Leslie Van Houten letter/envelope 9/28/2005

This auction is for a letter from former "Manson Family" Leslie Van Houten. Van Houten was charged in connection with her involvement in the LaBianca murders, although it's likely she didn't kill anyone at any time. He accomplice Charles "Tex" Watson delivered the fatal blows. Despite her young age, lack of criminal record, and obvious minimal participation Vincent Bugliosi felt comfortable seeking the death penalty against her. She was convicted of the two murders and sentenced to death, a sentence that would be commuted to life with the 1972 Supreme Court decision to abolish capital punishment. In 1976 Van Houten's conviction would be overturned. Two subsequent trials would follow with Van Houten bonding out for the third. But she'd be convicted again. She remains disciplinary free and by all accounts is a model prisoner. To this day she remains housed in the California Department of Corrections, an excellent use of California tax dollars.

ITEM DESCRIPTION: The missive is four pages on two sheets, dated 9/28/2005, and signed, "Les." The stationary is 5.75"×7". The original mailing envelope is postmarked 9/30/2005. The letter and envelope come inside a protective magazine sleeve with an acid free board and have been stored flat. Message me with any questions you might have. Thanks for having a look-see.

ABOUT THE MANSON FAMILY: The "Manson Family" was a environmentally consensus commune of sorts, consisting primarily of young adults, which was established in the late 1960's by Mr. Charles Manson. The group shared similarities with other "hippie communes" of that era. In 1969, after a few members of the group were arrested and later connected to a series of high profile California murders, the group became the focus of intense media scrutiny. The crimes became known as the "Tate/Labianca Murders." At the crime scenes messages were written in blood on the walls, such as "Helter Skelter" and "political piggy." Among the victims were Roman Polanski's wife/movie actress Sharon Tate, who was over eight months pregnant and stabbed 16 times. Coffee heiress Abigail Folger was also among the dead, she was stabbed 28 times. Staring 7/25/1969 to 8/26/1969 nine people were murdered. The crimes had many residents in Los Angeles on edge. Manson, Charles Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, Leslie Van Houten, Bobby Beausoleil, Bruce Davis, Steve Grogan, and Linda Kasabian were arrested on unrelated charged only to be linked to the murders after Atkins began bragging to fellow inmates about the crimes. During and after the trail Lynette Fromme and Sandra Good became the two most public voices from the group. Both women were arrested in 1975, Fromme for the attempted assassination of President Ford. Prosecutors argued the 1969 crime spree was done in effort to incite a race war between white and black Americans, although there was very little evidence to suggest that. They also presented to the jury all the murders were carried out under Manson's orders. All the defendants were ultimately convicted. Despite never personally killing anyone themselves Manson, Atkins, and Van Houten were each sentenced to death, along with Krenwinkel, Watson, and Grogan. Watson had committed the bulk of the murders himself. Those death sentences would be commuted to life with the abolishment of the death penalty in 1972. Beausoleil and Davis received life sentences. Kasabian received immunity in exchange for her testimony and corroboration of the prosecution theory. Grogan would be paroled in 1985. Atkins and Manson have since died in prison. In more recent years Manson supporters Craig "Gray Wolf" Hammond and Afton "Star" Burton became the group's face. The A.T.W.A, an acronym of air, trees, water, and animals, and environmental theme has always been the message those closest to Manson have tried to conveyed and not one of "race war hippie death cult murder" that the media presents. A common misconception is despite constantly being referred to as the "Manson Family," the term itself was actually coined by the lead prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi and was never something those in the group called themselves. There has also been an ongoing argument of guilty and responsibility in the media. Some claim Manson was factually innocent of any wrong doing, a claim that does have some validity. Whether you believe Manson is innocent or guilty, the case remains one of the most celebrated in American true crime history and modern times.