(USNewsMag.com) – On Tuesday, Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten was released from a California prison, where she was serving a sentence for first-degree murder in the 1969 killings of wealthy grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.
At the age of 19, Van Houten, along with other members of the Manson Family, stabbed the LaBiancas in their Los Angeles residence. This occurred one day after actress Sharon Tate and celebrity hair stylist Jay Sebring were murdered.
While others stabbed her, Van Houten held Rosemary LaBianca down with a pillowcase on her head before stabbing herself over a dozen times. Van Houten showed no remorse upon being arrested.
The Family, a commune-style cult active during the late 60s and early 70s, preyed on troubled young girls. When the former cheerleader’s life took a downward turn following her parents’ divorce, Van Houten was embraced by the Family.
She met Manson at Spahn Ranch, an old film and television set where he led his group of followers. The young girls devoted to Manson became almost as famous as Manson himself.
Initially, Van Houten was given the death penalty for aiding in the murders. Following the overturning of California’s death penalty law by the Supreme Court in 1972, the sentence was reduced to life in prison.
In July 2020, she was granted parole, but Gavin Newsom blocked her release, citing her potential threat to society. Newsom’s decision to deny her parole was overturned by the Second District Court of Appeal in May.
After 53 years in jail, Van Houten, who was regarded as a role-model prisoner, received release.
A spokesperson stated that Van Houten’s maximum parole term will be three years, with a review after one year for discharge. According to her lawyer, Van Houten is grateful and insists she is not the same person as she was when she committed the murder.
Van Houten’s release, according to Cory LaBianca, the daughter of Leno LaBianca, is re-traumatizing.
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