Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who was convicted in two killings, was released on parole Tuesday, according to officials.
Houten, 73, spent more than five decades in prison.
Her release comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had previously blocked parole efforts, on Friday said that he would not challenge Houten’s release in the state Supreme Court.
An appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten was eligible for parole, reversing a decision by Newsom to reject parole.
Houten was originally sentenced to death for the Aug. 10, 1969, murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca.
“The original conviction and death sentence were reversed on appeal and she was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole,” according to a statement from the California Corrections and Rehabilitation
In 1969, Manson and fellow cult member Charles “Tex” Watson went inside the couple’s home and tied them up.
Manson went outside and told Van Houten and another person to go inside and follow Watson’s directions, according to court records. Watson told them to kill Rosemary LaBianca, and Watson killed Leno LaBianca.
The previous day, Watson and other cult members — not Van Houten — killed actress Sharon Tate and others in her home.
Manson died at a hospital in 2017 while serving a life sentence. Watson is serving life in prison.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
