Maid Who Found Five Tate Victims Lives In Seclusion
November 6, 1969
Los Angeles Times
By Tom Newton
Times Staff Writer
The maid who discovered the bodies of victims in the Sharon Tate murder case
has been living in virtual seclusion in the Los Angeles area for nearly four
weeks, police revealed Wednesday.
Earlier, Mrs. Winifred Chapman, 55, had been the object of a widespread
search after detectives discovered that she had not been seen since October 10.
"Our only interest in finding her," a police spokesman said after she was
located, "was to assure ourselves of her well-being and security. Her
disappearance had cause considerable concern."
Apprehension over Mrs. Chapman's safety was considerably supported by the
fact that all her personal belongings had been left in her Central Los Angeles
apartment when she departed.
Land Lady, Mami White, reported her missing October 13, saying Mrs. Chapman
had been gone for three days.
Seemed "Terribly Upset"
She told police the woman seemed "terribly upset" during the weeks before she
disappeared.
Officers who talked to Mrs. Chapman Wednesday said she told them she left
because she wanted to avoid further publicity in connection with the bizarre
murders.
He said she told them that various representatives of news media had been
"pestering" her and she wanted to "shut the whole thing out" of her mind.
A sister in Denver had expressed concern about her, saying Mrs. Chapman
"feared for her life." But Mrs. Chapman said this was probably because she had
failed to contact her as had been her regular habit.
Mrs. Chapman's involvement in the murder case began August 9 when she went to
work at the estate of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate in Benedict Canyon.
It was she who ran screaming to the home of a neighbor, saying there were
"bodies and blood all over the place." Police found Miss Tate, another woman and
three men stabbed and shot to death.
Mrs. Chapman was treated for shock at UCLA Medical Center.
