Claims of Manson and Ruby as MK Ultra Assets

An investigative journalist suggested on Tuesday that two infamous figures from the 1960s, Charles Manson and Jack Ruby, might have been involved with the Central Intelligence Agency’s MK Ultra program.

Tom O’Neill, speaking at a Federal Declassification Task Force hearing, argued that both Manson, a convicted murderer, and Ruby, who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, were possibly connected to MK Ultra—an illicit human experimentation initiative during the Cold War. This program explored various methods to alter human behavior, including the use of hypnosis and drugs like LSD.

O’Neill noted, “In theory, Manson… we’ve never managed to prove it. But with Jack Ruby, I believe it. This links back to the Warren Commission investigation, which included former CIA Director Allen Dulles, who authorized and oversaw MK Ultra until his dismissal.” This, he pointed out, is especially significant given Dulles’ involvement with the investigation into President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

He went on to say that Dr. Louis Jolyon “Jolie” West, a psychiatrist, was responsible for evaluating Ruby in prison to keep him from revealing details of the experiments. Ruby assassinated Oswald on November 24, 1963, just a day after Oswald was alleged to have killed Kennedy.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who chairs the task force, mentioned that more MK Ultra documents would be declassified as part of their ongoing investigation. “I will personally follow up with the CIA director regarding the MK Ultra files. We will be unveiling more files, particularly those related to newly discovered records,” she asserted.

O’Neill further criticized Congress for never being fully informed about MK Ultra, indicating that he submitted documents challenging the CIA’s previous disclosures to Congress about LSD experiments, arguing for a reconsideration of the program’s implications.

The MK Ultra initiative was authorized in 1953 by then-CIA Director Allen Dulles, spurred by fears that nations like Soviet Union and China had developed brainwashing methods for interrogation and other purposes. Researchers experimented with high doses of hallucinogens, electroconvulsive therapy, and even sleep deprivation.

In 1973, CIA Director Richard Helms ordered the destruction of almost all MK Ultra documentation to shield the public from knowledge about the program. However, a significant volume of financial records survived by accident in that year and later revelations during congressional inquiries, like the Church Committee in 1975, exposed many details. When these findings surfaced, the CIA only provided limited information to Congress.