Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme

Early Life & Upbringing

Lynette Fromme was born October 22, 1948, to Helen and William Fromme, the first of three children. Lynette’s father was an aeronautical engineer, placing the family in a comfortable, upper-class lifestyle. This affluence presented Fromme and her sister with great childhood opportunities, such as dance lessons and plenty of travel. Fromme was also a member of the Westchester Lariats, a quite popular dance group that toured the U.S. and Europe starting in the late 1950s. With the group, Fromme performed for major events in the Lawrence Welk Show and event for the White House.

  When Lynette was 15, her family relocated to Redondo Beach, California, a well-established coastal suburb. At Redondo Union High school, Fromme was known for her participation in various extracurricular activities and her atatus in the Athenian Honor Society. Her peers recognized her infectious personality, voting her as “personality plus” in the yearbook. This superlative would leave her father unimpressed, of whom she would later describe as emotionally cold, often berating her over minor issues. Her tumultuous relationship with her father likely pushed her into her experimentation with drugs and alcohol. As her substance use increased, her grades began to drop, though she did manage to graduate high school in 1966. Fromme briefly attended El Comino College, but her newfound drug use and suffering in her grades forced her to leave. Tensions at home began to rise dramatically after Fromme’s return. After just two mouths, a final explosive augment with her father left her homeless.

Family Life

(Content Advisory: Sexual abuse)

     Manson and his followers Lived on Spahn Ranch, a commune-like setting that provided Fromme with a sense of belonging and structure. The self-named ‘Manson Family’ spent their days tending to horses, gardening domestic duties, and fulfilling any other demands that Manson might have for his followers. Fromme found herself spending more and more time by Charlie’s side, quickly becoming one of his longest and most trusted followers. In return, Fromme grew more and more devoted to her master. 

  Manson smartly isolated his family from the outside world at Spahn Ranch, which was nestled in the Los Angeles, California wilderness. He demanded complete and unwavering loyalty from followers, using his sharp charisma to indoctrinate people. Drugs such as LSD and alcohol played a large role in Manson’s control as well, leading members to addiction as a means of ultimate control. Every aspect of members' lives, from chores to family meetings, was designed to enforce the hive that Manson created. 

   Sexual manipulation was also a tool Manson embraced, both as a means of control and one of trade. He took several women as partners, including Fromme. As his lover, Fromme was expended to offer her body any time Manson deemed necessary and to whomever he deemed fit. As part of his agreement with landowner, George Spahn, Manson would freely hand over his “girls” at will in exchange for the Group living on the property; One of these girls was Fromme. Spahn himself gave Fromme the nickname “Squeaky” in reaction to the way she would squeal when she was intimate with him. 

Assassination Attempt

On September 5, 1975, by early morning Fromme was stationed at the Hotel the president would be staying at, just across from the Sacramento National Park and Capitol Building, with a pistol strapped to her left thigh. She was draped in her infamous red cloak, which she later claimed symbolized her sacrifice and represented the "animals and Earth". With hours to go before the president's arrival, she calmly waited and mixed herself into the crowd.

By 9:00 AM, President Gerald Ford had arrived at the Capitol Building and crossed to the hotel. Fromme bid her time, crossing the street and waiting in Sacramento National Park for the president to depart his conference.

At about 10:00 AM, the press departed the hotel and crossed to the park, where Ford would shake hands with the crowd. Seeing Fromme approach, Ford offered his hand, assuming Fromme was approaching for a handshake. Instead, she pulled out her pistol and took aim at the president. 

The pistol never went off, as it had not been poorly loaded. Fromme was quickly taken into custody, reportedly screaming, "It would not go off! It did not go off! Can you believe it?" as she was escorted away.

Why She Did It 

Frome’s stated motives have ever shifted over the years. Manson’s influence played a critical role in her choice; as the attempt would draw to her, ultimately leading the media back to a focus on Manson. However, Fromme has expressed complex motivations that, for her, went futher then Charlie. In court, she expressed longed for "clean air, healthy water, and respect for creatures and creation,"-- the state of our environment had rooted deeply in Fromme, and she was a strong advocate for protecting the world around us. Fromme also noted the act as an attempt to bring attention to the dying trees of California’s famous redwood forests.

"I did it so there'd be a trial, and Charlie would be on TV, and he'd save the world!"