Aaron Stovitz, removed as Manson prosecutor for media comments, dies at 86

Aaron Stovitz, original Manson prosecutor, dies

LOS ANGELES — Aaron Stovitz, the original prosecutor of Charles Manson and three followers who was removed from the case after a dispute with his boss over out-of-court comments, died Monday of leukemia at the age of 86.

Stovitz died at a hospital in the Tarzana area of Los Angeles after a yearlong battle with the illness, his family said.

He was removed from the headline-making Manson trial in 1970 for allegedly talking too much to the media, and was replaced by his younger colleague Vincent Bugliosi. Stovitz’s ouster from the case by then-District Attorney Evelle Younger was a subject of controversy in the legal community for many years. Stovitz said years later he was not bitter but felt the remark that got him removed from the case was “innocuous.”

Stovitz continued to work as a prosecutor into the 1980s and later served as a municipal court commissioner.

He was a top prosecutor in the office long after the Manson episode, said District Attorney Steve Cooley, who got to know Stovitz after he retired.

“He was known for his enthusiasm for the job that was infectious,” Cooley said. “He’s part of the legacy of our office.”

But it was the incident in 1970 that came to define Stovitz in the history of the Manson case, one of the most high-profile murder cases ever tried in Los Angeles. He was a veteran prosecutor and head of the trial division when actress Sharon Tate and six others were killed in the summer of 1969. Stovitz was assigned to the case immediately with Bugliosi tapped to assist him.

He proceeded to map out the state’s case against the four defendants and was ready for trial when he was abruptly removed by Younger. The judge had imposed a gag order on participants, and Stovitz was warned by his boss to make no further comments after Stovitz gave an interview to Rolling Stone Magazine.

Stovitz then made a comment to reporters, describing remarks by defendant Susan Atkins complaining about her health as a “performance worthy of a Sarah Bernhardt.” Stovitz would say years later he thought the remark was off the record. But Younger heard about it and removed him from the case.

Bugliosi went on to win convictions and write a best-selling book, “Helter Skelter.” He recalled the incident in his book, saying Stovitz’s comment was a “passing remark.”

Stovitz was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 1, 1924. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during World War II at the age of 17. He flew 34 combat missions and received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He moved to Los Angeles, graduated from Southwestern University Law School with honors in 1950 and joined the district attorney’s office in 1952. He retired in 1981 but went on to head the Ventura County district attorney’s office. He also served as a municipal court commissioner and a judge in small claims court.

Stovitz is survived by his wife of 59 years, Clara; his daughter, Rhonda Steinberg; sons Ken and Steve; and seven grandchildren.

Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Sinai, Hollywood Hills. The family has asked for donations to the Leukemia Research Foundation in his memory.