California Parole Board Recommends Parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, Former Charles Manson Follower
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
A California state parole board recommended on Friday, for the second time, parole for Patricia Krenwinkel, a follower of cult leader Charles Manson. The decision must be approved by the Board of Parole Hearings and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who rejected the first parole recommendation for Krenwinkel. The governor's review process can take up to 150 days. Krenwinkel, 77, is serving a life sentence at the California Institution for Women for her role in the murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others in August 1969, as well as the merchant Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, the following night, in what prosecutors have described as Manson's attempt to incite a racial war. She was convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder in April 1971. Krenwinkel was first recommended for parole in May 2022, but Newsom rejected the parole five months later, according to inmate records from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Prior to that, she had been denied parole on 14 occasions. Friday's hearing regarding her suitability for parole was the 16th, confirmed David Maldonado, deputy director of strategic communications and external affairs for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Krenwinkel was 19 years old and working as a secretary when she met 33-year-old Manson at a party. She left her life behind to follow him because she believed they could have a romantic relationship, she stated in 2016. Instead, she was abused by Manson and attempted to escape, but was forced to return each time and was often under the influence of drugs. Krenwinkel admitted to stabbing coffee heiress Abigail Folger multiple times on the night of August 9, 1969, in addition to participating in the LaBianca murders the following night. During the LaBianca murders, she infamously wrote 'Helter Skelter' and other phrases on the wall with the blood of her victims. She, along with Manson and other participants, was found guilty and sentenced to death. Her sentences were commuted to life with the possibility of parole in 1972, after the death penalty was briefly declared unconstitutional in California. Krenwinkel is the longest-serving inmate in the state. The governor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
