Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of Charles Manson who was convicted in 1971 for her involvement in two notorious 1969 murders, has been released on parole from a California state prison.
The news of her parole came as she left the facility on Tuesday, according to The New York Times.
Nancy Tetreault, Van Houten’s lawyer, stated that her client was transported early in the morning to transitional housing at an undisclosed location.
Tetreault acknowledged that Van Houten would need time to adjust to the world after spending 53 years in prison. The process of reintegration would undoubtedly be a significant challenge.
Van Houten was just 19 years old when she, along with other members of the Manson family, broke into the home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, a wealthy grocer couple, on August 10, 1969. They brutally stabbed the LaBiancas multiple times, leaving them for dead.
The murders of the LaBiancas took place the night after the infamous killing spree at the home of movie director Roman Polanski, which claimed the lives of five people, including Polanski’s pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. These heinous acts were orchestrated by Charles Manson, one of the most notorious murderers of the 20th century, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 83.
During the LaBianca murders, Van Houten was accompanied by fellow Manson Family members Patricia Krenwinkel and Charles “Tex” Watson. Van Houten held down Rosemary LaBianca while Krenwinkel stabbed her in the collarbone and Watson stabbed her with a bayonet eight times.
Van Houten then proceeded to stab Rosemary LaBianca in the back and buttocks approximately 14 to 16 times. Afterward, she took steps to remove fingerprints, changed her clothes, and even drank chocolate milk from the LaBiancas’ refrigerator.
In May, Breitbart News reported that a California appeals court overturned Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision to deny Van Houten parole after she had served more than half a century in prison for her role in the crimes.
“Van Houten, 73, who was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the stabbing murders of grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, has reportedly been a model prisoner, and her attorneys have argued that she poses no danger to society.” Breitbart News reported at the time.
Newsom chose not to appeal the court’s ruling, allowing the parole decision to stand.
