🔗 Share this article

Gavin Newsom has once more rejected parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has spent over half a century in prison for her role in the 1969 murders orchestrated by Charles Manson.

Parole Reversal Draws Backlash

Nearly five months after California’s parole board deemed the 77-year-old suitable for release, the governor overturned the ruling and declared that the inmate “currently represents an unacceptable risk to society if freed from custody at this time.”

It was the second instance the governor has blocked her parole, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who argued the governor opted for “political motives over human considerations” and overlooked the abuse she endured from Manson.

“The governor's decision of Pat’s grant has nothing to do with the record of how much she’s changed or the risk she poses,” stated her attorney, her legal counsel. “It's entirely political, in opposition to the evidence and the governing regulations.”

Case History of the Murders

Krenwinkel was 21 when the Manson cult carried out the killings of actress Sharon Tate and several others, including heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. By 1971, she and other Manson followers were found guilty of multiple counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the crimes.

Life Behind Bars

In her decades behind bars – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has reformed, friends and her legal team have reported. Krenwinkel has obtained higher education and her conduct is clean, legal counsel said, which was a key factor the parole board recommended her for release.

The inmate has shown regret for her role in the crimes. Previously, she stated: “I wish to express my deep regret I am for the harm and anguish that I created when I took the lives that I did … I try every day to live amends … [and] focus on self-improvement.”

Previous Mistreatment and Rehabilitation

A 2017 investigation by the parole board found she experienced abuse in multiple forms by the cult leader, her lawyer said in a statement, adding that she has developed her “own identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.

Similar Instances

The governor has previously blocked parole for other cult members. Another follower was freed from state custody in recent years after 53 years when a state appeals court overturned the governor’s decision to deny her release.