Update on the Manson Family

Charlie then...

Charlie now...

Manson murder accomplice seeks parole

The youngest member of the Charles Manson gang which carried out one of the bloodiest murder sprees in US history could become one of the first to be freed from prison. Leslie Van Houten was just 19 when she took part in the 1969 stabbing murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca, a day after other members of the Manson family had killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate - wife of film director Roman Polanski - and four friends.
They scrawled messages on the wall in the victims' blood . Manson said he was trying to start a race war.

California's Board of Prison Terms will consider a parole request by Van Houten for the 14th time on Friday.
This time, a court has ruled that the board must consider her exemplary prison behaviour over the last 30 years and not just the nature of her crime. But prosecutors say Van Houten, 52 and a former homecoming queen, must continue to serve her life sentence in the California Institute for Women in Corona.

State attorney Stephen Kay said: "This is not a garden variety murder case.
"The legislature in California has specifically said that the purpose of incarceration is punishment, not rehabilitation."

While in prison, Van Houten has earned a university degree, tutored inmates and led anti-drug programmes. Her lawyer Christie Webb described her as "now the beautiful, decent human being that she would have been, had it not been for one night of violence".

But Mr Kay, who has been involved in the Manson murders case since 1970 and who will again present the state's case against parole, said Van Houten "presents an unreasonable risk of harm to society".

Even if the parole board does want to grant her freedom, California's Governor Gray Davis could still order her kept behind bars. Mr Kay said of the "tough-on-crime" governor: "I know how he feels about murderers and I think there is absolutely no chance he would allow Leslie Van Houten to be released from prison."

Manson himself, now 73, was denied parole for a 10th time in April, refusing to even attend the hearing because he did not want to be shackled.
His record has hardly been model. It includes 17 serious infractions in the last five years, including threats to kill prison guards and multiple incidents in which he hit, spit or threw coffee on guards and other prison employees.

Manson 'family' member released

A follower of Charles Manson has been freed from jail after serving nearly 34 years for trying to kill then-President Gerald Ford. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, 60, was convicted in 1975. She was freed from the Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday. She was not involved in the 1969 Manson "family" murder of actress Sharon Tate. Fromme received a life sentence for pointing a gun at Mr Ford at an event in Sacramento, California.

Secret service agents managed to restrain Fromme and Mr Ford was unhurt in the incident. She was the first person to be convicted under a special federal law governing attempted assaults on US presidents, established after the 1963 assassination of President John F Kennedy.
In 1987, Fromme briefly escaped from the West Virginia prison where she was being held, saying she wanted to be closer to Manson.

New hunt at Manson murder ranch

Police have carried out excavation work at a Californian ranch to search for more possible victims of notorious mass murderer Charles Manson. They believe more bodies may be buried at the ranch in the Death Valley national park where Manson and his followers hid after the killings. Manson was convicted in 1969 of killing eight people, including the actress Sharon Tate, who was pregnant. She was married at the time to the film director, Roman Polanski.

Initial surveys of the remote ranch some 200 miles (320 km) north of Los Angeles in February proved inconclusive.
"I believe the only way to determine once and for all whether there are bodies buried at Barker Ranch from the time of the Manson family is to proceed with limited excavation in a very few areas," said Inyo County Sheriff Bill Lutze. Excavation took place at the end of May and may be ongoing.
Manson and the four of his followers convicted of the spree of murders have reportedly claimed more victims are buried at the ranch. We haven't heard of any developments so far.We'll keep you posted.