'I was relieved that it was abolished, but I also knew that abolishing the death penalty gave me a huge responsibility to atone,' Van Houten told a podcast in 2021. This week the now 73-year-old walked free after more than half a century behind bars.
Van Houten entered prison as a fresh-faced 19-year-old, a crude 'X' etched into her forehead the only visible evidence of her devotion to notorious cult leader Charles Manson.
