🔗 Share this article

Gavin Newsom has once more denied release for the convicted inmate, who has spent over half a century behind bars for her involvement in the 1969 Tate-LaBianca killings masterminded by the cult leader.

Governor's Decision Sparks Backlash

Nearly five months after California’s parole board deemed the 77-year-old fit for release, the governor reversed the ruling and stated that Krenwinkel “currently represents an unacceptable risk to society if released from custody at this time.”

It was the second instance Newsom has prevented her parole, and the decision was met with strong opposition from Krenwinkel’s longtime attorney, who argued the governor opted for “politics over people” and failed to consider the mistreatment she endured from the cult figure.

“The governor's decision of her parole approval has no connection to the evidence of how much she’s changed or the risk she presents,” stated Keith Wattley, her legal counsel. “It is 100% political, directly contrary to the evidence and the governing regulations.”

Background of the Murders

Krenwinkel was 21 when the Manson cult carried out the murders of actress Sharon Tate and several others, among them socialite Abigail Folger and hairstylist Jay Sebring, and the following night murdered grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary LaBianca. By 1971, she and fellow cult members were convicted of seven counts of first-degree murder for their roles in the attack.

Prison Transformation

In her decades behind bars – she is California’s longest serving incarcerated woman – she has turned her life around, friends and her legal team have reported. Krenwinkel has earned college degrees and her behavior record is clean, her attorney noted, which was one of the reasons the panel recommended her for release.

Krenwinkel has shown regret for her role in the crimes. In 2022, she said: “I want to say how terribly sorry I am for all the pain and suffering that I created when I took the lives that I did … I strive daily to live amends … [and] work toward self-improvement.”

Past Abuse and Reform

A 2017 investigation by the parole board found she experienced physical, emotional and sexual violence by the cult leader, her lawyer said in a statement, adding that she has found her “own identity, self-reliance, and ethical guidance”.

Similar Instances

The governor has previously denied parole for other cult members. Another follower was released from California prison in 2023 after 53 years when a state appeals court overturned the governor’s decision to block her parole.