'These were cold-blooded killers:' Relative of Manson family victim urges board to deny parole to Van Houten, Beausoleil




SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Almost half of a century after the infamous Manson family murdered actress Sharon Tate and four of her friends, two members have been recommended for parole. 

Members of the Manson family also committed several other murders and crimes across Southern California.

Earlier this year, two separate parole panels recommended parole for Leslie Van Houten and Robert Beausoleil.

Now, one relative of a Manson family victim is saying their parole should be denied.

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown denied Van Houten’s previous requests, but it’s unknown how current Governor Gavin Newsom will rule in his first big parole test.

“I think he’s an intelligent man, he’s a successful man, so I hope - and this will be his first time, you know - I hope that he makes a decision that is a comprehensive one that includes what these people did specifically,” Anthony Dimaria said.

Dimaria said his uncle, Jay Sebring, was one of five victims killed by four of Charles Manson’s followers on  August 8, 1969.

“He was a very charismatic man, and he left a very indelible impression on me but also in the people who were close to him,” Dimaria said.

The night after the Tate murders, a then 19-year-old Van Houten joined that same group of Manson followers to kill supermarket executive Leno Labianca and his wife Rosemary.

In January, she was recommended for release by a parole board, as was 71-year-old Beausoleil.

Weeks before the Tate murders, Beausoleil and two other Manson family members kidnapped and tortured Gary Hinman, a music teacher and Ph.D. student at the UCLA.

Beausoleil currently resides in the California Medical Facility in Vacaville.

Although neither Van Houten nor Beausoleil was there the night Dimaria’s uncle killed, he’s advocating they not be released.

“The people who committed these crimes, they acted collectively. It was all in concert,” Dimaria stated. “And the egregious, severe nature of their crimes, that’s the very least that they could do, is spend the rest of their lives behind bars.”

Dimaria said he sent a letter to Gov. Newsom, but he is concerned with how the two parole panels handled the hearings.

“Any time a governor is making decisions, there’s concerns. But I would not presume one way or another in this case,” he said. “Sometimes those questions are presumptive that this was a cult, or that they were brainwashed. But these were not followers, these were cold blooded killers; of one of the most notorious crime and murder organizations in American history.”

Sharon Tate’s sister, Debra, said she has also sent Gov. Newsom a letter asking them to not be released.

Calls to both Van Houten and Beausoleil’s attorneys were not returned.

Newsom’s office also has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Charles Manson died at a hospital while still in custody in 2017.