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Manson Girl, Leslie Van Houten Paroled: Sharon Tate’s Sister Worries She’ll Kill Again
After serving 53 years, Van Houten is finally free!
A former Charles Manson follower, Leslie Van Houten, was released from prison on parole on Tuesday, July 11. CNN reports that the convicted murderer was released to parole supervision. After one year, she will have a three-year maximum term with a discharge review hearing schedule.
Van Houten was 19 when she met Charles Manson and joined the Manson family. She served 53 years of a life sentence for her role in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced on Friday he would not challenge Van Houten’s release. This cleared the path to her freedom.
“More than 50 years after the Manson cult committed these brutal offenses, the victims’ families, as do all Californians, still feel the impact. Governor Newsom reversed Ms. Van Houten’s parole grant three times since taking office and defended against her challenges of those decisions in court,” Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for the governor, said Friday.
“The Governor is disappointed by the Court of Appeal’s decision to release Ms. Van Houten but will not pursue further action as efforts to further appeal are unlikely to succeed. The California Supreme…
