Patricia Krenwinkel, follower of cult leader Charles Manson, recommended for parole again
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LOS ANGELES - Former Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel has once again been recommended for parole, marking a significant step in the 78-year-old's decades-long incarceration for her role in the infamous 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders.
The preliminary decision places her fate back into the hands of the state's rigorous review process, ultimately leaving the final call to California's governor.
What we know:
Krenwinkel was preliminarily granted parole at her 18th subsequent suitability hearing. State officials from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the decision on Wednesday.
She is currently serving a life prison term following her 1971 conviction for seven counts of first-degree murder.
Her crimes involved participating with fellow Manson family members Charles "Tex" Watson and Leslie Van Houten in the August 1969 killings of pregnant actress Sharon Tate, Thomas Jay Sebring, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Earl Parent, as well as the slayings of grocers Leno and Rosemary LaBianca the next day.
Manson family members and murder suspects Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle, and Leslie van Houton in 1970.
Originally sentenced to death, her penalty was reduced to life in prison after a pre-1972 California Supreme Court ruling invalidated all death sentences.
Timeline:
The parole board most recently granted Krenwinkel parole on May 30, 2025, but Governor Gavin Newsom reversed that decision on October 13, 2025.
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Prior to that, a parole board panel also recommended her for release in May 2022, which Newsom similarly reversed later that same year.
What they're saying:
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation emphasized the preliminary nature of the ruling, stating that "all grants of parole are proposed decisions and become final only after a thorough and comprehensive review by the Board of Parole Hearings and the Governor."
In his 2025 reversal decision, Newsom commended Krenwinkel for her "efforts to improve herself in prison," which included earning multiple college degrees and maintaining "an excellent disciplinary history."
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However, he concluded that those factors were outweighed by public safety concerns, writing, "When considered as a whole, I find the evidence shows that she currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time. Therefore, I reverse the decision to parole Ms. Krenwinkel."
What's next:
The preliminary decision is now subject to a 120-day review by the Board of Parole Hearings.
Because her conviction involves murder, the governor will then have an additional 30 days to review the board's decision and either allow it to stand or reverse it.
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Under California law, parole commissioners and the state utilize risk-assessment tools, evaluations by forensic psychologists, prison records, parole plans, and impact statements to determine if an individual poses an unreasonable risk to public safety.
If the governor chooses to reverse this latest parole decision, Krenwinkel will be scheduled for another hearing within 18 months of Tuesday's hearing.
The Source: The information in this report is based on statements provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. City News Service contributed.