Leslie Van Houten, a former Charles Manson follower who was sentenced to life in prison for a gruesome 1969 double murder, could soon be released on parole. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) argued she posed an “unreasonable danger to society if released from prison.”
overturns Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision in 2020 denying Van Houten’s release, which the California Board of Parole Hearings recommended. Newsom argued Van Houten posed an “unreasonable danger to society if released from prison.”
“Van Houten provided extensive explanation as to the causative factors leading to her involvement with Manson and commission of the murders, and the record does not support a conclusion that there are hidden factors for which Van Houten has failed to account,” the opinion said. “The Governor’s refusal to accept Van Houten’s explanation amounts to unsupported intuition.
Newsom now has 10 days to request that California Attorney General Rob Bonta petition the state Supreme Court to stop her release, Tetreault said. If the state Supreme Court denies it, the appellate court’s decision to pardon Van Houten stands and it could be a matter of weeks before she is set free under parole, Tetreault said.Newsom’s office did not respond to a message from The Post asking whether the governor would contest the appellate court’s decision.
In August 1969, Manson drove around Los Angeles with Van Houten and other members of the commune he established at Spahn Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif., called the Family. Manson, who would later be convicted of murder, believed civilization would end in a violent race war before his group would prevail.
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