The Los Angeles Police Department disclosed Thursday that it has open investigations on a dozen unsolved homicides that took place near locations where the Manson family operated during its spate of murders four decades ago.

The department made the revelation amid a legal battle to obtain hours of audiotapes recorded in 1969 between Charles Manson follower Charles "Tex" Watson and his attorney. The LAPD has said detectives believe the tapes could shed more light on the activities of Manson and his followers.

But Watson has been fighting to limit police access to the tapes. This month, a federal judge in Texas granted an emergency order preventing the LAPD from executing a search warrant at an office where the tapes are kept.

LAPD officials did not disclose details of the cases and said the department was examining the homicides because they occurred near Manson family hangouts around the city.

"These cases have circumstances that are similar to some of the Manson killings," Cmdr. Andy Smith said. "We are hoping that these Tex Watson tapes can provide us further clues on these cases.... We are doing this for the families of these victims."

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