a california parole board] recommending to former charles manson follower leslie van houton should be. that decision must first undergo however administrative review by the legal team on the parole board and then it has to be approved by governor jerry brown. van houton is the first manson follower convicted in the labianca murders to reach this stage. her attorney is confident she will be set free. joining us is fred keefe, former federal prosecutor, ashley merchant, a criminal defense attorney. welcome to both. actually, let me begin with you. these were probably the most shocking and heinous murders in the history of california.van houton was originally sentenced to death. now she could go free? >> right, and that's what i think is most surprising to folks, the fact that she could have been executed by the state of california and now there's a chance that at 66 she could go free but after 40 something years in prison, what kind of a life is she going to have if she does go free? i'm sure her family is long gone. this is a large problem for later inlife rowley's who has spent the ma

. >>> after 45 years behind bars, leslie van houton has been approved for parole. >> reporter: familybers were shocked and outraged by the decision about how a convicted murder can be set free. >> i can't tell you who an injustice this is. family members are scared to death of these people still. i know the carnage that has extended family as generations have gone down. and, i come forward on their behalf. so i can't speak as debra. i speak as a labianca. they are absolutely outraged that this can happen. the hearing lasted eight hours. >> reporter: the commissioners going into graphic detail about everything from her childhood, relationship with charles manson, and the murders. crimes the victims' family insist are too gruesome, the killers too dangerous to leave prison. >> these are predatory killers. not crimes of passion. >> reporter: the commissioners agreed the crimes were atrocious, cruel, and monstrous saying the very name charles manson evokes fear, evil, and dane tore the general public. but they also say ms. van houten has done everything she can to rehabilitate hers teachi

a jury convicted leslie van houton and other manson cult members of killing a wealthy grocer and his wife back in 1969. van houton's lawyer described his client as numb when they heard the parole panel's decision. it's a recommendation passes and administrative review, it then goes to the governor who has the final say. van houton was 20 years old when manson members went on a summer-long killing spree in and around los angeles. >>> meanwhile, decision 2016 we just learned democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton will campaign in philadelphia next wednesday. we'll bring you the details of where she'll appear as soon as we get them. clinton was just in philly last week for the afl-cio convention in center city. her rival, bernie sanders, also spoke at that convention. now both are trying to get votes ahead of the pennsylvania primary. that's scheduled for april 26th. >>> and police in california are searching for two robbers who stole from a target store and then called to complain about security. police say the man and the woman were leaving the store with printer ink cartri