Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of Charles Manson and a convicted murderer, has been released from a California prison. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesperson, Mary Xjimenez, stated that Van Houten had been placed under parole supervision. Her parole term will span a maximum of three years, with a parole discharge review scheduled after one year.
Van Houten was 19 when she became involved with Manson and became a member of the infamous “Manson family” cult. Before her release, she had served concurrent sentences of seven years to life since her conviction in 1971 for participating in the brutal murders of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, at their Los Angeles residence.
Debra Tate, the sister of Manson cult victim Sharon Tate, recently voiced her concern regarding the release of Van Houten. In an interview with TMZ, she stated that she found it highly unbelievable that the 73-year-old had been released, given the gravity of the crimes committed by her group.
She also expressed her disappointment with the criminal justice system in California, particularly with the governor’s office, regarding their handling of Van Houten’s release. Tate believes that they failed to oppose her release vigorously and could have taken the case to a higher court. She sees Governor Newsom’s acceptance of the situation as a significant insult to the families of Manson’s victims, considering its impact on them.
During the interview, Debra alleged that the loved ones of Manson’s victims are filled with absolute terror at the news of Van Houten’s release, as they fear she may quickly resort to her violent tendencies once again. She also stated that they are deeply outraged that Van Houten can now live the rest of her life outside of prison, despite the assumption that a life sentence would be imposed indefinitely.
Debra, who has been actively leading a campaign to keep all members of the Manson family behind bars through an ongoing online petition for this purpose, explained that she remains unconvinced by the parole board’s belief in Van Houten’s rehabilitation as she firmly believes that once someone goes down such a dark path, it becomes alarmingly easy for them to return to it.
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