🔗 Share this article

The governor has once more rejected parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has spent over five decades behind bars for her role in the 1969 murders orchestrated by the cult leader.

Parole Reversal Sparks Backlash

Months after the state parole panel found the 77-year-old fit for release, Newsom overturned the ruling and stated that Krenwinkel “currently represents an unacceptable risk to society if released from custody at this time.”

It was the second instance Newsom has prevented her release, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who claimed the governor chose “politics over people” and overlooked the abuse she suffered from Manson.

“Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has no connection to the record of her transformation or the risk she presents,” said Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the evidence and the governing regulations.”

Case History of the Crimes

The inmate was twenty-one when the Manson cult carried out the killings of actor Sharon Tate and several others, including heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening murdered Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. By 1971, she and other Manson followers were convicted of multiple counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the crimes.

Life Behind Bars

Over many years behind bars – she is California’s longest serving incarcerated woman – she has reformed, supporters and attorneys have reported. She has earned college degrees and her conduct is clean, her attorney noted, which was a key factor the panel recommended her for release.

Krenwinkel has shown regret for her role in the offenses. In 2022, she stated: “I wish to express how terribly sorry I am for the harm and anguish that I created when I took the lives that I did … I strive daily to live amends … [and] focus on being a better person.”

Past Abuse and Rehabilitation

A 2017 investigation by the authorities revealed she experienced abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her lawyer noted, stating that she has developed her “personal identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.

Similar Instances

Newsom has previously blocked release for other Manson followers. Another follower was released from California prison in recent years after over five decades when a state appeals court reversed the governor’s decision to deny her release.