Leslie Van Houten, a Charles Manson follower who was convicted in the 1969 LaBianca killings, is again seeking freedom.
After more than 40 years in prison and more than a dozen times seeking parole and getting rejected, she's hoping her time has come.
On the LA Now story, the majority of readers who chose to leave comments say she should remain in jail. A few dissenters disagreed, saying she has put in her time and has likely seen the error of her ways.
Hawk Eye: I remember when after they were caught they had no regrets and liked the publicity. They were quite proud of themselves. Leave her in prison.
John from the West Side: Even if the parole board were to grant parole, it then goes to the governor. Does anyone believe ANY sitting governor would grant ANY member of the Manson Family parole -- ever?
Xada: Can Leno and Rosemary LaBianca get their lives back? No, and neither should she.
Michael: Let's make the leap that our penal system actually works and let this woman go. How long was she with Manson, a year maybe? The point of putting people in prison is to punish, rehabilitate, then release. Judges and parole boards are there to make sensible decisions about whether someone is rehabilitated or not. If these people think that, after 40 years, this 60-year old woman is going to go out and murder someone again, then they should be removed from their jobs and be replaced with people who are intelligent, thoughtful, and guided more by what is right than any political, social, or religious motivations.
Manon: Let her go already. Even [prosecutor Vincent] Bugliosi agrees they have served their time. She is not a threat to society. She was a young girl brainwashed by a sadistic cult leader. She deserves some sympathy, too.
