Notorious Manson Follower, Leslie Van Houten, Released on Parole After Over 50 Years

 

Manson family murderer Leslie Van Houten released from jail after over 50 years

Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten walked out of a California prison on Tuesday after serving 53 years of a life sentence for her participation in two infamous murders of of Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary

Leslie Van Houten, currently in her 70s, was sentenced to life in prison for her involvement in assisting Charles Manson's followers in carrying out the brutal murders of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary, in 1969.

Alongside other Manson followers, Van Houten participated in the gruesome killings that took place in the LaBianca residence in August 1969. Afterward, they smeared the victims' blood on the walls as a chilling symbol of their heinous acts.

Van Houten, in her testimony, described her role in holding down Rosemary LaBianca while others stabbed her. She herself stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

She received a life sentence for helping Manson’s followers carry out the 1969 killings

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has confirmed that Van Houten has been released to parole supervision.

Her lawyer, Nancy Tetreault, verified that Van Houten was released from a California prison in the early morning hours, having served more than 50 years of a life sentence. Tetreault explained that Van Houten is still trying to comprehend the reality of her release.

Van Houten has been taken to transitional housing, where she will spend approximately one year in a halfway house. During this time, she will receive guidance in basic life skills such as grocery shopping and using a debit card, as stated by her lawyer.

Tetreault emphasized that Van Houten has been incarcerated for 53 years, and as she steps into the outside world, she faces the challenge of adapting to modern technology. Learning to use an ATM machine, a cell phone, a computer, utilizing the internet, and making cashless purchases are part of the significant adjustments she must make.

Susan Denise Atkins, (left), Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten, (right), laugh after receiving the death sentence for their part in the Tate-LaBianca killing at the order of Charles Manson

Although Van Houten will likely be on parole for about three years, her priority is to secure employment as soon as possible, according to her lawyer. While in prison, she worked as a tutor and managed to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree.

Van Houten's release follows Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to not contest a state appeals court ruling granting her parole. Since 2016, she has been recommended for parole five times, but both Newsom and former Governor Jerry Brown rejected those recommendations.

However, in May, a state appeals court deemed Van Houten suitable for release, considering her extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends, and favorable behavior reports during her imprisonment.

Expressing gratitude for the recognition that she has transformed as a person, Van Houten's lawyer, Nancy Tetreault, affirmed that she is not the same individual

credit: The Mirror UK