Victim Sharon Tate

One of the best-looking starlets ever to hit Hollywood, Sharon Tate in 1969 became one of the victims of the crazed Charles Manson gang.

Tate first went on stage as a child beauty pageant winner in her native Dallas. After putting her good looks to work as a model, she landed a small part in the movie Barrabas (1962) and that same year began getting small TV roles in Mr. Ed, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Beverly Hillbillies and other shows.

She also began a series of high-profile romances--with French actor Pillippe Forquet, next with Hollywood hair stylist Jay Sebring and, finally, film director Roman Polanski, whom she married in 1968.

Tate's biggest movie roles were in Valley of the Dolls (1967) and The Wrecking Crew (1969). She was being groomed for major stardom, but in August 1969, tragedy struck.

Killed in the same house with Tate were coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Folger's husband Wojciech Frykowski, Jay Sebring and a teen named Steven Parent. Tate was pregnant with Polanski's child at the time, while made the killing all the more terrible.