Homicide detective Dan Jenks and Lt. Yana Horvatich, who made the request, have no specific information on what might be in the recordings, but they want to examine them, Smith said.

In their letter, they said they believed Watson discussed unsolved murders with his lawyer.

The audio recordings were previously made available by Watson to the co-author of his book, “Will You Die for Me? The Man Who Killed for Charles Manson Tells His Own Story.” The book contains no information on unsolved murders.

The book features gruesome, detailed account of Watson’s role in the killings of actress Sharon Tate and six other people. It also discusses Manson’s murderous plans for those killings and includes sections on the formation of the Manson Family cult, Watson’s family history in Texas, and his complete devotion to Manson.

He said he agreed to murder for Manson without question and felt no remorse afterward. He also noted that he was under the influence of LSD during most of the time he was with Manson.

Boyd, a lawyer hired to represent Watson by his parents, conducted a long fight to prevent his extradition to California from Texas, where Watson went after the murders.

By the time Watson arrived, he was not speaking and was ruled to be insane. He was committed to a mental institution for a year before he was found fit to stand trial separately from Manson and three women followers.

Watson, now 65, was convicted of the seven murders. All four defendants were sentenced to death but saw their sentences commuted to life when the death penalty was briefly outlawed in 1972.

Testimony at the Manson trial cast Watson as Manson’s chief lieutenant, the cruel killer who confronted the pregnant Tate and her friends and announced, “‘I’m the devil and I’m here to do the devil’s work.”

Police requested about eight hours of recordings of Boyd and’ Watson that were made when Watson returned to Texas after the killings, according to KNBC-TV. The request was made in a letter dated March 19 and was included in a U.S. bankruptcy filing involving Boyd’s law firm in Texas, the station said.

“The LAPD has information that Mr. Watson discussed additional unsolved murders committed by followers of Charles Manson,” said the letter written to a bankruptcy court trustee in Tyler, Texas. “It is requested that the original recordings be given to the LAPD in order to determine if information regarding unsolved murders was included in the recordings.”

A hearing on the request is scheduled Tuesday in Texas. Smith said Los Angeles detectives will not be attending the hearing.

“They’ve made the request,” he said. “If it is granted, they will examine the materials.”

KNBC says the audio remained private until Watson authorized its sale to his co-author to help cover unpaid legal fees.

In November, Watson was denied parole from for the 16th time and ordered to continue serving his life sentence. He married and divorced in prison and has four children from conjugal visits.

Every day, my girlfriends and I would rush home from school, switch on the black-and-white TV and watch the show that spoke to us like no other. We learned to dance from watching “Bandstand.” And at last we had an adult (though a very young looking one) who understood rock ‘n roll, the music we loved. Clark played the anthems of our youth and introduced us to the greatest singers.

We were enthralled with the kids who got to dance on the show — Bob and Justine, Kenny and Arlene, Bunny and Ed. We tried to copy their dance moves, their hairstyles and their outfits. Everyone envied them and their moments in the spotlight. ‘

And then, one day, I got my moment. I was already president of an Elvis Presley Fan Club, one of the first in the country. But my hero, Elvis, had gone into the Army at the height of his fame and fans were worried that he would be forgotten. But I had an idea.

I started a petition drive among fans worldwide asking that American Bandstand dedicate its entire 90-minute show to Elvis’ music on his 24th birthday, Jan. 8, 1959. There were 3,500 signatures by the time I decided to present it to Clark in person. My father agreed to drive me and my best friend Florence, also a fan, to Philadelphia where we were greeted outside the studio by other Elvis fans who heard of our mission. Clark’s staff ushered us inside.

And then, there I was in the glare of the spotlight, standing beside Dick Clark making my plea. He took the petition and rolled out all 16 feet of it for his audience to see. And the next day he announced on the air that he had talked to Elvis’ manager and arranged to fulfill our wish — an entire show of Elvis music.

The newspapers wrote about it and I had my first fleeting brush with fame. Dick Clark made it happen. I’ll always remember him fondly.

Next Wednesday, Manson faces his 12th parole hearing. It could be his last because state law now allows a denial of parole for up to 15 years.

The chances that he will be released are nil and he has told his jailers that he doesn’t plan to attend the hearing. But California Department of Corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton said he could change his mind at the last minute.

Manson has not attended a parole hearing since 1997, when he rambled on for hours, denying that he had killed anyone and espousing the beliefs that guided his cult.

“I’m not saying that I wasn’t involved. I’m saying that I did not break man’s law nor did I break God’s law. Consider that in the judgments that you have for yourselves. Good day. Thank you,” he told the parole board.

Now, 43 years after the world learned his name, Manson is an old man living among a few other notorious killers whose lives would be in jeopardy if released into the general population at Corcoran State Prison, Thornton said. They are in a protective housing unit and can go outside into a yard.

Even now, Manson is a problem prisoner, having racked up rules violations for receiving smuggled cell phones and for having a homemade weapon in his cell last October.

One thing about Manson has not changed. The swastika he carved in his forehead during his trial is a dark reminder of his past.

Manson was found guilty in seven murders, including the killing of actress Sharon Tate, that stunned the world. Later, he was convicted in two other killings. His trial with three women acolytes was a spectacle that drew international attention.

Manson was depicted as the evil master of murder, commanding a small army of young followers. He and the three women were sentenced to death. But their lives were spared when the California Supreme Court briefly outlawed the death penalty in 1972