LOS ANGELES, Apr. 3 – Charles Manson and Susan Atkins, already facing death for the Tate-LaBianca murders, returned to court Friday as defendants in the Gary Hinman-Donald (Shorty) Shea case.

The cast of attorneys and defendants was somewhat different. Co-defendants Bruce Davis, 27, and Steve Grogan, were represented by George Denny III and Charles Weedman, respectively.

The state charges Manson ordered the murders of the 34-year-old Hin-man and 36-year-old Shea because they threatened Manson “family” preparation for a black-white race war.

The purpose of the hearing was to consider motion for demurrers and severance of the two cases.

After hearing arguments by Manson’s attorneys, Irving A. Kanarek, Miss Atkins’ lawyer, Daye Shinn, Denny, Weedman and co-prosecutor Burt Katz, Superior Judge Raymnnd Choate denied the demurrers.

He took under submission until 2 p.m. Monday the questions of whether the Hinman and Shea cases should be tried separately.

Choate granted a prosecution motion that separate grand jury indictments against the defendants in the Hinman and Shea murders be dismissed, since the grand jury returned a combined indictment.

The defense attorneys argued that combining the cases would be prejudicial to the defendants.

The combined indictment accused Manson, Grogan and Davis in the reported murder of Shea, a ranch hand and movie bit actor who lived at Spahn ranch at the same time as the Manson family.

Miss Atkins, Davis and Manson have been charged in the Topanga Canyon murder of musician Gary Hinman in late July, 1969.

A brief filed by the prosecution to oppose severing the cases accused Manson of ordering Hinman’s murder when family members failed to get the victim’s money to finance a trip to the desert.

Shea was killed sometime between the middle of August and Sept. 1, 1969, because he had been hired to throw Manson and his family off property adjacent to the Spahn ranch, the prosecution charged.

The brief said that:
“Before Shea could begin work … as a security guard, Manson, Davis, Watson (Charles (Tex) Watson) and Grogan murdered Shea in a violent, brutal and shocking fashion.

“Shea was stunned by a blow to the head with a pipe or wrench. Upon regaining consciousness, Manson began to stab Shea with his knife. Davis, Grogan and Watson joined Manson and began to stab Shea with their knives, inflicting multiple wounds.

“When it appeared that Shea was near death Manson instructed Grogan to cut Shea’s head off. Grogan decapitated Shea.”

Shea’s body has never been found.

In another matter involving a family member Friday, Nancy Laura Pitman, 19, was found guilty by Superior Judge George M. Dell of possession of LSD, discovered when she tried to visit Manson in county jail last December.

She was found innocent of charges of knowingly attempting to smuggle contraband into jail.

Dell set sentencing for April 30.

By JOHN KENDALL