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The governor again rejected parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has served over five decades in prison for her involvement in the notorious Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by the cult leader.

Parole Reversal Draws Backlash

Nearly five months after California’s parole board deemed the elderly fit for freedom, the governor overturned the decision and declared that Krenwinkel “currently represents an unreasonable danger to society if freed from prison at this time.”

This marks the second time the governor has prevented her release, and the move was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who argued the governor opted for “political motives over human considerations” and failed to consider the mistreatment she endured from the cult figure.

“Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has no connection to the record of her transformation or the risk she poses,” stated Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, in opposition to the evidence and the controlling law.”

Case History of the Crimes

Krenwinkel was twenty-one when the Manson's followers committed the murders of actor Sharon Tate and several others, among them heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the following night killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his spouse, Rosemary. By 1971, she and other Manson followers were found guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder for their roles in the attack.

Life Behind Bars

In her decades in prison – she is California’s longest serving female prisoner – she has reformed, friends and her legal team have reported. Krenwinkel has obtained higher education and her conduct is clean, her attorney said, which was one of the reasons the panel recommended her for release.

Krenwinkel has expressed remorse for her actions in the crimes. In 2022, she said: “I want to say how terribly sorry I am for the harm and anguish that I caused when I took the lives that I did … I strive daily to live amends … [and] focus on self-improvement.”

Past Abuse and Rehabilitation

An earlier inquiry by the parole board revealed she endured abuse in multiple forms by the cult leader, her attorney noted, stating that she has found her “own identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.

Other Cases

The governor has previously denied parole for other former Manson followers. Leslie Van Houten was released from California prison in recent years after over five decades when a court of appeals overturned the governor's ruling to block her parole.