Whatever Happened To The LaBianca House?
The former LaBianca home in Los Angeles is among the most notorious houses in America as the site of one of the brutal and violent Charles Manson "family" murders. On August 10, 1969, Manson told three of his followers – Charles "Tex" Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Leslie Van Houten to break into the LaBianca home and murder its occupants, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. After stabbing the couple to death, the killers daubed messages in blood on the walls before they left.
The murders were part of a chaotic killing spree carried out by Manson and his followers, one which included the famous slaying of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and her high-profile house guests. The LaBiancas in contrast were a totally ordinary couple who seemed to have been targeted at random. The pair were dispatched with utmost brutality — Rosemary alone was stabbed 41 times — and Leno was left with a knife in his throat and "war" etched into his stomach.
Although the idea of owning the LaBianca house is no doubt disturbing to most people, it has found a number of buyers over the years. Among them has been none other than "Ghost Adventures" presenter Zak Bagans, who was not fazed by the house's disturbing past.
The house finds a celebrity buyer
In 2019, the LaBianca house, located in Los Feliz California, made news when it went back on the market. According to The New York Times, prospective buyers were surprisingly uninterested in the property's history, although they were informed from the start that it was the location of one of the Manson murders. Estate Agent Robert Giambalvo told the Times, "No one's asked about it ... I thought they would. But nobody has said anything about it, which kind of blows my mind." Giambalvo was quick to mention the property's stunning location and views — attractive assets for anybody who doesn't scare easily.
The attractive 1920s build includes a pool and patio area and was listed for $1.98 million at the time. Its all-too-fitting buyer was the presenter of the "Ghost Adventures" TV show, Zak Bagans. According to the Los Angeles Times, he bought it for the "numerologically significant" price of $1,888,888.
Unperturbed by the idea of kicking back in a living room that once had "Death to Pigs" smeared in blood on the walls, the paranormal investigator saw the sad history of the property as intriguing if anything. Bagans told People magazine "Yes the house has a very dark and gruesome history, but I was also intrigued by the energy I felt while there ... It was mysterious and palpable." Bagans was also impressed by the property itself, which he described as "breathtaking."
The House Today
Having lived in the house for just a year, presenter Zak Bagans quickly sold the property again for reasons unknown. Bagans had originally planned to shoot a project in the building but supposedly changed his mind due to a wish to respect the LaBianca family's memory, according to TMZ.
Realtor Arto Poladian told Vice magazine that this time, the property attracted an interesting mix of buyers, stating "It's prime Los Feliz, with a rare view of the reservoir, a partial view of the downtown LA skyline, and a full view of the Glendale skyline. Its history brought out a combination of aspiring social media stars and serious buyers." Nonetheless, it went for less than its asking price of $2.2 million — selling for just $1.8 million in June 2021.
Today the property's address has been changed from 3301 Waverly Drive to 3311 Waverly Drive and remains in private hands. The house is listed on Redfin with a value of just over $2.3 million.