Gavin Newsom Blocks Early Release for Manson Follower Patricia Krenwinkel

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

Governor's Decision Sparks Criticism

Nearly five months after the state parole panel deemed the elderly fit for release, Newsom reversed the ruling and declared that the inmate “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time.”

This marks the second instance Newsom has prevented her release, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who argued the governor chose “politics over people” and failed to consider the abuse she endured from Manson.

“Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has no connection to the record of her transformation or the risk she poses,” stated Keith Wattley, Krenwinkel’s attorney. “It's entirely political, directly contrary to the facts and the governing regulations.”

Background of the Crimes

The inmate was 21 when the Manson's followers carried out the killings of actor Sharon Tate and four others, among them socialite Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. In 1971, she and other Manson followers were found guilty of multiple counts of first-degree murder for their roles in the crimes.

Life Behind Bars

In her decades in prison – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior female prisoner – she has turned her life around, friends and her legal team have reported. She has obtained higher education and her conduct is spotless, her attorney noted, which was a key factor the panel supported her parole.

The inmate has shown regret for her role in the crimes. Previously, she stated: “I want to say how terribly sorry I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I ended the lives that I did … I strive daily to live amends … [and] work toward self-improvement.”

Past Abuse and Reform

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

Similar Instances

The governor has previously denied parole for other former cult members. Leslie Van Houten was released from state custody in 2023 after 53 years when a state appeals court overturned the governor's ruling to block her parole.