Manson follower Leslie Van Houten granted parole in notorious murders; LaBianca family opposes her release
A 150-day review process will begin by state officials reviewing the granting of parole. (Sept. 6, 2017) (Sign up for our free video newsletter here http://bit.ly/2n6VKPR)
Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of
It was the 21st time that Van Houten, 68, has appeared before a parole board, and the second time that commissioners found her suitable for release.
“She’s very thankful and relieved,” said Van Houten’s attorney, Rich Pfeiffer. “She’s going home. There’s no question she’s going home. The only question is when.”
Gov.
RELATED: Where are they now? Charles Manson's family, four decades after horrific murders
Her attorneys have long argued that she was only 19 when she took part in the crimes and that she has been a model prisoner. But release has been strongly opposed by the families of the victims as well as prosecutors and many others.
State officials will begin a 120-day legal review of the panel’s finding, and after the process concludes, the decision goes to Brown. The governor would have 30 days to take one of five options. He could uphold, reverse or modify the decision, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Brown could also send the decision to the full Board of Parole, or he could take no action, which would allow Wednesday’s decision to stand.
THE CRIME
She stabbed victim 14 times
Van Houten has been considered the least blameworthy member of the group and has been portrayed by supporters as a misguided teen under the influence of LSD on the night of the slayings.
A former homecoming queen from Monrovia, she did not join in the Aug. 9, 1969, murders of Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of film director Roman Polanski, and four others at the Benedict Canyon home that Tate was renting.
But the following day, Van Houten was part of a group that stormed into the LaBiancas' home in Los Feliz. As Charles "Tex" Watson stabbed Leno LaBianca, Van Houten and another woman held down Rosemary LaBianca.
After Watson stabbed Rosemary LaBianca with a bayonet, he handed a knife to Van Houten. She testified to stabbing Rosemary in the back at least 14 more times. The blood of the victims was used to scrawl messages on the walls, as had been done at the Benedict Canyon home.
IN THE COURTS
A long, winding legal process
Van Houten, Manson and three others were convicted and sentenced to death, but after the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty, their sentences were commuted to life in prison.
An appellate court overturned Van Houten’s conviction in 1976, and a second trial the following year ended in a hung jury. She was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy in her third trial in 1978 and sentenced to seven years to life in prison. Starting in 1979, Van Houten has gone before the parole board regularly.
In recent years, Van Houten’s attorneys characterized her as a model inmate, earning a bachelor’s in English literature and master's degree in humanities while running self-help groups for incarcerated women.
At a parole board hearing in 2002, Van Houten said she was “deeply ashamed” of what she had done, adding: “I take very seriously not just the murders, but what made me make myself available to someone like Manson.”
Manson, 82, and other acolytes involved in the slaying are still behind bars. Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel have each been denied parole several times. Susan Atkins, who was denied parole 13 times, died in prison in 2009.
FREEDOM BLOCKED
‘Shocking nature of the crimes left an indelible mark on society’
A two-member California review board first granted parole to Van Houten in April 2016.
In its first recommendation for release, the board based its decision in part on Van Houten’s age at the time of the crime, her length of incarceration, lack of violent crime as an adult and her spotless prison record: She has never been disciplined for serious misconduct while behind bars.
But Brown last year disagreed, saying in his five-page decision that all of these points were outweighed by other “negative factors that demonstrate she remains unsuitable for parole.”
He said the “shocking nature of the crimes left an indelible mark on society” and that the motive — to trigger a race war “by slaughtering innocent people chosen at random — is equally disturbing.”
In his statement, Brown said it remained unclear how Van Houten had transformed herself from a smart, driven young woman to “a member of one of the most notorious cults in history and an eager participant in the cold-blooded and gory murder of innocent victims.”
At her last parole hearing, she said: "I don't let myself off the hook. I don't find parts in any of this that makes me feel the slightest bit good about myself.”
Other Manson followers have been denied parole. Patricia Krenwinkel lost her latest bid for freedom earlier this year.
A SECOND BID
‘She’s going home’
Pfeiffer, Van Houten’s attorney, said Wednesday’s decision by the parole board was an important milestone, calling it “the most difficult one to get.”
The panel was aware that the governor had previously rejected her release, but still found her suitable for freedom.
Pfeiffer said he was hopeful that this time around, Brown would set aside public pressure and see that his client has been rehabilitated.
“If he rejects it, we’ll go back to court,” Pfeiffer vowed. “I’m not going away, and she’s going home.”
Family members of the LaBiancas spoke out against her release.
"No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever," nephew Louis Smaldino said, according to the Associated Press. "She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done."
"Please see to it that this fight doesn't have to happen every year for the rest of our lives," added La Biancas' oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne.
ALSO:
Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel's bid for freedom denied, despite claims he abused her
Quentin Tarantino could bring the Manson family murders to the big screen
UPDATES:
11:47 a.m.: This article was updated with reaction from the LaBianca family.
Sept. 7, 7:20 a.m.: This article was updated to add that Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel lost her parole bid earlier this year.
7:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional background and comments from Leslie Van Houten’s attorney.
5:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional photos.
4 p.m.: This article was updated with details about next steps.
3:40 p.m.: This article was updated with the parole board’s decision.
This article was originally published Sept. 6 at 8:09 a.m.
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