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Gavin Newsom has once more refused parole for the convicted inmate, who has spent over five decades behind bars for her role in the notorious Tate-LaBianca killings orchestrated by Charles Manson.

Parole Reversal Sparks Criticism

Months after California’s parole board deemed the 77-year-old fit for freedom, Newsom overturned the decision and stated that Krenwinkel “currently poses an unreasonable danger to the public if freed from custody at this time.”

It was the second instance Newsom has blocked her release, and the move was met with strong opposition from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who argued the governor chose “political motives over human considerations” and failed to consider the abuse she suffered from Manson.

“Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has no connection to the evidence of how much she’s changed or the danger she presents,” stated Keith Wattley, Krenwinkel’s attorney. “It is 100% political, in opposition to the facts and the controlling law.”

Background of the Crimes

Krenwinkel was twenty-one when the Manson cult committed the killings of actor Sharon Tate and several others, including socialite Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his spouse, Rosemary LaBianca. By 1971, she and fellow cult members were found guilty of seven counts of first-degree murder for their involvement in the crimes.

Life Behind Bars

Over many years in prison – she is the state's most senior female prisoner – she has reformed, supporters and attorneys stated. She has obtained higher education and her conduct is clean, legal counsel said, which was a key factor the parole board supported her parole.

The inmate has expressed remorse for her actions in the crimes. In 2022, she stated: “I want to say my deep regret I am for the harm and anguish that I created when I ended the lives that I did … I try every day to make amends … [and] focus on self-improvement.”

Past Abuse and Reform

A 2017 investigation by the parole board found she experienced physical, emotional and sexual violence by the cult leader, her lawyer noted, adding that she has found her “personal identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.

Other Cases

The governor has previously blocked parole for other former Manson followers. Another follower was freed from state custody in recent years after over five decades when a court of appeals overturned the governor’s decision to deny her release.