"Charles Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten Freed After 50 Years for Grisly Killings"

Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson, has been released from prison after serving over 50 years for her involvement in the 1969 murders of a Los Angeles couple. Van Houten, now 73, was granted parole after multiple recommendations and a court ruling. She will spend about a year at a halfway house before adjusting to a world vastly changed by technology. Van Houten hopes to find employment and has earned degrees in counseling while in prison. Her release has caused heartbreak for the victims' families, who continue to feel the impact of the Manson cult's brutal killings.