- 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 released from prison on parole.
- The appellate court’s ruling reverses an earlier decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who rejected parole for Van Houten in 2020. She has been recommended for parole five times since 2016. All of those recommendations were rejected by either Newsom or former Gov. Jerry Brown.
- Newsom could request that California Attorney General Rob Bonta petition the state Supreme Court to stop her release. Bonta’s office referred questions to Newsom’s office, which didn’t respond to queries about possible next steps.
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Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten Should Be Paroled, CA Appeals Court Rules
FILE - This March 29, 1971, file photo, shows Leslie Van Houten in a Los Angeles lockup. On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom blocked parole for Charles Manson follower Van Houten, reversing a panel's recommendation that she be freed after spending a half-century in prison. (AP Photo/File)
