"Charles Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten Freed After Prison Release"

Leslie Van Houten, a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson, has been released from a California 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 a state appeals court ruling, which Governor Gavin Newsom chose not to appeal. She is the first Manson follower involved in the killings to be released. Van Houten will spend about a year in transitional housing and hopes to find a job. The release has caused heartbreak for the victims' families, who still feel the impact of the Manson cult's brutal crimes.