Infamous Murderers- Leslie Van Houten

LESLIE VAN HOUTEN:

Leslie Van Houten, follower of Charles Manson was convicted for her role in the
murders of Rosemary and Leno LaBianca in 1969. Van Houten continues to try
and minimize her role in the murders. Van Houten is incarcerated at Frontera
California at the California Institute for Women.

After Manson and "Tex" Watson entered the LaBianca home and tied Leno

and Rosemary with rope, Leslie Van Houten entered the home with Patricia

Krenwinkle. Leslie Van Houten placed a pillowcase over Rosemary's LaBianca's

head, then unplugged a lamp and wrapped the cord around Mrs. LaBianca's neck.

As she heard her husband Leno being stabbed and screaming Mrs. LaBianca

struggled to free herself. Van Houten then held her down on the bed so

Krenwinkle could viciously and repeatedly stab her When Krenwinkle's knife

bent, Van Houten called to "Tex" Watson who entered the room and stabbed

Mrs. LaBianca.

Van Houten then took the knife and stabbed Rosemary LaBianca.
Mrs. LaBianca was stabbed 42 times, 8 of those stab wounds were fatal.

7 of those 8 fatal wounds were in the back. In subsequent parole hearings

the number of times she physically stabbed Rosemary has changed from

"between 10 and 20 to 16, to between 14 and 16 times, then later to

"numerous" times. Van Houten has consistently claimed she thought

LaBianca was already dead before she began stabbing her.

However parole board members have established, and Van Houten has

admitted, that she does not know whether Rosemary LaBianca was

deceased or alive. She has also admitted to stabbing her in the buttocks,

the neck and possibly in the back.

VAN HOUTEN'S OWN WORDS REGARDING THE KILLINGS:
"Do you feel sorry?"
Van Houten: "That's only a five-letter word. It can't bring back

anyone." "What can I feel? It's happened. She's gone. You can't undo

something that's done."
"Do you feel ashamed?"
Van Houten: "What is ashamed?"
"Do you feel like crying?"
Van Houten: "For her death? If I cry, it's for death itself. She's not the

only person who died."
Van Houten: "the more you stabbed, the more fun it was."
Van Houten: "I only think about the death of the Labianca's

when I'm "in court."

Van Houten: "Pat and Susan have a lot more to live with than I do."
Van Houten: Charlie came up to me and asked me, did I believe

enough that I could go with them and that I could kill.

I said: "Yes."

Were you distraught?
Van Houten: No. I was, because it was sad and tragic that violence

had to occur, but I wasn't questioning that it had to occur.
So you felt it was justified, sorry that you had to kill people, but

it was justified to make a statement?
Van Houten: Yes.
Van Houten: they were very frightened.

Van Houten wiped down everything that they had touched. She stole

clothing belonging to Rosemary LaBianca and changed into them.

She stole cheese and chocolate milk from the LaBianca's kitchen and

shared it with her fellow murderers.

Van Houten: You know, I didn't take Mrs. LaBianca's life,

but I feel as responsible as if I had.
"She was dead before you were stabbing her?"
Van Houten: I felt that she was.
Van Houten: I felt responsible for Mrs. Labianca's murder because

I was "there with her" but I don't feel responsible for Mr. Labianca.
"When Tex handed me the knife, I knew he wanted me to do something,

and at that moment I lost all sense of my humanity. I couldn't stop."
Van Houten: "I had a knife and Patricia had a knife.

We just started stabbing and cutting up the lady."
Van Houten: I wiped the bedroom clean of fingerprints after realizing I
had touched the lamp.

No fingerprints of Watson, Krenwinkel or Van Houten were found in the

home. Van Houten later burned the clothes, purse, credit cards and rope

she had stolen. She'd also stolen approx. 10 dollars in change.

Van Houten: "It's... hard for me...sometimes, to accept the fact that

people choose to... believe that I absolutely cannot change that I was

something at 19 and what I am at 33 is irrelevant because the one

that they loved ended when I was 19. And though I understand it, it's

very difficult because life goes on. And, you know, I go on."

She was denied parole in 2007 and given a two year denial.

Van Houten's next parole hearing is set for August 2009.

UPDATE: That parole hearing was delayed until July 6, 2010.

July 6, 2010 - Van Houten seeks parole 26th time.

For other photos and information explore the CMM Forum.