Ex-Manson Family member Patricia Krenwinkel again denied parole by Newsom for role in 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders
By Richard Ramos
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has again denied the parole of Patricia Krenwinkel, the longest-serving female inmate in the state and a former follower of cult leader Charles Manson, citing ongoing concerns about her insight and risk to public safety.
In a written decision released by his office, Newsom said he denied the May 2025 parole recommendation for Krenwinkel, 77, after concluding that she “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison.”
“I have concluded that the evidence in Ms. Krenwinkel’s case demonstrates that she lacks the requisite insight she needs to be safely released,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom acknowledged Krenwinkel’s participation in self-help programs, vocational training, earning college degrees and service dog work during her more than five decades in prison.
“I commend her for taking these steps, and I encourage her to continue on this positive path,” he wrote.
Krenwinkel was 21 in 1969 when she participated in the infamous two-night killing spree orchestrated by Manson, including the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six others. She was convicted in 1971 of seven counts of first-degree murder and originally sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life in prison after California’s death penalty was ruled unconstitutional in 1972.
Newsom’s decision marks the second time he has overturned a parole recommendation for Krenwinkel. In 2022, he similarly denied her release, stating that she remained a public safety risk. Under California law, youthful offenders, those who commit crimes under the age of 26, are entitled to special consideration during parole reviews, but Newsom said that Krenwinkel’s case still falls short of meeting the threshold for release.
“At the time of the crimes, Ms. Krenwinkel demonstrated hallmark features of youth, which diminished her culpability under youth offender laws,” he acknowledged, citing a recent psychological evaluation.
However, he noted that while she has matured and made efforts toward rehabilitation, the “mitigating factors are outweighed by negative factors that bear on her risk for future dangerousness.”
The governor highlighted a psychologist’s 2025 report that concluded Krenwinkel has shown some productive introspection but still exhibits “deficits in self-awareness,” including a “tendency to externalize blame” for her role in the murders.
“She has not demonstrated sufficient gains in this area since I previously considered her 2022 parole grant,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom also reviewed Krenwinkel’s case under California’s Elderly Parole laws, given her age and declining health. Though he acknowledged her chronic medical conditions and physical frailty, he said these factors were not sufficient to outweigh her continued risk.
With Newsom’s reversal, Krenwinkel will remain incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Corona.
Krenwinkel met Charles Manson at age 19 and joined his cult, eventually becoming one of his most devoted followers. During the 1969 Tate-LaBianca murders, she actively participated in the stabbing death of Folger and the LaBianca killings, in addition to her involvement in the other five murders.
Krenwinkel had been denied parole over a dozen times before receiving that first recommendation in 2022. Her co-defendant Leslie Van Houten was released on parole in 2023. Fellow Manson follower Charles “Tex” Watson remains in prison, while Susan Atkins died of cancer in custody in 2009. Manson himself died in 2017 after spending more than 45 years in prison.
