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Gavin Newsom again rejected release for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has served over five decades behind bars for her involvement in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings orchestrated by Charles Manson.

Parole Reversal Draws Backlash

Nearly five months after California’s parole board found the elderly fit for release, Newsom overturned the decision and stated that Krenwinkel “currently poses an unacceptable risk to the public if freed from prison at this time.”

This marks the second time the governor has prevented her release, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who argued the governor opted for “politics over people” and overlooked the abuse she endured from Manson.

“The governor's decision of her parole approval has nothing to do with the evidence of how much she’s changed or the risk she presents,” stated Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It's entirely political, in opposition to the evidence and the controlling law.”

Background of the Murders

The inmate was 21 when the Manson's followers committed the murders of actor Sharon Tate and four others, among them socialite Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening murdered Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. By 1971, she and fellow cult members were convicted of seven counts of murder charges for their involvement in the crimes.

Prison Transformation

In her decades behind bars – Krenwinkel is California’s longest serving incarcerated woman – she has turned her life around, friends and her legal team have reported. Krenwinkel has obtained higher education and her conduct is clean, her attorney said, which was a key factor the panel supported her parole.

Krenwinkel has expressed remorse for her actions in the offenses. In 2022, she stated: “I wish to express how terribly sorry I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I took the lives that I did … I try every day to make amends … [and] focus on being a better person.”

Past Abuse and Reform

A 2017 investigation by the parole board found she experienced abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her attorney noted, stating that she has developed her “own identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.

Other Cases

Newsom has previously denied parole for other cult members. Leslie Van Houten was released from California prison in recent years after over five decades when a court of appeals reversed the governor’s decision to block her parole.