Jun. 14 – Leslie Van Houten has filed a Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Superior Court challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s reversal of her 2020 parole recommendation.
Van Houten was found suitable for parole by the California Board of Parole Hearings last July. Newsom reversed the decision in November stating ‘I do not believe [Van Houten] has sufficiently demonstrated that she has come to terms with the totality of the factors that led her to participate in the vicious Manson Family killings.’
Van Houten’s attorneys petitioned the court to throw out Newsom’s reversal, arguing the Governor failed to prove Van Houten currently poses an unreasonable risk.
Van Houten has been recommended for parole in four consecutive hearings. Governor Newsom and former Governor Jerry Brown have each reversed her grants twice. To date, the courts have upheld the rulings.
Van Houten recently discussed her incarceration in a rare interview for the podcast Ear Hustle.
Van Houten’s next parole hearing will be held on November 9th.
Interesting, the facts of the crime indicate that Charlie AND Tex entered the LaBianca home and then Manson came back to the car and told the girls to join Tex who stayed in the house. Everything I have read indicated that Charlie entered the house alone.
Peter, in Tex’s (Watson’s) autobiography “Will You Die for Me?” he confirms that he and Charlie entered the house together, then Charlie walked out, called Patricia and Leslie out of the parked car and into the house, then drove away with Susan and Grogan, leaving the other three behind to do the deed.
Thank you for uploading the interview of Leslie Van Houten. I listened to her recorded interview when she was 19 years old on your YouTube channel and was enthralled by her honesty. This interview was okay, I didn’t particularly care for the two who interviewed LVH.
It was interesting to hear her voice and how life’s been like for her in prison. She doesn’t come off well in this interview. She seems a bit obsessed with herself. The next time I start to feel sympathy towards her , I will remember this interview.
Mari,
yes I agree but I guess sitting in prison for fifty years might make a person a bit self obsessed.
Legally speaking she is probably suitable for parole. If she or her cohorts “deserve” parole is another matter and probably one of personal opinion.
They made their beds many years ago whether immature or not. Most of us, regardless of circumstance do not commit murder in such a callous and cruel way as the Manson family. I am thinking of a case where two teenagers tortured and murdered someone and were again given life without parole when they went before the judge a second time as adults after it was deemed unlawful to give a youth a life sentence.
I mean family breakups, abortion etc have happened to many who did not run off and join an antisocial and abusive cult who chose murder. I think at that time many youth chose an alternative lifestyle which may have included drug use.
But at this point granting her parole isn’t going to bring back her own life. I’d hate to be in her shoes at her age, past prime (72?) and probably reviled by a large portion of society as well. The lives taken will never be given back however it goes with the courts. A tragic story all around,
From pg 14 of her petition, “The divorce was a turning point in Ms. Van Houston’s life.” Over 50 years and still the same lame excuse for butchery. She has come a long way from Lulu! Sure ,Jan
Pam,
I know, right? Divorce, abortion leads to butchering strangers in their own home. I can’t stand listening to that continuously as a mitigating circumstance for her participation, however it turns out.
Cybele, this is why Gavin Newsom said she lacked insight into the causes for her crimes. It’s very easy to blame abortion and divorce for cold blooded butchery. It’s far more difficult to look into a mirror for truth when that truth define you has a cold blooded sociopath. God bless her victims and their families.
Pam I always felt that there had to be something missing mentally to get sucked into that kind of a nightmare vision especially if you have been raised with the morality and middle class values like most of us. Because of that I would never trust the judgement of any of them. That has nothing to do with remorse or good behaviour or forgiveness. I do take into consideration those who have been abused, marginalized and neglected as children. Even though I am liberal for the most par,t I’m not a “bleeding heart” liberal lol.
Of course lawyers have to use any and all information to try to make a case. It’s what the defense must do and it is the justice system. It’s still a good system for the most part even though mistakes can and have been made on both ends of the spectrum.
Van Houten has always tried to defend herself by claiming she only stabbed Rosemary in the lower back/buttocks after she thought she was dead. BS. Regardless of what she did with the knife in the end, she knew this woman was about to die and did nothing to even try to stop it. She deserves to be where she is. It must suck for her, but isn’t that the point?
Hi Mark
I believe there is a law in America, maybe Canada too where if a murder is committed during a robbery then whoever participated is also guilt of the murder.
but in this case the mission was murder, everyone knew the purpose, everyone knew the previous night’s horror, and Leslie wanted to go. What are the mitigating circumstances here. Go figure.
Mark,
This is just another way to reduce her involvement in the murders.How can I be guilty of stabbing a corpse? Did she take RL pulse before stabbing her in the back?
*killing a corpse
That “stabbing a corpse” thing people have come up with is about one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard about this murder case. Mrs. LaBianca wasn’t a f*cking corpse. She was a living, breathing human being with a spirit. She was peacefully asleep in her bed, then awakened and tied up to await her attack and to hear her husband’s guttural cries of agony. I’m sick of all the arguments about LVH and her “right” to freedom. She chose to be a “good soldier” so stay inside and take it for “the cause!” It sure is easy for people to forget the suffering & fear Leslie caused these poor people. It happened over 50 years ago, but that doesn’t mean shit. I hope they never let any of the Family out.
Mark I completely agree. She knew what had taken place the night before and never reported it and then goes along with the group for the second night knowing what was going to happen and never tried to stop it or them didn’t even cause a fuss about not taking part of it herself and let’s not forget never ever did she report anything after the fact She was not traumatized she didn’t care at all. Now she’s crying buckets of bs cause it’s been over 50 yrs in prison. Rot where your at Lesley no care from me
In the end, she participatedand knew beforehand what was gonna happen. I highly doubt she will be released.
A woman in het seventies posing a risk to society? This has much more to do with governors being elected than with the person bering a threat of sorts. And what about those of you who call themselves ‘Christians’: what about forgiveness and mercy? And finally: so you gladly want to use your taxpayers money to keep a now harmless person behind bars? Really?
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