Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten, 73, is released from prison after serving 53 years of a life sentence
- Leslie Van Houten walked out of a California prison on Tuesday
- She was driven to transitional housing, her attorney Nancy Tetreault said
- It comes after governor Gavin Newsom said he would not fight the parole release
Leslie Van Houten walked out of a California prison Tuesday after serving 53 years of a life sentence for her participation in two of the infamous Manson murders.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Van Houten, the youngest member of the cult, ‘was released to parole supervision‘ and driven to transitional housing.
The convicted killer is expected to spend about a year in transitional housing, learning basic skills such as how to go to the grocery store and get a debit card, according to her attorney Nancy Tetreault.
‘She´s still trying to get used to the idea that this real,’ the lawyer said.
Van Houten’s release comes just four days after Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced he would not fight a state appeals court ruling that Van Houten should be granted parole. He said it was unlikely the state Supreme Court would consider an appeal.
Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten walked out of a California prison Tuesday after serving 53 years of a life sentence for her participation in two infamous murders
The 73-year-old was serving a life sentence for helping Charles Manson´s followers carry out the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. Manson is pictured above
Leslie Van Houten, seen being transported to jail in 1977, had been originally sentenced to death before being resentenced to life imprisonment after California briefly ended the death penalty
Newsom had rejected parole for Van Houten on three previous occasions during his time in office, but a state appeals court in May rejected his most recent denial of parole.
The 73-year-old was serving a life sentence for helping Charles Manson´s followers carry out the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary.
Van Houten was 19 when she and other cult members knifed the couple as part of Manson’s deranged plan to incite a race war by terrifying Los Angeles with a killing spree.
She has shared how she held Rosemary down as she was murdered before stabbing her in the stomach 16 times and how she helped Patricia Krenwinkel, Tex Watson, and Clem Grogan carve up Leno’s body before smearing the couple’s blood on the walls.
The slayings happened the day after Manson followers killed actress Sharon Tate and four others. Van Houten did not participate in the Tate killings.
Van Houten was first sentenced to death for her crimes but her sentence was reduced to life in prison after capital punishment was outlawed in California in 1972.
Several relatives of the Manson victims spoke out against Van Houten’s release.
Kay Hinman Martley, 85, whose cousin Gary Hinman was savagely murdered in July 1969 by members of Manson’s cult, said she fears the release could lead to the freedom of the other four surviving Manson killers.
Krenwinkel is currently locked up in the same prison Van Houten was just released from. Davis is at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, Watson is at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, and Beausoleil at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, she said: ‘I can’t believe California would do this, that they would let a killer who tortured several people… I mean the Manson Family has got a terrible reputation.
‘I don’t care what this woman says, if she says she’s sorry.
‘She was given a death sentence and then it was turned to life imprisonment and they forgot [to add] that darn “without parole”.
‘I’m just livid. I don’t know what else to do.’
The Manson Family claimed at least seven victims – among them pregnant actress Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger.
Manson died in prison in 2017 of natural causes at age 83 after nearly half a century behind bars.
This is a developing story
