A California appeals court ruled that Leslie Van Houten, who participated in two killings on the direction of cult leader Charles Manson in 1969, should be paroled. The appellate court decision reverses Governor Gavin Newsom’s earlier recommendation to block Leslie Van Houten’s release. Leslie Van Houten is serving a life sentence for helping Manson and other followers to kill Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife Rosemary. The higher court could order Van Houten’s release while it decides on whether to grant the stay. Van Houten was 19 when she and other cult members fatally stabbed the LaBiancas in August 1969.

Source: The Guardian May 31, 2023 17:10 UTC