Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who helped conduct the 1969 murder of a Los Angeles couple, was released from prison Tuesday after spending more than 50 years behind bars.
Van Houten, 73, was released from the California Institution for Women, located in Corona, east of Los Angeles, per WFAA.
After blocking previous parole recommendations, California Governor Gavin Newsom said he would not dispute a state appeals court ruling that reversed his rejection of her parole.
“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 Court accepts appeals in very few cases, and generally does not select cases based on this type of fact-specific determination,” said Erin Mellon, a spokesperson for the governor, on Friday, per CNN.
Van Houten had been denied parole 22 times since being sentenced, per CNN. Originally sentenced to death, when California abolished capital punishment, her sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Her conviction was then overturned, and a second trial ended in a hung jury, according to the Los Angeles Times. A third trial saw her convicted of two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy, for which she was to serve concurrent sentences of seven years to life in prison.
“Leslie is very pleased that her hard work in reforming herself in prison over the past five decades has been recognized by the parole board and appellate court,” said Nancy Tetreault, Van Houten’s attorney, to NPR.
These reform efforts played a role in the decision to release Van Houten.
“Van Houten has shown extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends, favorable institutional reports, and, at the time of the Governor’s decision, had received four successive grants of parole,” said judges from the Second District Court of Appeals in May, per WFAA.
During her time in prison, Van Houten spent time in substance abuse therapy and obtained both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in counseling. She will spend a maximum of three years on parole but hopes to get a job as soon as possible.
The next year of Van Houten’s life will be spent in a transitional living facility to help her become accustomed to life outside prison.
“She has to learn to use … the internet. She has to learn to buy things without cash,” said Tetreault, per WFAA. “It’s a very different world than when she went in.”
Van Houten was 19 years old when she participated in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca on August 10, 1969.
She admitted to restraining and stabbing Rosemary after Charles “Tex” Watson handed her a knife.
“He said, ‘Do something,’ because Manson had told him to make sure that all of us got our hands dirty,” Van Houten said, per ABC News. “And I stabbed Mrs. LaBianca in the lower back about 16 times.”
Following the murders, the word “war” was carved into Leno’s skin, and blood from the couple was used to write various phrases on the walls.
Family members of the LaBianca family were saddened by the decision to release Van Houten.
“My family and I are heartbroken because we’re once again reminded of all the years that we have not had my father and my stepmother with us,” said Cory LaBianca, 75, Leno LaBianca’s daughter, per NPR. “My children and my grandchildren never got an opportunity to get to know either of them, which has been a huge void for my family.”
