Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted in two killings as a follower of Charles Manson, was released on parole Tuesday, according to officials.
Houten, 73, spent more than five decades in prison. “The original conviction and death sentence were reversed on appeal and she was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole,” the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said.
“She will have a three-year maximum parole term with a parole discharge review occurring after one year,”
Van Houten was 19 when she participated in the Aug. 10, 1969, murders of Leno LaBianca, a wealthy grocer, and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca, at their Los Angeles home.
According to KTLA5:
Van Houten, now in her 70s, received a life sentence for helping Manson’s followers carry out the August 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary.
Van Houten was found suitable for parole after a July 2020 hearing, but her release was blocked by Newsom, who maintained she was still a threat to society.
She filed an appeal with a trial court, which rejected it. She then turned to the appellate courts.
The appellate court’s ruling in May reversed an earlier decision by Newsom, who rejected parole for Van Houten in 2020.
Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten is getting closer to release after serving 53 years in prison for two infamous murders. Read here: https://t.co/ChWZ4pAsIm pic.twitter.com/pJSxZ5c84W
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) July 9, 2023
BREAKING: Leslie Van Houten, a follower of notorious 1960s cult leader Charles Manson, was released from prison on parole after serving over 50 years of a life sentence.https://t.co/vUZYHihdwt
— Metro (@MetroUK) July 11, 2023
