The night after Charles Manson and his followers savagely murdered actress Sharon Tate, her unborn baby and four others, the crazy cult leader targeted Los Angeles grocery store tycoon Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.
The youngest Charles Manson family member could soon walk free after a California appeals court ruled she should be released from prison.
Leslie Van Houten joined Manson on the second night of his Los Angeles killing spree, which became known as the Tate-LaBianca murders.
The night after Charles Manson and his followers savagely murdered actress Sharon Tate, her unborn baby and four others, the crazy cult leader targeted Los Angeles grocery store tycoon Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary.
Manson and his followers broke into the couple's home and then started stabbing them to death.
Van Houten later admitted to holding down Rosemary LaBianca as she begged for her life
Now, an appellate court ruling could reverse an earlier decision by Governor Gavin Newsom, who rejected parole for Van Houten in 2020.
Van Houten has been recommended for parole five times, and now the 73-year-old may finally taste freedom.
This news is infuriating some of the victims' family members.
"To say the appellate court’s decision is a travesty of justice is a perverse understatement," Anthony DiMaria tells Inside Edition. "When you look at the profound, horrific nature of her crimes and the historic scars she has dealt American culture, it is unconscionable that an appellate court would make amends for Leslie Van Houten."
DiMaria is the nephew of Jay Sebring, the revolutionary hair stylist and former boyfriend of Sharon Tate who was murdered o the first night of Manson's killing spree.
In a 1994 interview, one-time homecoming queen Van Houten discussed why she fell under the influence of Manson.
“I seemed to want more living out of life than was expected of young girls at the time: drugs, sex, breaking away from the norm,” said Van Houten. “I think when my father left I was desperately seeking someone I could love.”
Van Houten’s lawyer said if released she would move into transitional housing, and noted that she had a master's degree and could become a motivational speaker.
"She's extremely remorseful she feels she let everybody down: herself, her family the victims by letting Manson take control of her," Richard Pfeiffer tells Inside Edition.
