Former Manson Family Member Leslie Van Houten Released From Prison

Convicted murderer Leslie Van Houten was released from prison on Tuesday after 53 years behind bars. Van Houten was a part of the “Manson Family” group that committed several infamous murders in the Los Angeles area in the late 1960s. At 73 years old, Van Houten has now been “released to parole supervision.”

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told reporters from PEOPLE that Van Houten will have at least one year and no more than three years on parole before she is released completely back into civilian life. She has her first parole discharge review in one year. Van Houten has been in the California Institution for Women in Corona. After her release on Tuesday morning, she was transported to a confidential transitional location, but her lawyer said he does not expect her to stay there for long.

“I feel relieved,” said the attorney, Rich Pfeiffer. He explained that Van Houten is “so ready” to get back into the normal world, saying: “She has some computer skills from the job she had in prison. She has got a master’s degree. She is very bright. She has got a lot of support from family and friends. She will do just fine. She has multiple options of where to go live. People have offered her places at their homes. She’s had job offers.”

Van Houten was the youngest member of the “Manson Family” to participate in the murder spree of the late 1960s. She was convicted of the 1969 murders of married couple Leno LaBianca and Rosemary LaBianca – grocery store owners working in the Los Feliz neighborhood of L.A. That was part of the same two-day killing spree when Charles Manson and his followers killed actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant at the time.

Manson and his followers were convicted and sentenced to life in prison – though many commentators discussed the death penalty, which was outlawed in California at that time. Manson died in prison in 2017, and several other prominent members of the group have passed away as well. According to Pfeiffer, Van Houten spent her time behind bars studying the penal system and the factors that contribute to true rehabilitation.

“She is very good at helping people rehabilitate themselves,” he said. “She was a tutor in prison and helped a lot of people get their college degree.” While Van Houten’s master’s thesis was on the subject of “sustained rehabilitation,” it’s not clear if her work going forward will revolve around the same subject. Pfeiffer said: “She just wants to go to work and live a normal life like everybody else.”