Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of Charles Manson, was denied parole for the 19th time on Tuesday. and was deemed that she is still a risk to the rest of society, according to the Associated Press.
Van Houten was convicted of the murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca 40 years ago.
Some supporters of Van Houten showed up at her court appearance in Los Angeles, saying that she should be freed. She has reportedly been a cooperative inmate during her entire incarceration.
“Leslie, my God, is unbelievable,” Paul Van Houten, her father told ABC. “I'll guarantee you there are people on the outside who haven’t done as well.”
Leslie Van Houten was one of five people who belonged to a group led by Charles Manson that went on a murder spree in 1969. All five including Van Houten were sentenced to death, but their sentences were reduced to life in prison following a ruling by the California Supreme Court deeming the death penalty unconstitutional. The group murdered eleven people, including Sharon Tate, the wife of director Roman Polanski.
The sister of Sharon Tate, one of the victims of the Manson Family has rallied against the release of any of the Manson followers.
“Is a tiger dangerous if it gets out of its cage? We proved that at the LA zoo,” Tate told ABC. “In the cage they are fine. You cannot let them out.”
The chairman of the California parole board, Robert Doyle, said that Van Houten is not eligible for parole because she “does not look at herself to see what made her capable of this activity [murder],” AP reported.
In the future, Van Houten should seek more counseling on how to deal with men and strong male figures, Doyle said.
Details of the Manson group’s sentencing were corrected Wed. July 7 at 2:55pm EDT.
