Charles Manson Follower Leslie Van Houten Denied Parole by California Gov. Jerry Brown

Leslie Van Houten, the youngest follower of murderous cult leader Charles Manson, has been denied parole by California Gov. Jerry Brown.

On Friday, Brown overturned the recommendation of a parole board that deemed Van Houten, 66, to be fit for release, the Associated Press reports. In 1969, Van Houten and several members of the Manson Family went on a two-day killing spree that left seven people dead, including actress Sharon Tate.

Van Houten, who was 19 at the time, was convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, and sentenced to life in prison. In April, a Board of Parole Hearings panel found Van Houten suitable for parole, though has already been denied parole 19 times.

"Both her role in these extraordinarily brutal crimes and her inability to explain her willing participation in such horrific violence cannot be overlooked and lead me to believe she remains an unacceptable risk to society if released," Brown said in a statement, according to AP.



In June, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey penned a five-page letter to Brown, asking that he deny parole to the former follower because she "poses an unreasonable risk to public safety."

That same month, Tate's sister, Debra, delivered signatures to Brown's office and has led the opposition against releasing Manson family members.

Van Houten, who was described as a model inmate by the parole board, is expected to be granted her next parole hearing in as little as a year, according to her lawyer, Rich Pfeiffer.