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The governor again refused parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has served more than five decades behind bars for her role in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by the cult leader.

Governor's Decision Sparks Backlash

Months after California’s parole board found the elderly fit for release, the governor overturned the decision and declared that the inmate “currently represents an unacceptable risk to the public if freed from custody at this time.”

It was the second instance Newsom has blocked her parole, and the move was met with sharp criticism from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who argued the governor opted for “political motives over human considerations” and failed to consider the abuse she suffered from the cult figure.

“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 poses,” stated her attorney, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the facts and the controlling law.”

Background of the Crimes

Krenwinkel was 21 when the Manson cult committed the killings of actor Sharon Tate and four others, including heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening murdered Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. In 1971, she and other Manson followers were convicted of multiple counts of murder charges for their roles in the crimes.

Life Behind Bars

In her decades behind bars – she is California’s longest serving female prisoner – she has reformed, friends and her legal team stated. She has earned college degrees and her conduct is clean, her attorney noted, which was one of the reasons the parole board recommended her for release.

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

Previous Mistreatment and Reform

An earlier inquiry by the authorities found she endured physical, emotional and sexual violence by the cult leader, her attorney noted, adding that she has developed her “personal identity, independence, and moral compass”.

Other Cases

The governor has previously blocked parole for other Manson followers. Leslie Van Houten was freed from California prison in 2023 after over five decades when a state appeals court reversed the governor's ruling to deny her release.