Gavin Newsom has once more rejected release for the convicted inmate, who has served more than five decades in prison for her role in the 1969 murders masterminded by Charles Manson.
Nearly five months after California’s parole board deemed the elderly fit for freedom, the governor overturned the decision and declared that the inmate “currently represents an unacceptable risk to society if released from custody at this time.”
This marks the second time Newsom has prevented her parole, and the decision was met with sharp criticism from her legal representative, who argued the governor chose “politics over people” and failed to consider the abuse she suffered from Manson.
“Newsom’s reversal of Pat’s grant has no connection to the record of how much she’s changed or the danger she presents,” said Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the evidence and the governing regulations.”
Krenwinkel was 21 when the Manson's followers carried out the murders of actress Sharon Tate and several others, including heiress Abigail Folger and celebrity stylist Jay Sebring, and the next evening killed grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. In 1971, she and other Manson followers were found guilty of multiple counts of murder charges for their roles in the crimes.
In her decades in prison – Krenwinkel is the state's most senior female prisoner – she has reformed, friends and her legal team stated. Krenwinkel has earned college degrees and her conduct is spotless, legal counsel said, which was a key factor the panel recommended her for release.
The inmate has expressed remorse for her role in the offenses. In 2022, she said: “I wish to express my deep regret I am for all the pain and suffering that I caused when I ended the lives that I did … I strive daily to make amends … [and] focus on being a better person.”
An earlier inquiry by the parole board found she experienced abuse in multiple forms by Charles Manson, her lawyer noted, stating that she has developed her “personal identity, independence, and ethical guidance”.
The governor has previously blocked parole for other former Manson followers. Leslie Van Houten was freed from California prison in recent years after over five decades when a court of appeals reversed the governor’s decision to block her parole.
