Leslie Van Houten: What People Don’t Know About the Murderer?

Leslie Van Houten was 19 when she was convicted of the brutal 1969 slayings of the LaBianca couple and on Tuesday after serving 53 years behind bars she was released from prison on parole supervision.

Leslie Van Houten: What People Don’t Know About the Murderer? (PHOTO: People)

Leslie Van Houten Has Been Released On Parole

Leslie Van Houten 73 years old, a former follower of notorious cult leader Charles Manson, has been released on parole after serving more than five decades of a life sentence for two brutal murders.

Leslie Van Houten was a 19-year-old follower of the “Manson family” when she took part along with other cult members, for her role in the brutal 1969 slayings of Los Angeles grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary.

Houten had served 53 years behind bars and was finally freed on parole supervision and “will have a three-year maximum parole term with a parole discharge review occurring after one year,” the department said reported by ABC News.

Leslie Van Houten’s defense attorney stated that she is now in a “transitional living facility.” Her release comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom said last week that he wouldn’t ask the state’s Supreme Court to block her parole.

The PEOPLE reported that one of the Manson victim’s family members Anthony DiMaria, nephew of murdered hairstylist Jay Sebring had spoken out against Leslie Van Houten’s release stating that he“strongly, vehemently disagree with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision in allowing the murderer to be freed.

He also said that Leslie Van Houten was a cold-blooded killer in one of the most notorious murder rampages in United States history.

However, still, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to not fight a state appellate court’s decision to grant Van Houten parole after fighting previous attempts to allow her to leave prison.

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Leslie Van Houten Was Charged with Multiple Crimes And Convicted In 1971

Leslie Van Houten was 19 when she was convicted in 1971 of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to murder the 196: Lenoings. Leno LaBianca and wife Rosemary.

In 1969, the LaBiancas were found dead in their Los Feliz, Los Angeles home with the word “war” carved into Leno’s stomach, from which an ivory-handled carving fork protruded. “Death to Pigs” was scrawled with their blood on the living room wall.

Leslie Van Houten admitted to stabbing Rosemary LaBianca over a dozen times as cohort Patricia Krenwinkle held their victim down on August 9, 1969.

On that fateful night, Leslie Van Houten said she was also assisting in holding Rosemary down while Charles “Tex” Watson stabbed her. Watson then told Van Houton to “do something.” He passed her a knife and Van Houten stabbed Rosemary in the back around 14 times.

According to The New York Times, after Leslie Van Houten slaying the couple she initially changed clothes and drank chocolate milk from the couple’s fridge.

Leslie Van Houten was initially sentenced to death but that was overturned in 1976 when California ruled the death penalty unconstitutional. After multiple mistrials, Van Houten eventually received a life sentence for her role in the murders.

Leslie Van Houten spent 53 years at the California Institution for Women in Corona before her release on July 11.

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