Former Manson family member Leslie Van Houten, released from prison

[Runwildboys]

Runny, this board needs some nonsense, some brevity, some irreverence. Haters vs. Homers, with Trolls stirring the pot! The CZ needs the PJG, PDQ!

Unfortunately, the PJG isn't allowed to operate to its full potential in this venue. They even went so far as to steal our Grand Poobah!

 

[ESisback]

Unfortunately, the PJG isn't allowed to operate to its full potential in this venue. They even went so far as to steal our Grand Poobah!

They’ll never take away our….FREEDOMMMMMM!✊

 

[Hardline]

Just wait until she finds out that the anti establishment of the 60s is now the establishment.

 

[Praxit]

..so weird, I'm almost done with Helter Skelter. Have to agree with KJJ. She was mad under influence of Manson.
These young girls REALLY thought this dude was real deal. Manson high IQ and clever appitudes for masking love and other things.

Add to fact YOUNG and DUMB, Hippie movement, Vietnam war etc. All perfect timing for stupidity.

Manson and Sadie already croaked. Krepwinkle still incarcerated.
Leslie will live in stigma infamy rest of her life. Only the younger generations, wont hold to that.

 

[Rockport]

What’s everyone’s opinion on Leslie Van Houten being released? She spent 53 years in prison. She did take part in the murders, but was brainwashed by Manson. Part of me says she should spend the rest of her life in prison, but there’s another part that says she did pay a heavy price and deserves a second chance, because of the influence Manson had over her.

https://www.latimes.com/california/...member-leslie-van-houten-released-from-prison

I think she served enough time. Allowing herself to be brainwashed is no reason to keep her locked up.

 

[gtb1943]

I think she served enough time. Allowing herself to be brainwashed is no reason to keep her locked up.

SO does her VICTIM get a second chance?

 

[Rockport]

SO does her VICTIM get a second chance?

Victims dead. 53 years in prison is sufficient punishment.

 

[gtb1943]

Victims dead. 53 years in prison is sufficient punishment.

Another one that seems to ignore the victim; from you its a surprise since you worship the system

So how much is a life worth to you?

 

[Rockport]

Another one that seems to ignore the victim; from you its a surprise since you worship the system

So how much is a life worth to you?

Apparently more than it is you.

 

[rags747]

..so weird, I'm almost done with Helter Skelter. Have to agree with KJJ. She was mad under influence of Manson.
These young girls REALLY thought this dude was real deal. Manson high IQ and clever appitudes for masking love and other things.

Add to fact YOUNG and DUMB, Hippie movement, Vietnam war etc. All perfect timing for stupidity.

Manson and Sadie already croaked. Krepwinkle still incarcerated.
Leslie will live in stigma infamy rest of her life. Only the younger generations, wont hold to that.

Under the influence of someone else matters not one bit imo. Just because you are weak minded does not mean that you can use that as an excuse. Is her IQ level lower than average?

 

[rags747]

Victims dead. 53 years in prison is sufficient punishment.

Funny stuff. That’s 53 more years of living and breathing than the victims got.

 

[Big_D]

Someone who’s 19 and on drugs, and is being brainwashed by a maniac can be rehabbed. She wouldn’t have been released from prison if they didn’t think she was fit to be released. The thing with her is she admitted right from the very start she was part of it. She never denied taking part in the murder of Rosemary LaBianca. She held her down while others stabbed her. Then she stabbed her after she was dead. She was told to stab her. Like I said in the OP, I’m mixed about her being released. Susan Atkins is a different story she deserved to die in prison. Sharon Tate begged for her life and she still killed her and her unborn baby. She then lied for years claiming Tex Watson killed her. It took years before she ever confessed to it.

She was charged with both murders, Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Murder is murder. Hard to just blame the one guy who wasn't even there while chalking it up to being young and naive. She made that choice. If you don't realize through the haze what is happening is wrong then that's a serious problem. The "family" would've did anything and you can't separate that now. Like she's any better than the rest of the scum? She wouldn't have thought twice about gutting Tate like a fish. She felt "left out" after the Tate murders which is why she was at the LaBianca residence to begin with. These were gruesome and disgusting crimes with no mercy or remorse. Just random houses killing innocent people. You can talk about being brainwashed all you want, but once you do something like this, that excuse is no longer valid.

 

[HungryLion]

Well, I would have been perfectly fine if she died in prison.

That being said, 53 years in jail. She is an old woman…… I’ve seen much bigger travesties of justice than her being released.

So it doesn’t really move the needle for me one way or another.

 

[Big_D]

Under the influence of someone else matters not one bit imo. Just because you are weak minded does not mean that you can use that as an excuse. Is her IQ level lower than average?

Yeah talking about how she was brainwashed and violently killing people. It's not like she robbed a liquor store or a department store.. The brainwashed defense might fly in that situation.

The LaBianca's son found them the next morning. Imagine? I'm sure everyone on here would be super forgiving in that situation. It's always an easy decision when it's not your family. It's actually disturbing that this pos will walk free.

 

[KJJ]

She was charged with both murders, Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Murder is murder. Hard to just blame the one guy who wasn't even there while chalking it up to being young and naive. She made that choice. If you don't realize through the haze what is happening is wrong then that's a serious problem. The "family" would've did anything and you can't separate that now. Like she's any better than the rest of the scum? She wouldn't have thought twice about gutting Tate like a fish. She felt "left out" after the Tate murders which is why she was at the LaBianca residence to begin with. These were gruesome and disgusting crimes with no mercy or remorse. Just random houses killing innocent people. You can talk about being brainwashed all you want, but once you do something like this, that excuse is no longer valid.

Let’s face it, the one guy who wasn’t there had never been proven to commit a single murder, yet has gone down as possibly the most infamous criminal in American history. All because of the influence he had over a bunch of young people that were drugged out. Over 900 people committed suicide at Jonestown because of the influence one nutcase had over them. Van Houten’s conviction was overturned in 1976 and she did get a retrial. Her second trial ended deadlocked and a mistrial. She was convicted in her third trial, and sentenced to seven years to life, so she clearly wasn’t seen as the cold blooded killer like the others involved in the murders. For those who think she should have spent the rest of her life in prison, I certainly can’t disagree. However, I do see why she got a second chance, but it took 53 years.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

Sucks worse that we've all been paying for her to live for the last 53 years. I really don't care what happens to her at this point but she should have been executed 53 years ago. I recently read that it cost on average $35K to keep an inmate in care for a year. Obviously not as much back then, but that's still a lot of $ to keep somebody alive who doesn't deserve to live.

 

[KJJ]

I think she served enough time. Allowing herself to be brainwashed is no reason to keep her locked up.

Her youth, the drugs and the times we lived in during the 60s allowed her to become brainwashed. She got involved with the wrong people.

 

[Rockport]

Her youth, the drugs and the times we lived in during the 60s allowed her to become brainwashed. She got involved with the wrong people.

Yeah, I see no reason to have kept her in prison. 53 years is a long time in prison.

 

[Hardline]

This shows why we should never ban the death penalty.

 

[KJJ]

Usually the people who get hired or persuaded to commit a murder, don’t get as harsh a punishment as the one who orchestrated the murder. The mastermind usually pays the steeper price. Charles Manson is one of the most evil people to ever walk the planet, and none of those murders would’ve ever happened had it not been for him. He ruined the lives of his followers and those he had murdered. I believe Tex Watson was the only one who had a criminal history before he met Manson.