Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
At 22, Sophia Maddox discovered the grandfather she'd never known was Charles Manson — one of history's most notorious criminals.
In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, Kristin Thorne — filling in for Anne Emerson this week — sits down with Sophia Maddox, co-director of the new documentary My Grandfather, Charles Manson, to talk about the DNA discovery that upended her family and the years-long investigation that followed. Maddox explains how her father's search for his own biological father led to a match with Michael Brunner — one of Manson's sons — and how three separate DNA tests ultimately confirmed Manson as her grandfather.
Maddox opens up about growing up believing her family was "cursed," and how that feeling took on new meaning once the truth came out. She discusses undergoing the same Rorschach inkblot test Manson once took, comparing her results to his in search of answers about what she may have inherited — and what she's relieved she didn't.
The conversation also digs into Maddox's complicated relationship with her father since the discovery, her frustration with how true crime often flattens victims into footnotes, and why she believes the popular narrative around Manson may not tell the whole story.
Watch Kristin’s full conversation with Sophia: youtu.be/xfX32wFbMQU
#TrueCrime #Manson #SerialKillers
At 22, Sophia Maddox discovered the grandfather she'd never known was Charles Manson — one of history's most notorious criminals.
In this episode of Criminally Obsessed, Kristin Thorne — filling in for Anne Emerson this week — sits down with Sophia Maddox, co-director of the new documentary My Grandfather, Charles Manson, to talk about the DNA discovery that upended her family and the years-long investigation that followed. Maddox explains how her father's search for his own biological father led to a match with Michael Brunner — one of Manson's sons — and how three separate DNA tests ultimately confirmed Manson as her grandfather.
Maddox opens up about growing up believing her family was "cursed," and how that feeling took on new meaning once the truth came out. She discusses undergoing the same Rorschach inkblot test Manson once took, comparing her results to his in search of answers about what she may have inherited — and what she's relieved she didn't.
The conversation also digs into Maddox's complicated relationship with her father since the discovery, her frustration with how true crime often flattens victims into footnotes, and why she believes the popular narrative around Manson may not tell the whole story.
Watch Kristin’s full conversation with Sophia: youtu.be/xfX32wFbMQU
#TrueCrime #Manson #SerialKillers
