LESLIE Van Houten is notorious for being a member of Charles Manson's "family" .
The former cult member, now in her 70s, has been released from prison after spending five decades behind bars.
Who is Leslie Van Houten?
Leslie Van Houten is a convicted murderer and former “follower” of Manson's cult family.
She was jailed for helping Manson and other followers kill Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary in 1969.
Van Houten is also known by various aliases such as Louella Alexandria, Leslie Marie Sankston, Linda Sue Owens, and Lulu.
She was released from jail in July 2023.
How did she become involved with Charles Manson?
During her time in San Francisco, Van Houten met Catherine Share and Bobby Beausoleil, an aspiring musician.
All three moved to southern California in 1969 and linked up with a 35-year-old musician with “followers,” named Charles Manson.
Van Houten became entranced with Manson and completely cut off communication with her family.
She, along with others, became part of the Manson Family and reportedly lived at the Spahn Ranch in the California desert.
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Did Leslie Van Houten kill anyone?
Van Houten, who was 19 at the time, was arrested and charged in relation to the killing of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in 1969.
She was instructed by Manson to enter the couple’s home and murder them, alongside Tex Watson and Patricia Krenwinkel.
Watson allegedly tried strangling Rosemary but she was able to grab a lamp and launch it at Van Houten.
Van Houten allegedly held Rosemary down while Krenwinkel stabbed her in the chest several times.
The knife apparently jammed in Rosemary’s clavicle bone and Van Houten cried to Watson for help.
Watson had already murdered Leno, stabbing him repeatedly as he was tied up in the living room.
Van Houten allegedly stabbed Rosemary's lower back and glute area over a dozen times.
What was Leslie Van Houten charged with?
Van Houten was arrested shortly after and cooperated with authorities about the LaBianca murder.
The slayings came the day after other Manson followers, not including Van Houten, killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others in violence that spread fear across Los Angeles and captivated the nation.
She admitted to direct knowledge of the LaBianca killings in a police interview and was charged with their murders.
Van Houten was found guilty of the LaBianca murder in 1970.
She was initially sentenced to death but it was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
When her original conviction was overturned in 1978, she was found guilty yet again and was retried for the same crime.
On May 30, 2023, a California appeals court said Van Houten should be released from prison on parole.
She was later released on July 11, 2023, according to TMZ.
How old is Leslie Van Houten today?
Van Outen was born on August 23, 1949, making her 73 years old (as of July 2023).
After her parents divorced when she was 14 years old, she began using drugs and ran away from home.
Shortly after, she got pregnant and her mother allegedly forced her to have a late-term abortion and bury the child's body in their backyard.
Van Houten was able to graduate high school and left for a commune in Northern California and eventually made her way to San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury.
Who played Leslie Van Houten in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?
In 2019, Van Houten was played by Victoria Pedretti in Quentin Tarantino's film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
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