Leslie van Houten
Member of Charles Manson cult soon to be released
At the age of 19, Leslie van Houten was a member of the so-called Manson Family
© Stan Lim / Picture Alliance
A former follower of cult leader Charles Manson is released from prison after more than 50 years. Leslie van Houten, 73, was implicated in the murder of a couple and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Leslie van Houten has been in prison for more than 50 years. The 73-year-old was a member of the Charles Manson sect, which committed a series of sensational murders in California in the late 1960s. Now the woman convicted of murder is being released from prison.
Leslie Van Houten will be up “in the coming weeks”. Released from prison, her lawyer Nancy Tetreault told the AFP news agency on Friday (local time). Van Houten is happy that her “hard work” on rehabilitation has been recognized. A spokesman for California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would not appeal the release.
Leslie Van Houten was involved in the couple’s murders
In 1969, members of the so-called Manson Family murdered seven people on behalf of the cult leader of the same name. The most notorious act was the killing of heavily pregnant actress Sharon Tate, who was married to director Roman Polanski. Van Houten, who was 19 at the time, was not involved in her murder, but was involved in that of businessman Leno LaBianca and his wife. For this she was sentenced to life imprisonment. A parole board found Van Houten eligible for parole in 2016, 2017 and 2019. However, this was blocked in court at the time.
Accomplice Susan Atkins died of cancer in September 2009 after 38 years behind bars. Charles Manson died in prison in November 2017 at the age of 83. In addition to Van Houten, Patricia Krenwinkel (75) is also in custody. Newsom refused her release last fall, contrary to the parole board’s recommendation.