Leslie Louise Van Houten (born August 23, 1949) is an American convicted
murderer and former member of the
Manson Family. During her time with Manson's group, she was known by various aliases such as
Louella Alexandria,
Leslie Marie Sankston,
Linda Sue Owens and
Lulu. Van Houten was arrested and charged in relation to the 1969 killings of
Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. She was convicted and sentenced to death. However, the California Supreme Court decision on
People v. Anderson
then ruled in 1972 that the death penalty was unconstitutional,
resulting in her sentence being commuted to life in prison. Her
conviction was then overturned in a 1976 appellate court decision which
granted her a retrial. Her second trial ended with a
deadlocked jury
and a mistrial. At her third trial in 1978, she was convicted of two
counts of murder and one count of conspiracy and sentenced to seven
years to life in prison.
[3]
In relation to her case, high courts, parole boards and the state
governor have said that an inexplicable or racial motive for murder
could merit exemplary punishment and outweigh any evidence of subsequent
reform.
Ships in a protective sleeve with acid free backing board.