Former Manson follower Leslie Van Houten, who participated in the brutal murders of a Los Angeles grocer and his wife in 1969, has been released on parole after serving over five decades of a life sentence. Van Houten, now 73 years old, was part of the infamous “Manson family” and had previously been denied parole on five occasions. However, a state appeals court overturned the decision, granting her release. Van Houten, once a homecoming queen, was the youngest member of the Manson cult to be convicted of murder. She held down Rosemary LaBianca while others stabbed her during the heinous crimes that occurred shortly after the high-profile murder of actress Sharon Tate. Van Houten’s attorney emphasized her long journey of breaking free from the cult’s mindset and taking responsibility for her actions, highlighting years of therapy and her genuine feelings of guilt and remorse.