5 Shocking Facts About Candy Stevens: The Woman Who Tried To Save—and Then Testify Against—Charles Manson

The name Candy Stevens is one that echoes through the annals of 20th-century American true crime, though her story is often overshadowed by the shocking brutality of the Manson Family murders. As of December 15, 2025, renewed interest in the early life of cult leader Charles Manson—fueled by recent documentaries, books, and streaming series—has brought Leona Rae “Candy” Stevens back into the spotlight, revealing her pivotal and contradictory role in the life of one of history’s most infamous criminals.

This deep dive explores the little-known details of her life, from her beginnings as a sex worker to her tumultuous marriage with Manson, and the critical moment she decided to lie for him—a decision that would ultimately shape his destiny and, indirectly, the course of true crime history. Her story is not just a footnote; it is a critical piece of the puzzle that explains the evolution of Charles Manson from a petty criminal to a murderous cult icon.

The Complete Biography and Profile of Leona "Candy" Stevens

Leona Rae Stevens, known by her street name "Candy," remains a figure shrouded in mystery, with many details of her post-Manson life unconfirmed. What is known is her crucial, albeit brief, association with Charles Manson during a formative period of his life.

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• Full Name: Leona Rae Musser (also known as Leona Rae Stevens)
• Nickname: Candy Stevens
• Known For: Second wife of Charles Manson.
• Occupation: Former sex worker (prostitute).
• Date of Marriage to Manson: 1959.
• Date of Divorce from Manson: 1963.
• Spouse: Charles Manson (m. 1959; div. 1963).
• Children: While some historical records and Manson's own letters mention a son, Charles Manson Jr., born from his first marriage to Rosalie Willis, other sources, including a 2002 letter from Manson, claimed Candy Stevens also had a son, Charles Luther Manson. However, the true parentage and existence of a child with Candy remain a highly debated and unconfirmed entity in the Manson lore.
• Current Status: Largely unknown; she vanished from public record after her involvement with Manson.

The Turbulent Marriage and the Pimp-Prostitute Dynamic

Candy Stevens entered Charles Manson’s life shortly after his first marriage to Rosalie Jean Willis ended in divorce in 1958. Manson, who was already deeply involved in a life of crime, met Candy, who was working as a prostitute, in 1959. Their relationship was not one of conventional romance; it was a transactional dynamic where Manson acted as her pimp, exploiting her work for his own financial gain and to fund his criminal activities.

This period is critical for understanding Manson’s later evolution. His relationship with Candy solidified his predatory control over vulnerable women, a pattern that would later be replicated on a much larger and more sinister scale with the "Manson Family" cult members like Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel.

The marriage itself was a brief and tumultuous affair, lasting only four years before their divorce in 1963. Like his first marriage, the union was marked by Manson's constant brushes with the law, including car theft and forgery, which frequently landed him back in prison.

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The Critical Lie That Saved Manson from Prison

The most shocking and historically significant moment of Candy Stevens’ life came in late 1959. Charles Manson was arrested in Lordsburg, New Mexico, for driving a stolen 1951 Triumph convertible across state lines. Facing a serious federal charge that would certainly send him back to prison, Manson desperately needed an alibi.

Candy, still loyal to her husband and pimp at the time, made a pivotal decision. She took the stand and lied under oath, claiming she was pregnant with Manson’s child. This fabricated pregnancy was a calculated move to elicit sympathy from the court and convince the judge to give Manson a lighter sentence, or perhaps even probation.

The lie worked. Manson was given five years of probation. This act of perjury by Candy Stevens, a woman who was technically his victim, is a chilling example of the manipulative power Manson held over people, even in his early years. Had he gone to prison then, the entire timeline of the Manson Family and the subsequent Tate-LaBianca murders might have been averted.

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The Ultimate Betrayal and Her Testimony

Despite her efforts to save him, Candy’s loyalty eventually broke. A year after the stolen car incident, Manson was arrested again, this time for violating his probation. When he was finally brought to trial, Candy Stevens reversed course. She testified against him, exposing the truth about the stolen car and his life of crime.

This betrayal was the final nail in the coffin for Manson’s freedom at the time. Her testimony helped ensure he was sent back to prison, where he would spend the next six years. It was during this extended prison stint that Manson began to develop the twisted philosophy and cult-like charisma that would define his life and lead to the horrific murders of Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, and the LaBianca family years later.

Modern Media and the Enduring Legacy of Candy Stevens

While Candy Stevens herself has remained out of the public eye since the 1960s, her story continues to be a focal point in the true crime genre, which is constantly seeking new angles on the Manson saga. The "latest" information about her comes not from her current life, but from how her past is being re-examined in modern media.

Recent media productions, including the 2017 ABC documentary Truth and Lies: The Family Manson and various Netflix and HBO Max series, have dedicated segments to the women in Manson’s life, including Candy Stevens. These works analyze her role as a crucial stepping stone in Manson's development as a cult leader.

The continuous production of books and documentaries about the Manson Family ensures that entities like Leona Stevens, Rosalie Willis, Charles Manson Jr., the Tate-LaBianca murders, and the overall cult leader dynamic remain topics of high topical authority. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the early influence and unchecked criminal behavior that eventually spiraled into mass murder.

The mystery surrounding her later life—whether she remarried, her final resting place, or if she ever truly found peace—adds an element of intrigue that keeps her name relevant to true crime enthusiasts and historians studying the dark side of American counterculture. She is one of the few people who knew Charles Manson before he became the monster the world remembers, and her story is a testament to the fact that even the most notorious figures have a complex, and often overlooked, origin story.