Leslie Van Houten, follower of cult leader Charles Manson, released from California prison

Leslie Van Houten, a former member of Charles Manson’s cult, was released from a California prison on Tuesday after serving over 50 years of a life sentence for her involvement in two notorious murders.

According to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Van Houten was released to parole supervision. Her attorney, Nancy Tetreault, confirmed that she left the California Institution for Women in Corona, located east of Los Angeles, early in the morning and was taken to transitional housing.

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Tetreault informed The Big Big News that Van Houten is still adjusting to the reality of her release. Governor Gavin Newsom had announced a few days earlier that he would not challenge a state appeals court ruling granting Van Houten parole, as it was unlikely that the state Supreme Court would review the case.

Van Houten is expected to spend approximately one year in a halfway house, where she will learn essential skills like driving a car, shopping at a grocery store, and using a debit card, as stated by her attorney. Tetreault mentioned that she will need to adapt to a vastly different world compared to when she was incarcerated, including learning how to use the internet and making cashless purchases.

Van Houten, now in her 70s, intends to find employment as soon as possible, according to Tetreault. She obtained both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree while in prison and worked as a tutor for other incarcerated individuals.

In 1969, Van Houten received a life sentence for her role in the brutal murders of Leno LaBianca, a Los Angeles grocer, and his wife, Rosemary. The LaBiancas were killed in their home, and their blood was smeared on the walls afterwards. Van Houten admitted to holding down Rosemary LaBianca with a pillowcase over her head while others stabbed her. She herself stabbed the woman over a dozen times.

These murders occurred a day after Manson’s followers killed actress Sharon Tate and four others. Van Houten, who was 19 at the time, did not participate in the Tate killings.

Van Houten was initially found suitable for parole during a hearing in July 2020, but her release was blocked by Governor Newsom, who believed she still posed a threat to society. She appealed the decision to a trial court, which rejected her appeal. Subsequently, she pursued the appellate courts.

In May, the Second District Court of Appeal overturned Newsom’s earlier denial of parole for Van Houten in 2020. Since 2016, she had been recommended for parole five times, but each recommendation was turned down by either Newsom or former Governor Jerry Brown.

Governor Newsom’s office expressed disappointment regarding the appeals court ruling, stating that more than 50 years after the Manson cult committed these heinous killings, the families of the victims still feel the impact.

Charles Manson himself died in prison in 2017 at the age of 83 from natural causes after spending nearly five decades behind bars.

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