Former Manson Family Member Leslie Van Houten Is Released on Parole

The New York Times, July 11, 2023: Former Manson Family Member Leslie Van Houten Is Released on Parole

“Leslie Van Houten, a former Charles Manson follower who played a role in the gruesome double murder of a Los Angeles couple in the summer of 1969, was released on parole on Tuesday after serving more than half a century in prison, according to her lawyer.

“Ms. Van Houten’s lawyer, Nancy Tetreault, said she was taken early Tuesday morning to transitional housing at an undisclosed location. ‘She’s going to have to learn to live in the world after 53 years in prison,’ Ms. Tetreault said in an interview. ‘So that’s going to take some time.’

“The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed her release. Ms. Van Houten will have ‘three-year maximum parole term,’ according to Mary Xjimenez, a department spokeswoman.

“The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom said this month that it would not challenge her release. Mr. Newsom had reversed Ms. Van Houten’s parole grant three times since taking office, most recently in March 2022.”

Additional reading:

The Baltimore Banner, July 17, 2023: Former Manson follower Leslie Van Houten’s Baltimore connection: a prison friendship with John Waters

Rolling Stone, July 15, 2023: Sharon Tate’s Sister Criticizes Leslie Van Houten’s Prison Release

The New York Times, November 20, 2017: What Became of the Manson Family?