Manson's Girl : The True Story of Leslie Van Houten

Leslie Van Houten is a former member of Charles Manson's “Family”. She was convicted in 1971 for the killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Leslie's sentencing was part of the main Charles Manson trial but she blamed her actions on the control Manson had over her. Houten, Manson and two other members of the “Family” were convicted and sentenced to death row until a new California law commuted their punishment to life imprisonment. Van Houten's lawyer passed away during the course of her trial and her convictions were thrown out. She then went to trial again, her primary defense being that she had a diminished mental capacity because of the drugs Manson had given her. The jury remained deadlocked. But Leslie would go to trial a third time. She would be convicted and sentenced to two life sentences. Amazingly, after over twenty different hearings, the California state board decided to make Leslie eligible for parole. On April 16th, 2016, Governor Jerry Brown agreed.