Convicted murderer Charles Manson, whose health made headlines last week when it was reported he'd been hospitalized, is said to have been returned to prison without undergoing surgery.

TMZ reports that Manson was initially taken from custody to a Bakersfield hospital in order to address "significant intestinal bleeding," but says doctors' efforts were thwarted by Manson, who refused to undergo surgery. He ultimately changed his mind, but according to the gossip network's sources, the 82-year-old former cult leader's condition had worsened to the point that hospital personnel weren't sure he'd survive the procedure.

After spending some time debating whether to go ahead with surgery, Manson's doctors reportedly decided against it, and he has since been returned to prison. "He's not good," the report quotes a "source familiar with the situation" as saying. "His health is failing."

Infamous for his role in organizing the 1969 murders of seven people, including actress Sharon Tate, Manson has been in prison since his conviction in 1971, after a trial in which he alleged the Beatles' White Album contained coded messages warning of race riots and biblical prophecies.

Prior to Manson's current health issues, he was most recently in the news in 2014, when he was linked to a woman who'd been working to secure his release from prison and announced plans to marry him. The pair's marriage license expired before they made it to the altar, and the wedding never went through. Should he survive long enough, Manson is next available for parole in 2027.

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