Dennis Rice (1939–2013) was a late-joining member of the Charles Manson cult who participated in a botched 1971 armed robbery to break Manson out of jail, later transforming into a Christian prison minister. In 1970, Rice served 90 days in jail for conspiring to feed a hamburger spiked with a near-lethal dose of LSD to Barbara Hoyt. Hoyt was a former Family member and a key prosecution witness in the Sharon Tate murder trial, and the cult sought to prevent her from testifying. In August 1971, Rice and several other Manson Family members (including Mary Brunner and Catherine Share) raided the Western Surplus gun store in Hawthorne, California. They successfully stole 140 firearms.The purpose of the firearms heist was to hijack a Boeing 747, kill one passenger every hour, and force the government to release Charles Manson from prison. However, a store employee tripped a silent alarm, resulting in a violent shootout with the police. Rice was captured, convicted, and sentenced to San Quentin State Prison, where he served seven years.