Manson follower Leslie Van Houten should be paroled, California appeals court rules

A California appeals court said Tuesday that Leslie Van Houten, who participated in two killings at the direction of cult leader Charles Manson in 1969, should be let out of prison on parole.

[JackTheSkunk]

Life should mean LIFE !!! By all accounts Van Houten has been a model prisoner for decades but she is where she price for hooking up with a deranged little madman.

[susiearviso]

It's not so much about remorse at this point. Houten has had plenty of time to reflect on the decisions & choices she made. Manson was a reject of society and I doubt he had any type of normal family life; which angered him. Manson wanted what most people seemed to have. A real family.
So he fostered his own family out of his own thoughts and ideas.
He endeavored to keep his own hands clean, while at the same time, using the "family" to do the dirty work.
He pressured members to kill for him.
The "family" had been conditioned by Manson to obey him. He used threats and violence to accomplish his goals out of his private aingst.
The "family" were afraid not to obey him. Most of the members had come from unhappy homes.
The family members had learned to do what Manson wanted. Notice that Manson had others do the dirty work, short of his brutal killing of Gary Hinman.
My older sister used to go to Hinman's house to smoke weed and enjoy his company. She told me Hinman was a kind man.
Most of the members likely felt pressured to obey his every wish. It's highly likely that some members harbored internal hesitations, but the fear of escaping it over-rode them. There was most likely a lot of pressure to please Manson (So they could live). Running away from obeying his commands was likely terrifying for the family members. What a predicament to be put in. There was nowhere to go. It seemed they were coerced to do Manson's bidding; or die.
I'm sure that Houten had plenty of time to reflect on the decisions she had been pressured to make back then.
I don't believe Houten set out to become a killer. I think she may have thought she had to participate; or die. I imagined myself being put in that position. The whole thing was just tragic. It was a perfect storm.

[americangirl]

She was already freed on bond and lived among us for 6 months between she TWO RETRIALS !!! That was in th mid to late 1970s when she was still in her twenties.

Please read more about her story before jumping to conclusions. The infamous nature of the crimes often cloak her story because she actually never stabbed a living person. Court documents show that she stabbed one person (Rosemary LaBianca) and that stabbing my have occurred AFTER death.

Yes, that is terrible. But the California court system re-tried her twice. The first re-trial was a hung jury. The second re-trial found her guilty of murder WITH ELIGIBILITY FOR PAROLE.

So, in a nutshell, unlike the others her verdict from the infamous Manson-Manson Girls-Bugliosi 1970 trial…the final court decision on Leslie was very different.

In California there are many, many cases of inmates who murdered that have been paroled. For example, Steve ‘Clem’ Grogan (another Family member) who admitted participating in the murder of a Spahn ranch hand. So why does the Governor continue to deny parole? For political reasons…loss of votes because anyone associated with Mason is high profile in the media.

Thank goodness the CA Supreme Court has finally helped this woman.

Do I think they all should be paroled? NO! Susan Atkinson died in prison. And she should have done because she played a key role in murder on the night of the Tate murders, as did Pat Krenwinkel who also should never be paroled. Nor should Charles ‘Tex’ Watson or the others.

But Leslie’s level of participation and culpability was far different. I used to sweepingly say ALL MASON FAMILY MEMBERS should rot in jail. But then I educated myself on the case and was not longer blinded by the often biased and one-sized media coverage.

Educate yourself & then see if you change your mind about Leslie.

[denny]

NO Ashe took two lives, why should she get a second chance, they didn’t, she gets to live that’s fair enough

[stevemorris]

If she's let out she'll make a fortune through the media. Should not be allowed to happen.

[teenyverse]

She earned her place in jail... to everyone that wants her out, I hope you suffer the same fate as those victims of her.

[BeautifulSpirit-]

Leslie Van Houton should be paroled. Let her go, it serves absolutely no purpose to keep her locked up. She's served 53 years and deserves a second chance. She's completely reformed and is not a threat to anyone.

[chrystalharris]

I was in prison with her at valley state prison for woman . People do change. God is the oy judge. She's a tally a very nice lady❤

[patricklawler]

And what about the two she helped kill? How do they get to go on with their lives? If maybe an accident but this was no accident. Not in favor of death penalty because that's to easy for them. But a life sentence for taking a life seems fair.

[mcclendon]

Technically, Leslie didn't murder anyone if you read the case files.
She should be released.

[adelmomontero]

She should have been paroled decades ago, many have done worse and received smaller sentences.

[bobfeller]

She was allowed to live, that's all she gets.

[johnnysunrocket]

If she gets paroled
She will definitely vote for trump

[knoWVarrioSfC]

Meanwhile Hunter Biden .Wink Wink .
In & outside the White House
.all the time..ALL OF THEM..

[georgekenney]

but at some point in the near future i think she will kill again let say i so not want to be in a room with her alone or turn my back on her,

[SUGAR_XYLER]

Keep that monster in prison. Its been a joy seeing her rot away

[mkunes]

WTF? It was the christian belief in Armeggedon that made her a butcher.(helter skelter) And now that she’s MORE christian, we’re going to let her out? WTF?