Newsom halts appeal for Manson follower Van Houten’s parole.

Gov. Gavin Newsom Gives Up on Appeal for Parole of Charles Manson Follower

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) has made the difficult decision to end his efforts to appeal the parole of convicted murderer and Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten.

Newsom’s determination to prevent Van Houten’s parole was evident in his fourth and final appeal, which took place in May. However, his efforts were ultimately overruled by a California appeals court.

“The governor is disappointed by the Court of Appeal’s decision to release Ms. Van Houten but will not pursue further action as efforts to further appeal are unlikely to succeed,” Newsom’s communications director Erin Mellon said in a statement.

Van Houten’s conviction dates back to 1971 when she was found guilty of participating in the brutal murders of actress Sharon Tate, coffee heiress Abigail Folger, celebrity hairdresser Jay Sebring, Polish movie director Voityck Frykowski, and Steven Parent. At the time, Van Houten was a devoted follower of Manson, who was also convicted for his involvement in the crimes. Alongside Van Houten, fellow followers Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel were also convicted and initially sentenced to death.

In 1972, California abolished the death penalty, resulting in the sparing of Van Houten, Atkins, Krenwinkel, and Manson. Manson passed away in prison in 2017.

In a surprising turn of events, the parole board recommended Van Houten’s release in September 2021.

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