Leslie Van Houten

Leslie Van Houten: biography

Leslie Van Houten is an American convicted murderer and former member of the Manson Family, a cult led by Charles Manson. Leslie became involved with the Manson Family in the late 1960s when she was a teenager. Throughout her involvement with Charles Manson's group, Leslie Van Houten adopted multiple aliases, including Louella Alexandria, Leslie Marie Sankston, Linda Sue Owens, and Lulu. These aliases were used to conceal her true identity and maintain a sense of anonymity within the Manson Family.

Childhood and youth

Leslie Van Houten was born on August 23, 1949, in Altadena, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her parents, Paul Van Houten and Jane (née Edwards), belonged to a middle-class churchgoing family. Leslie had an older brother, and her family also included two adopted siblings from Korea, a brother, and a sister. Her diverse heritage encompassed Irish, English, Scottish, Dutch, and German ancestry.

During her upbringing, Leslie's parents divorced when she was 14 years old. Around the age of 15, she began experimenting with drugs such as LSD, Benzedrine, and hashish. She also ran away from home temporarily but eventually returned to complete her high school education.

Leslie's life took a significant turn at the age of 17 when she became pregnant. In a distressing situation, her mother insisted on her undergoing an abortion and burying the fetus in their backyard. This event deeply affected Leslie, creating a profound sense of detachment from her mother and harboring intense anger towards her.

While she briefly explored interests in yoga and pursued a year-long secretarial course, Leslie eventually embraced the countercultural movement of the time and became a hippie. She joined a commune and immersed herself in the ideals and lifestyle associated with that community.

In 1967, Leslie Van Houten graduated from Monrovia High School, located in Monrovia, California. Her graduation marked a transition from her youth into the tumultuous years that followed, including her involvement with Charles Manson and the Manson Family.

Manson family

After spending a few months in a Northern California commune, Leslie Van Houten crossed paths with Catherine Share and Bobby Beausoleil. They, along with another woman, formed a living arrangement during the summer of 1968. However, due to jealous arguments, the group eventually disbanded, and Share departed to join Charles Manson's commune. Intrigued by Share's choice, 19-year-old Van Houten decided to follow suit, leaving behind a farewell call to her mother and stating her intention to drop out and sever contact.

Under Manson's influence, Van Houten's daily routine, including meals, sleep, and sexual encounters, became tightly controlled. Manson dictated not only the frequency but also the partners with whom his followers would engage in sexual activities. Additionally, he manipulated the use of LSD, administering larger doses to his followers than he would take himself. Manson propagated the belief that repeated LSD consumption would lead to a state of complete emptiness, devoid of any thoughts.

From August 1968, Manson and his followers established their base at the Spahn Ranch. Operating under the guise of hippie ideals such as acceptance and free love, Manson maintained an iron grip on the ranch's inhabitants, shielding them from external influences. His voice was the only one heard, as he would deliver repetitive lectures during every meal. Van Houten described Manson's perspective, where she was considered the property of Bobby Beausoleil. Within the Manson system of values, they looked up to 14-year-old Dianne Lake as the embodiment of what women were expected to be—an "empty vessel."

During Van Houten's parole hearing in 2013, Barbara Hoyt testified that she was regarded as a "leader" within the Manson Family. This highlights the significant role Van Houten played among Manson's followers, as acknowledged by her peers at the time.

Murders

On August 9, 1969, Leslie Van Houten, along with Tex Watson, Patricia Krenwinkel, Linda Kasabian, Susan Atkins, Clem Grogan, and Charles Manson, made their way to the residence of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Manson initially entered the house with Watson and later left with Atkins, Grogan, and Kasabian. Meanwhile, Krenwinkel, Van Houten, and Watson carried out the brutal murder of the couple. It has been alleged that Manson instructed the others to kill an actor, but Kasabian asserts that she led Atkins and Grogan to the wrong address.

During the horrific incident, Van Houten and another woman held down Rosemary LaBianca while Watson proceeded to stab Leno LaBianca. After Watson stabbed Rosemary, he handed Van Houten a knife, and she continued to stab the woman at least 14 more times. In her 1971 testimony, Van Houten admitted, "And I took one of the knives, and Patricia [Krenwinkel] had one — a knife — and we started stabbing and cutting up the lady."

Regarding the motive for the murders, Manson, who denied responsibility, never provided a clear explanation. However, prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi suggested that Manson intended to incite a racial civil war. The racial nature of the motive for the murders, as established by a judge, increased the severity of Van Houten's offense.

Trials and parole requests

Tex Watson, who was responsible for the majority of the fatal injuries in the Tate and LaBianca murders, was not arraigned with the other defendants during the main trial. While Manson was accused of orchestrating both attacks, Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel were the only ones facing charges specifically for inflicting injuries on the LaBiancas, excluding the murders of Sharon Tate and her friends.

During the trial, Van Houten appeared to not take the proceedings seriously, often giggling during testimony about the victims. She took the stand and admitted to committing the murders she was charged with, denying Manson's involvement. An example of Manson's control over Van Houten and the other followers was when he carved an "X" on his forehead, and they mimicked him. However, they eventually stopped imitating him as it revealed the extent of his influence over them.

Van Houten dismissed several defense lawyers who claimed her actions were a result of Manson's control. She shouted objections during the trial, claiming that she was influenced by the Vietnam War and television, rather than Manson. In March 1971, she was convicted of murder along with the other defendants. During the sentencing phase, Van Houten attempted to exonerate Manson, testifying that she had committed a killing in which she was not involved.

Van Houten received a death sentence, which was later commuted to life imprisonment after the California Supreme Court invalidated all death sentences imposed prior to 1972. She became eligible for parole after serving seven years, but her parole requests were repeatedly denied. Van Houten was granted a retrial in 1977, and although the jury could not agree on a verdict, she was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder in a second retrial. She received a life sentence with eligibility for parole.

Following the trials, Van Houten and her fellow female co-defendants were initially kept separate from the prison population due to being seen as a threat. They later entered the general prison population in the California Institution for Women. Van Houten's story, along with the other Manson women, has been the subject of books, films, and advocacy efforts for her release from prison.

Under California law, some life sentences are eligible for parole, and a rejection by the parole board does not prevent a different decision in the future. Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel, originally convicted with Van Houten and Manson, were involved in the notorious murders, including the killing of five people at 10050 Cielo Drive. Another Manson Family member, Steve "Clem" Grogan, was convicted of murder but was released in 1985. Bruce M. Davis, also involved in the killings, received a parole board recommendation for release in 2010, but the decision was later reversed.

Van Houten faced multiple parole denials, with different reasons given each time. In 2016, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed her release, citing her role in the brutal crimes and inability to explain her willing participation. In 2017, a parole board recommended her release, but Governor Brown denied it again. Similar recommendations and denials continued in subsequent years.

Van Houten's parole recommendation in 2023 marked a significant development. On May 30, a California Court of Appeal set aside Governor Newsom's denial, making her the first Manson Family member to receive a court ruling in favor of parole. Governor Newsom announced on July 7 that he would not appeal the California Supreme Court to block her parole, leading to her release on July 11, 2023.

Personal life

Leslie Van Houten entered into a marriage with William Syvin, but their union was short-lived, lasting only two months. However, their relationship took a significant turn when Leslie discovered that her former husband, William, had plans to break out of prison. This revelation caused her to distance herself from him, ultimately leading to their separation on October 26, 1982.