Editing Leslie Van Houten (section)

===Trial and aftermath===
On March 29, 1971, Van Houten was convicted of murder along with the other defendants. During the sentencing phase of the trial, in an apparent attempt to exonerate Manson, Van Houten testified that she had committed a killing in which she was not, in fact, involved. She told a psychiatrist of beating her adopted sister, leading him to characterize her as a spoiled little princess and a psychologically loaded gun, and was adamant that Manson had no influence over her thought processes or behavior. Van Houten also told the psychiatrist that she would have gone to jail for manslaughter or assault with a deadly weapon without ever meeting Manson. When her lawyer, attempting to show she felt remorse, asked if she felt sorrow or shame for the death of Rosemary La-Bianca, Van Houten replied sorry is only a five-letter word and you can't undo something that is done. In cross-examination, Van Houten aggressively implicated herself in inflicting wounds while the victim was living, and severely wounding the victim, severing her spine, which might have been fatal by itself. She vehemently denied acting on instructions from Manson, and said a court appointed attorney who had a lot of different ideas on how to get me off had told her to claim Manson ordered the killings.

Van Houten was sentenced to be executed she was the youngest woman ever condemned to death in California. No death row for female prisoners existed, and a special unit was built. The death sentences were automatically commuted to life in prison after the California Supreme Court's ''People Anderson'' decision resulted in the invalidation of all death sentences imposed in California prior to 1972. With murder or manslaughter convictions she was eligible for parole once she had served seven years. In order to be released after seven years, her first parole hearing would have had to have granted her parole and the Governor not veto the decision.
[[Category:Modern Villains]]
[[Category:Female]]
[[Category:Living Villains]]
[[Category:Imprisoned]]
[[Category:Murderer]]
[[Category:Criminals]]
[[Category:Destroyer of Innocence]]
[[Category:Satanism]]
[[Category:Conspirators]]
[[Category:Tragic]]
[[Category:From Nobody to Nightmare]]
[[Category:Addicts]]
[[Category:Thief]]
[[Category:Family of Victim]]
[[Category:Emotionless Villains]]
[[Category:Torturer]]
[[Category:Sadists]]
[[Category:Mentally Ill]]
[[Category:Delusional]]
[[Category:Remorseful]]
[[Category:Psychopath]]
[[Category:Scapegoat]]
[[Category:Pawns]]
[[Category:Femme Fatale]]
[[Category:Spoiled Brats]]
[[Category:Liars]]
[[Category:United States of America]]