Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten had a parole recommendation blocked on Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom who in his review noted that the 72-year-old "currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time," Newsweek has reported.
Since 2016 several parole board panels have recommended the release of Van Houten, insisting that she is remorseful, but Newsom has continually rejected them, saying that she continues to be a threat.
Van Houten is serving a life sentence for her involvement in the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary a day after other so-called "Manson family" members murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others in 1969.
During the penalty phase of her trial, she confessed to joining in stabbing Rosemary after she was dead. She was portrayed by her defense lawyers as the youngest and least culpable of those convicted with Manson, a young woman from a good family who had been a homecoming princess and showed promise until she became involved with drugs and was recruited into Manson's murderous cult.
Newsom's decision marks the fifth time a California governor has denied Van Houten's release. When he previously blocked her parole recommendation in 2019, Newsom said he was concerned about her role in the killings and "her potential for future violence," according to The Hill.
Newsom added at the time that the "gruesome crimes perpetrated by Ms. Van Houten and other Manson family members in an attempt to incite social chaos continue to inspire fear to this day," The Associated Press reported.
Commenting on Newsom's latest decision, Van Houten's attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, told Newsweek that Van Houten was disappointed but will assess her legal options to again attempt to reverse the decision. Pfeiffer said he plans to appeal Newsom's decision in court. He said he hopes somebody will eventually grant the request.
"I just hope a judge or somebody — it's not going to be a politician because they have too much to lose — has the courage to do what's right," he said, according to Newsweek. "That's all I can hope for."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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