Patricia Krenwinkel, a former follower of Charles Manson, was paroled Tuesday after nearly six decades in prison for her role in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in Los Angeles.
This is the third time the release of Krenwinkel, 78, has been approved by the California Parole Board. After his last two parolees, Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, overturned the parole board’s decisions and denied him freedom, and Krenwinkel’s lawyers are now urging the Democrat to uphold this latest decision.
Krenwinkel, who was 21 at the time of the 1969 murders, was imprisoned longer than any other woman in California, and the parole board repeatedly acknowledged her rehabilitation record during 57 years in prison, concluding that she would not pose a danger to society, given her advanced age.
She was convicted in 1971 for her role in the two-night violent crime spree that claimed the lives of actor Sharon Tate, eight months pregnant, and her four friends, as well as grocery store owner Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary. The murders were gruesome and became one of the most notorious crimes in the United States.
Krenwinkel was 19 when she “fell under the control of Charles Manson” and was exploited and psychologically abused by the cult leader, her lawyers said.
“It took decades of hard, deliberate work to get to this moment to confront who she was, what she did and the devastating harm she caused,” her longtime attorney, Keith Wattley, said in a statement after the parole was granted. “She fully accepts responsibility for her actions, for everything she contributed to and for every life she destroyed in 1969. Pat does not excuse or minimize this harm.”
During her decades of imprisonment, Krenwinkel had a clean disciplinary record, and nine consecutive psychological evaluations over the past 40 years found she posed a low risk to public safety, according to Wattley, who has represented Krenwinkel for 16 years. He said she participated in extensive therapy and group counseling, earned a college degree and trained service dogs for people with disabilities.
“I have seen the depth of her remorse and the extraordinary work she has done to turn her life around. I firmly believe she is ready to come home,” Wattley added.
Debra Tate, Sharon Tate’s sister, has repeatedly opposed the release of Krenwinkel and other Manson supporters.
When Newsom denied Krenwinkel parole in 2022, after the board deemed her suitable for release, the governor acknowledged that she had been “a victim of Mr. Manson’s abuse” and said she had “matured in prison and engaged in commendable rehabilitation efforts.” But he argued she had “failed to develop a sufficient understanding of the causal factors of her crime and the triggers for her anti-social thoughts” and was still dangerous.
When Newsom again denied parole in 2025, he also acknowledged that her “severe chronic health conditions” had diminished her strength, but concluded that she “needs to do additional work to increase her knowledge before she can be safely released.”
The governor is required to take into account her advanced age and the fact that she committed the crime in her youth in his review of her case.
Krenwinkel’s lawyers and defenders have repeatedly argued that the governor is bowing to political pressure by denying parole to people convicted in high-profile cases. Newsom previously vetoed the release of Leslie van Houten, another former Manson supporter, but an appeals court sided with him and granted him freedom in 2023. Newsom also faced scrutiny for overturning the parole grant of Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, even after two of Kennedy’s sons favored his release.
The push for Krenwinkel’s release comes at a time of growing concern about the growing number of elderly people languishing in U.S. prisons after decades of incarceration. Krenwinkel’s longtime friends at California’s women’s prison told the Guardian last year that she was a mentor and support system to other inmates at the prison.
Wattley, founder of UnCommon Law, a nonprofit that represents people at parole hearings, urged Newsom to “uphold the law” and approve Krenwinkel’s freedom: “The parole process exists because people can change, rehabilitation is important, and public safety must be evidence-based. Pat’s case raises a fundamental question: If three parolees don’t lead to release, what good is this process?”
Spokespeople for Newsom did not immediately respond to an inquiry Wednesday.
Gn entert
