[Cal.]

Stumbled across this case when I was reading up on Charles Manson & the rest of the Manson family.

Members of 'The Manson Family' (a hippie cult led by Charles Manson) killed 7 people on 9th and 10th August 1969, including Actress and icon Sharon Tate - who was eight and a half months pregnant.

They were eventually arrested, and several, including Manson, Van Houten and two other women (Pat Krenwinkel and Susan Atkins) were spared the death penalty due to the change in the law in California at that time.

Atkins died in prison in 2009, but Manson, Krenwinkel and Van Houten remain in prison presumably until they die. However, Van Houten never killed anyone - unlike the others. She was simply present at the LeBianca Murder on 10th August and was forced to mutilated a body with her life threatened otherwise. Her website states:

Leslie Van Houten has been incarcerated since 1970. After 3 jury trials by 1978, her (final) sentence is a term of 7 years to life [With the possibility of parole]. A sentence in which she had already served in full, therefore, was immediately eligible to be released on "Time Served," pending a Judicial Review. At that point, (1978), the judge expressed only slight concern stating, "She is clearly rehabilitated but I feel she needs just needs a little more time." According to the judge, other attorneys and journalists as well, Leslie was supposed to be a free woman certainly by 1980.

As of 2015, Leslie has been in prison for over 45 years. Her record has remained exemplary. She has excelled educationally as well - earning 2 college degrees. As a model inmate, she continues to mentor women, helping them win their freedom, but Leslie has been denied her own freedom 20 times by California parole boards. In CA, parole is granted to 82% of inmates with life sentences after serving less than half the time as Leslie. (18.75 years)

A lot of misinformed facts consume Van Houten's once high- profile case, involving the notorious 1969 Charles Manson Family, the myth of Helter Skelter, and many theories that have developed over the last 46 years. Leslie's parole hearings has been controversial and confusing to say the least. Much of the public today have never even heard of her name. And those who have, may not know that she never took a human life. And then there are those who are quite familiar with her case, and the Manson cases, in which Leslie has many supporters, as well as non-supporters. All the same, it's worth a look at the facts - to decide for yourself, if there is a woman in prison that should not be there anymore.

To read more about the case, click here: http://leslievanhouten.com/labianca-murder.html

What do you think? Do you think she deserves freedom?