Gavin Newsom Blocks Parole for Cult Member Patricia Krenwinkel
Gavin Newsom has once more refused release for Patricia Krenwinkel, who has spent over half a century in prison for her role in the 1969 murders orchestrated by the cult leader.
Parole Reversal Draws Criticism
Months after the state parole panel deemed the 77-year-old fit for freedom, Newsom overturned the decision and stated that Krenwinkel “currently poses an unacceptable risk to society if freed from prison at this time.”
This marks the second time Newsom has blocked her release, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who claimed the governor chose “political motives over human considerations” and overlooked the mistreatment she suffered from the cult figure.
“Newsom’s reversal of her parole approval has nothing to do with the evidence of how much she’s changed or the risk she poses,” said her attorney, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the facts and the governing regulations.”
Case History of the Murders
The inmate was twenty-one when the Manson's followers committed the murders of actress Sharon Tate and several others, among them heiress Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the following night murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary. In 1971, she and fellow cult members were convicted of multiple counts of murder charges for their roles in the attack.
Prison Transformation
In her decades behind bars – she is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has reformed, supporters and attorneys stated. Krenwinkel has obtained higher education and her conduct is spotless, her attorney said, which was a key factor the parole board recommended her for release.
Krenwinkel has expressed remorse for her role in the offenses. In 2022, she said: “I want to say how terribly sorry I am for the harm and anguish that I created when I took the lives that I did … I strive daily to make amends … [and] work toward self-improvement.”
Past Abuse and Rehabilitation
A 2017 investigation by the authorities found she endured abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her lawyer said in a statement, stating that she has found her “own identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.
Similar Instances
Newsom has previously blocked parole for other Manson followers. Leslie Van Houten was freed from California prison in 2023 after over five decades when a court of appeals overturned the governor’s decision to block her parole.
