US 1960s cult killer Charles Manson dead at 83

This handout image released by the California State Prison, Corcoran, taken on March 18, 2009, shows mass murderer Charles Manson. AFP PHOTO / California State Prison / HO

Charles Manson, the psychopathic guru who masterminded a savage killing spree in the United States that shocked the world, has died  aged 83, US media and California prison officials said late Sunday.

Debra Tate — the sister of Manson’s most famous victim, Sharon Tate — told celebrity website TMZ that she received a call from prison officials saying that Manson, who had long been ill, died Sunday evening.

California prison officials later issued a statement confirming the death.

In the late 1960s, Manson headed an apocalyptic cult that committed random murders in upscale mostly white neighborhoods of Los Angeles — unleashing a wave of panic in the city and beyond.