instructions in the listing state: “Please research before showing.” House Crazy Sarah appreciates how discreet and un-sensational that line is.
Still, it’s hard to forget how haunting the history of house is. Two humans lives’ ended tragically here on that fateful summer night in 1969.
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca had only owned their home a year before their deaths and they had such high hopes when they moved in.
Hopefully, the house will find new owners who can continue care for her and not dwell on the home’s tragic past.
Sources:
More detailed information about the Los Feliz housing market via Redfin
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