Former Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel recommended for parole again in California

California parole officials granted parole to former Charles Manson follower Patricia Krenwinkel on Tuesday, according to the Guardian, NBC Los Angeles, KCRA, the Los Angeles Times, and LAmag. The 78 year old has spent nearly six decades in prison for her participation in the Tate LaBianca murders in Los Angeles. [1][2][3][4][5]

This decision marks the third time that California board of parole hearings officials have recommended Krenwinkel for release, the Guardian and KCRA both report. Governor Gavin Newsom previously overturned her last two parole grants and denied her freedom. [1][3][8]

Krenwinkel was part of the Manson Family, a California cult and commune led by Charles Manson in the late 1960s and early 1970s. On August 9, 1969, Krenwinkel, Tex Watson, and Susan Atkins murdered Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Wojciech Frykowski, Abigail Folger, and Steven Parent at a home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. [6][7]

In 1971, Krenwinkel was convicted on seven counts of first degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder. She was sentenced to death, but her sentence was automatically commuted to life imprisonment in 1972 after the California Supreme Court invalidated state death penalty laws. [8]

Krenwinkel now faces another review process by the governor. Governor Gavin Newsom previously denied her parole request as recently as October 2025. [1][8]