Official says previous Manson Relative Leslie Van Houten has been set free from California jail.

 Official says previous Manson Relative Leslie Van Houten has been set free from California jail.

Former Manson follower and convicted murderer Leslie Van Houten was released from a California prison on Tuesday. Mary Zimanage, spokesperson for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, stated that Van Houten had been released on parole supervision. Zimanage mentioned that Van Houten's parole period would be a maximum of three years, with a parole review after one year.

Van Houten, now 70 years old, was 19 when she met Manson and became involved in the deadly cult known as the "Manson Family."

Before her release on Tuesday, she had been serving a life sentence for her role in the murders of supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in their Los Angeles home in 1971.

            

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Friday that they would not challenge a panel's decision from May that opened the possibility of parole for Van Houten, clearing the way for her release.

"After more than 50 years of these heinous crimes committed by the Manson cult, the victims' families still feel its impact, as do all Californians," said Erin Melan, the spokesperson for the governor."Since getting to work, Lead specialist Newsom has turned parole awards to Ms. Van Houten three times and defended those decisions in court."

"The lead representative is disheartened in the court's choice to deliver Ms. Van Houten but will not pursue further appeals as the likelihood of success is low," Melan said, adding that the California Supreme Court rarely accepts appeals and typically does not select cases based on fact-specific determinations.

A member of the family of celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, who was murdered by the Manson cult in 1969, expressed disagreement with the governor's office decision not to challenge Van Houten's parole.