California Gov. Gavin Newsom Clears Path for Parole of Charles Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that he will not ask the state Supreme Court to block the parole of Leslie Van Houten, a follower of notorious cult leader Charles Manson. This decision paves the way for Van Houten’s release after serving 53 years in prison for her involvement in two infamous murders.
In a brief statement, the governor’s office expressed their belief that it is unlikely the state’s high court would consider an appeal of a lower court ruling in favor of Van Houten’s release. Although disappointed, Newsom’s office acknowledged the lasting impact the Manson cult’s brutal killings still have on the victims’ families.
Now in her 70s, Van Houten had been serving a life sentence for her role in the 1969 murders of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife Rosemary. Her release could occur in approximately two weeks, pending a parole board review and the completion of necessary paperwork at the California Institution for Women in Corona, according to her attorney Nancy Tetreault.
Van Houten had been recommended for parole five times since 2016, but both Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown rejected these recommendations. However, a state appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten should be released, citing her “extraordinary rehabilitative efforts, insight, remorse, realistic parole plans, support from family and friends,” and favorable behavior reports during her imprisonment.
Tetreault revealed that Van Houten is “thrilled and overwhelmed” by the ruling, emphasizing that she is not the same person she was when she committed the murders. Following her release, Van Houten will spend approximately one year in a halfway house to learn basic life skills such as grocery shopping and using a debit card.
The release of Van Houten has deeply affected the LaBianca family, who remain heartbroken over the loss of their loved ones. Cory LaBianca, Leno LaBianca’s daughter, expressed her family’s pain, saying that her children and grandchildren never had the opportunity to know her father and stepmother. She highlighted the immense void this has created for her family.
The LaBianca murders occurred one day after Manson’s followers killed actress Sharon Tate and four others. Van Houten did not participate in the Tate killings. Manson himself died in prison in 2017 at the age of 83 from natural causes after spending almost half a century behind bars.
As Newsom’s decision clears the way for Van Houten’s parole, the legacy of Manson and his cult’s crimes continues to leave a lasting impact on the victims’ families and the public.