Manson family killer Leslie Van Houten freed on parole

Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who was convicted in two killings, was released on parole Tuesday, officials said.

Van Houten, 73, spent more than five decades in prison.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had previously blocked parole efforts, said Friday that he would not challenge Houten's release in state Supreme Court.

An appeals court ruled in May that Van Houten was eligible for parole, reversing a decision by Newsom to reject parole.

Van Houten was originally sentenced to death for the Aug. 10, 1969, murders of Leno and Rosemary La Bianca.

"The original conviction and death sentence were reversed on appeal and she was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole," the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement.

In 1969, Manson and fellow cult member Charles “Tex” Watson went inside the couple's home and tied them up.

Manson went outside and told Van Houten and another person to go inside and follow Watson’s directions, according to court records. Watson told them to kill Rosemary LaBianca, and Watson killed Leno LaBianca.

The previous day, Watson and other cult members — not Van Houten — killed actress Sharon Tate and others in her home.

Van Houten is the second of six Manson cult followers convicted of murder and initially sentenced to death to be paroled.

Most of the death sentences were commuted to life in prison under a 1972 court decision that outlawed capital punishment; the death penalty was later reinstated in California.

A judge reduced Steve “Clem” Grogan’s death sentence to life in 1971 for different reasons, and he was paroled in 1985.

Manson died at a hospital in 2017 while serving a life sentence. Watson is serving life in prison. Susan Atkins died in prison in 2009, and Patricia Krenwinkel is serving a life sentence.

Others have also been convicted but not sentenced to death.

A relative of one of the people killed by the Manson family in the 1960s, who has regularly attended parole hearings for cult members, said Van Houten’s release was a failure of the parole system.

“Every governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger has rescinded the paroles of the Manson murderers,” said Kay Martley, 86, whose cousin Gary Hinman was tortured and killed by Manson followers on July 27, 1969.

Van Houten did not kill Hinman. Bobby Beausoleil was convicted and is serving a life sentence for Hinman’s murder.

“Gov. Newsom let the judicial system override his parole power, which will impact every victims’ family, not just those of us fighting against the five Manson killers,” Martley said.

In announcing Friday that he would not seek review at the state Supreme Court, Newsom's office said that court would be unlikely to take the case.

Newsom’s office said further appeal would be unlikely to succeed.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com