Murderous Manson Girl's New Parole Bid

New York Post/May 20, 2002
By Jamie Schram

A Charles Manson disciple has a court hearing on her parole this week - and a prosecutor says she has a real chance of being sprung.

Leslie Van Houten, 52, was convicted in the 1969 slayings of Rosemary and Leno La Bianca.

Rosemary, 38, and Leno, 44, were random victims of Manson's cult and were killed the night after actress Sharon Tate and four others were shot and stabbed to death.

After three trials, Van Houten was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole, which has been denied her 14 times.

Stephen Kay, an assistant Los Angeles district attorney who was one of the prosecutors in the original case, says Van Houten has the best chance of the five defendants to be paroled.

"I go to all the hearings . . . I think if any of them get out, Van Houten will be the first."

He said Manson brought Van Houten along for only the La Bianca murders, during which she stabbed Rosemary 16 times.

Van Houten's attorney, Christie Webb, said her client has a job lined up if paroled.