In this Sept. 6, 2017 file photo, Leslie Van Houten attends her parole hearing at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California.
Stan Lim | Los Angeles Daily News via AP
Leslie Van Houten, a Charles Manson supporter who was convicted of two murders, was released on probation Tuesday, according to authorities.
Houten, 73, spent more than five decades in prison.
His release comes later California Governor Gavin Newsomwho had previously blocked parole efforts, said Friday he would not challenge Houten’s release in state Supreme Court.
A appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten was eligible for parole, reversing a decision by Newsom to decline parole.
Houten was originally sentenced to death for the murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca on August 10, 1969.
“The original conviction and death sentence were overturned on appeal and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole,” according to a statement from California Corrections and Rehabilitation.
In 1969, Manson and fellow cult member Charles “Tex” Watson entered the couple’s home and tied them up.
Manson came out and told Van Houten and another person to go inside and follow Watson’s instructions, according to court records. Watson told them to kill Rosemary LaBianca and Watson killed Leno LaBianca.
The day before, Watson and other members of the cult, not Van Houten, killed actress Sharon Tate and others in her home.
manson died in a hospital in 2017 while serving a life sentence. watson is serving life in prison.
