In April, a 2-member California parole board authorized the release of former Manson Family killer Leslie Van Houten.
The decision to go forward with this recommendation now rests with Governor Jerry Brown.
Now Debra Tate, sister of Sharon Tate (who was butchered in another Manson Family attack) is seeking around 12,000 more signatures for a petition to stop this miscarriage of justice by appealing to Brown.
Charles Manson’s deranged “family,” including Ms. Van Houten, broke into the home of Leno & Rosemary LaBianca on August 10, 1969. Manson had gone into their home and tied the couple up. Van Houten placed a pillowcase over Mrs. LaBianca’s head, tied it with a lamp cord, and held Mrs. LaBianca down so Patricia Krenwinkel could stab the innocent woman to death.When the knife bent on Mrs. LaBianca’s collar bone, Van Houten held Mrs. LaBianca down so Tex Watson could come in and stab her. Then Van Houten stabbed Mrs. LaBianca in the lower back several times.Mrs. LaBianca was stabbed a total of 41 times. Words were written in blood on two walls and a refrigerator door. Van Houten then took a shower, stole one of LaBianca’s dresses to wear and ate food from the refrigerator like it was her own home.For years Van Houten showed no remorse at all. When asked during her trial if she ever cried about the murder of Rosemary LaBianca, she replied: “Cry for her death? Why? She’s not the only person who has died.”
Currently, there are over 130,000 signatures that have been obtained.
During the parole board hearing, Van Houten is reported to have admitted to reading the letters and that Mason was still trying to manipulate her. Debra Tate said she was repulsed by Van Houten’s admission and doesn’t believe she’s reformed.
Leslie Van Houten points her finger at the prison system for being just as culpable over her receiving the cult leader’s letters.“First of all, I wonder why the authorities didn’t catch it and then I feel uncomfortable that he remembers me,” Van Houten told the parole board.Tate rebukes the Van Houten’s claims as an indicator that she’s still under Manson’s strong influence.“Her immediate response was ‘the system should have prevented that’ — that isn’t taking responsibility,” she asserted.Tate says Van Houten’s prison record should speak for itself because it’s clear she has a proclivity for evil men. She said that the convicted killer was “allowed to have a 15-year sexual letter relationship with another double homicide individual in another state.” She added that “it was two murders talking to each other. She had a 15-year sexual relationship until the man died.”
Here’s to hoping Brown does the right thing in this case.
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