California's Governor Blocks Parole for Manson Follower Longtime Inmate
Gavin Newsom has once more refused release for the convicted inmate, who has served over half a century in prison for her involvement in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by the cult leader.
Parole Reversal Sparks Backlash
Nearly five months after California’s parole board found the elderly fit for release, the governor overturned the decision and declared that the inmate “currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if freed from custody at this time.”
This marks the second time the governor has blocked her release, and the decision was met with strong opposition from her legal representative, who argued the governor opted for “politics over people” and failed to consider the mistreatment 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 risk she presents,” said her attorney, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the facts and the governing regulations.”
Case History of the Murders
Krenwinkel was twenty-one when the Manson cult carried out the killings of actor Sharon Tate and four others, among them socialite Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the following night killed Leno LaBianca and his spouse, Rosemary. By 1971, she and fellow cult members were found guilty of seven counts of murder charges for their involvement in the crimes.
Life Behind Bars
In her decades in prison – she is the state's most senior incarcerated woman – she has reformed, friends and her legal team have reported. Krenwinkel has earned college degrees and her behavior record is spotless, legal counsel noted, which was a key factor the panel recommended her for release.
The inmate has expressed remorse for her actions in the crimes. Previously, she said: “I wish to express my deep regret I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I took the lives that I did … I try every day to live amends … [and] focus on being a better person.”
Past Abuse and Rehabilitation
A 2017 investigation by the authorities found she endured abuse in multiple forms by the cult leader, her attorney said in a statement, adding that she has developed her “own identity, self-reliance, and moral compass”.
Other Cases
Newsom has previously blocked release for other former cult members. Leslie Van Houten was freed from California prison in recent years after over five decades when a court of appeals reversed the governor's ruling to deny her release.
