Brown again rejects parole for Manson follower Van Houten
Gov. Jerry Brown again denied parole to Leslie Van Houten, one of the youngest followers of murderous cult leader Charles Manson and who participated in two murders in 1969.
Manson, who died in prison Nov. 19, was the leader of a group that committed a string of brutal and highly publicized murders in California. Van Houten, 68, was part of Manson’s “family” and participated in the murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca on Aug. 10, 1969, when she was 19. She is now serving a life sentence.
Van Houten was recommended for parole in September for the second year in a row by a state panel, but California law gives the governor final authority. Brown rejected the decision Friday, citing the violent nature of the murders and what he viewed as her attempts to shift too much of the blame to Manson.
“Even today, five decades later, Van Houten has not wholly accepted responsibility for her role in the violent and brutal deaths of Mr. and Mrs. LaBianca,” Brown wrote in his decision. “These crimes stand apart from others by their heinous nature and shocking motive.”
Van Houten and two other Manson followers entered the home of the LaBianca family on a mission to murder someone as part of Manson’s plan to spark a race war. Van Houten stabbed Rosemary LaBianca at least 16 times, while a companion stabbed Leno LaBianca.
Brown noted that after the murders, Van Houten changed into LaBianca’s clothes and drank chocolate milk from the refrigerator before leaving. Another member of the group later testified that Van Houten told her that she “stabbed a woman who was already dead and that the more she did it the more fun it was.”
Van Houten had not participated in the previous night’s murder spree — which became infamously known as the Tate murders, because of the stabbing of Sharon Tate, an actress who was eight months pregnant at the time.
No one who participated in the LaBianca or Tate murders has been released from prison. Brown also denied parole to Manson follower Bruce Davis in 2017 and in 2016 denied it to Van Houten, citing similar reasons. Though she appealed his original reversal, a judge upheld Brown’s decision.
Brown wrote that he had weighed a number of factors in his decision, including Van Houten’s young age when she committed the crimes, her model behavior in prison and Manson’s abusive and manipulative behavior.
“She has never been disciplined for serious misconduct during her incarceration,” he wrote. “She has received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and has received exceptional work ratings as a tutor for the past decade.”
Despite this, Brown wrote that he viewed the case as extreme.
Van Houten’s lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. He told the Associated Press on Friday that he plans to appeal Brown’s decision.