Gavin Newsom Rejects Early Release for Cult Member Patricia Krenwinkel
The governor has once more rejected release for the convicted inmate, who has served more than five decades in prison for her involvement in the notorious Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by Charles Manson.
Parole Reversal Sparks Criticism
Nearly five months after California’s parole board deemed the 77-year-old suitable for freedom, Newsom overturned the decision and declared that Krenwinkel “currently represents an unacceptable risk to the public if freed from prison at this time.”
This marks the second instance Newsom has prevented her release, and the move was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who claimed the governor chose “political motives over human considerations” and failed to consider the abuse she suffered from Manson.
“Newsom’s reversal of her parole approval has no connection to the evidence of how much she’s changed or the risk she presents,” stated Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, in opposition to the evidence and the controlling law.”
Background of the Crimes
Krenwinkel was twenty-one when the Manson cult carried out the murders of actress Sharon Tate and four others, among them heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. By 1971, she and fellow cult members were found guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the attack.
Life Behind Bars
In her decades in prison – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has reformed, supporters and attorneys stated. Krenwinkel has earned college degrees and her behavior record is clean, her attorney noted, which was a key factor the parole board supported her parole.
Krenwinkel has shown regret for her actions in the offenses. In 2022, she stated: “I wish to express my deep regret I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I ended the lives that I did … I try every day to live amends … [and] work toward being a better person.”
Previous Mistreatment and Rehabilitation
An earlier inquiry by the authorities found she experienced abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her attorney noted, adding that she has found her “personal identity, independence, and moral compass”.
Similar Instances
The governor has previously blocked release for other cult members. Another follower was freed from state custody in 2023 after over five decades when a state appeals court reversed the governor’s decision to deny her release.
